The start of the 13th edition of the Biennale of Contemporary African Art (Dak’Art 2018) was officially given yesterday by the Minister of Culture and Communication. On occasion, Mbagnick Ndiaye officially installed the Steering Committee with President Baïdy Agne at its head. “The installation of the Steering Committee is always a privileged moment for the minister to communicate, to exchange with women and men with values that have the ambition to give this event a strong identity in the development of a ” profoundly African aesthetic discourse, “said Minister Mbagnick Ndiaye. He recalled that the Dakar Biennale remains the only event open to the world, with priority to African artists and the diaspora.
According to the Minister of Culture and Communication, “it is significant to reaffirm the orientations given by President Macky Sall at the Dak’Art 2016. These include, among others, openness to innovations that preserve the identity of The Biennale of Dakar, and to listen to the most relevant options, likely to make it more attractive and more efficient. This is also the increase of the Senegal State’s contribution of 500 million FCFA.
The 16 members being installed, Mr. Ndiaye reminded them of their mission letter, which is structured around the following points: define the 2018 edition; To guarantee professional credibility and to be the center of legitimation of the orientations towards the partners; Assist the Secretary General in the validation of artistic choices in the implementation of the preparatory program and in the partnership approaches; Ensure compliance and evaluation of the 2018 edition.
Work by Alexis Peskine
The Minister of Culture and Communication urged the members of the Steering Committee to “work in a team with professionalism and inclusiveness for the success of this event”. He renewed all his availability and commitment, alongside them, to make the Biennale of Dakar 2008 an unprecedented event by the richness of its artistic content, the quality of its participants but also by its popularity.
For its part, the chairman of the Steering Committee, Baïdy Agne, expressed his gratitude to the guardianship for this renewed confidence. “As we did during the previous Dak’Art, we will work towards making 2018 a more successful edition with a stronger influence on Senegal and culture.” B. Agne found it more interesting to have a smaller Committee. “All the other energies, all the people who have experience in the edition of the Biennale, can be in commissions that will do the work of every day,” said President Agne, adding that the goal is to Give impetus to assigned missions. On this moment, he announced the maintenance of the artistic director of the 12th edition, Simon Njami.
