Senegal’s Ministry of Youth, Sports, and Culture has announced the postponement of the fifteenth iteration of the Dak’Art Biennale of Contemporary African Art by six months. Originally slated for May 16–June 16 of this year, the event will now run from November 7 to December 7.
The announcement, made on April 24, came just over two weeks before Dak’Art’s scheduled opening. This timing likely caused some disruption, as many had already purchased tickets, and international visitors had likely made travel arrangements. According to Le Quotidien de l’Art, approximately five hundred off-site exhibitions remain unaffected by the postponement. However, concerns lingered regarding the uncertain political climate prevailing at the time of the event’s original schedule.
The political landscape in Senegal was marked by upheaval, with the recent presidential election resulting in the unseating of the incumbent Macky Sall by Bassirou Diomaye Faye. Sall’s attempts to delay the vote sparked mass protests, calling into question the country’s reputation for stability in the region. Faye’s victory resonated particularly with the disaffected youth, who constitute a significant portion of Senegal’s population.
In addition to political uncertainties, logistical challenges marred preparations for the Biennale. Le Quotidien d’Art highlighted a lack of physical readiness at the venue, the former Palais de Justice. Even before the election, there were no arrangements for transporting works or installing exhibits, activities typically completed three months before the event.
Compounding these issues, reports also state the Biennial’s organizers faced scrutiny over financial matters, with concerns arising after reports of missing funds totalling approximately €2 million euros ($2.2 million). The government-backed organizers stopped the audits of the event’s spending, which had received partial funding from public money.
