Open Call for Artists: Biennial of Contemporary African Art (Dak’Art) 2020

An open call for applications from African and diasporan artists to the Biennial of African Art, 2020.

Olanrewaju Tejuoso (Nigeria), Oldies and Goodies, 2016-2018. Installation view, Dak’Art Biennale 2018 “The Red Hour/A New Humanity” curated by Simon Njami. Photo credit: The Sole Adventurer.
Olanrewaju Tejuoso (Nigeria), Oldies and Goodies, 2016-2018. Installation view, Dak’Art Biennale 2018 “The Red Hour/A New Humanity” curated by Simon Njami. Photo credit: The Sole Adventurer.

The 14th edition of the Biennial of Contemporary African Art (Dak’Art), under the high patronage of the President of the Republic of Senegal, has been announced to take place May 28 – June 28, 2020 in Dakar, Senegal. This edition under the general theme “Ĩ’Ndaffa / Out of the fire”, will mark its 30th anniversary.

Ĩ’Ndaffa, in Serer language means to forge, referring to the creation of a new world which fosters the diversity of contemporary African creative culture.

The call for applications to the biennial’s international exhibition is open to all artists from Africa and the diaspora, working across all media.

Deadline: September 15, 2019

How to Apply

Applicants must submit a completed application form and the required documents, as described below, on USB flash drive to be sent by e-mail to candidature2020@biennaledakar.org and by post to the General Secretariat of the Biennial of Dakar, located at 19 avenue Hassan II 1st Floor. BP: 3865. Dakar Senegal.

This file must include:

The completed application form, which can be accessed here

A biography of up to 15 lines in English and French

A detailed curriculum vitae

Two recent high-resolution pictures;

A scanned copy of the valid passport until December 31, 2020

Five high-definition reproductions (300 dpi for 30×50 cm) of works dating from October 2018 (artist’s property) on paper or digital (photographs, DVDs, CDs). The name of the photographer is required, as is the date of creation

A text presenting the works and their technical data (references of the parts, title of the work, dimensions, materials, value of the work and insurance, addresses of places of origin and delivery of works at the end of the biennial 2020)

Articles in art papers and critical texts on the artist’s work, one or more expert testimonials recognized (optional).

A letter of commitment from the artist who, in case of selection, agrees to take care of the packaging of the works with an indication of their dimensions, weights and volumes. Works intended for the international exhibition must be properly packaged (see number 7 of the rules of procedure) and shipped in crates with screwed lids to facilitate their return. They must be ready not later than one month after notification to the artist, by the General Secretariat of the Dakar Biennial, of the decision of the International Selection Committee. They must be easily transportable.

Points 1, 2, 3,4,5,6, 7 and 9 are mandatory. Non-compliance with these requirements shall result in the rejection of the whole application.

These documents are not returned to the artist after the deliberations of the International Selection Committee. They are deposited in the documentary collection of the General Secretariat of the Biennial.

The works proposed for the selection must not have already been presented at an international exhibition. They must also be free of all rights, no work already purchased will be the subject of selection.

Any work selected and produced on site with the financial support of the Dakar Biennial will remain the property of the State of Senegal. In the case where the artist bears the full costs of production, it is his obligation to ensure at his own expense the return transport costs of the work to destination.

Participation in the fourteenth edition of the Dakar Biennale implies full acceptance of these rules of procedure.

For further enquiries and details, write to info@biennaledakar.org  or visit www.biennaledakar.org
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