Category: Essays & Reviews
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The Post-Visibility Blues: On Venice 2026 and the Limits of Representation – Review
The Venice Biennale has long been a place where Africa appeared only intermittently. A presence that was rare, often mediated through the gaze of others, and at times reduced to a footnote in the grand narrative of contemporary art. For decades, African artists, critics, and curators were compelled to fight a battle that seemed both…
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Why the Dakar Biennale Still Matters — Despite Everything
The announcement, in late January 2025, that the 16th edition of the Dakar Biennale would take place from November 19 to December 19, 2026, brought a sense of relief commensurate with the concerns that had preceded it. For months, the possibility of another postponement—or even a deeper weakening of the event—had fueled discussions within Senegalese…
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We Will Not Forget: How African Artists Confront the Post Colonial Legacy
Published in Art + Australia — Vol 60, No. 2 (The Recurrent) By Remy Mallet, Founder of DakArtNews A generation of contemporary artists are turning to the past—not out of nostalgia, but as a way to reshape the present. In this article, I follow five powerful voices from West and Central Africa—Romuald Hazoumè (Benin), Tidiane…
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Africa’s Artists Deserve a Bigger Stage. Basel Is Just the Start
In June 2025, Africa Basel emerged as a groundbreaking international platform for African contemporary art, held in Basel, Switzerland, alongside the world-renowned Art Basel. This inaugural fair not only showcased the vibrancy of African creativity but also sparked critical discussions about representation and inclusion in the global art world. Below, a reflection on its significance,…
Bridging Africa and The World Through Contemporary Art 