By John Owoo

In Dakar – Senegal

Courtesy – Royal Air Maroc

Simon Njami, curator of the 2018 edition of the Dakar Art Biennial, has stated that Africa does not posses the tools to promote its contemporary art at this point in time and called for massive investment in this direction.

Speaking at a lecture on “Creating Value for African Contemporary Art” at the Théodore Monod Museum for African Art in Dakar, Njami noted that Africa needs decent art, collectors, writers, galleries, infrastructure and venues to promote contemporary art in order to attract appropriate value for its art.

“Without these and other appropriate structures, contemporary African art will continue to be invisible – indeed we need to make efforts at increasing the number of African galleries that are able to participate in international art fairs”, he said.

Moderated by the former director of Dak Art Biennial Ousseynou Wade, Njami expressed concern that infrastructure that host the few biennials in Africa tend to lie fallow in between biennials and called for their effective utilization in and outside biennales.

Adama Sanneh, Chief Operating Officer of Moleskine Foundation, said market of African contemporary art is mainly a perception adding that the perceptions say it will grow. He stated that the figures relating to the marketing of contemporary art in Africa is not encouraging but the trend is positive.

He reiterated the point that more curators, galleries, African collectors, investors, data transparency and infrastructure among others are critical to ensure that Africa gets the right value for its contemporary art.

“Mainstream investors rely on data and most African artists are not tracked by data – thus it’s an important area that must be tackled while we put in place mechanisms to stimulate local consumption of artworks”, added Sanneh, who is also a gallerist.

Participants emphasized the need to adopt the “Market Stall” approach while courting government and private sector support, which is present in many developed countries. The issue of constructing storages to house artworks equally attracted the interest of participants.

Undeniably, African art accounts for a very minute portion of the international art market with African artists being treated like outsiders. Nevertheless, the demand for works from Africa has greatly increased over the past decade.

With the growth of African economies, patronage of African contemporary art is set to continue rising. Indeed, with wealth popping up from the telecoms, agriculture and oil / gas sectors in several African countries, local consumption is set to increase.

By John Owoo

In Dakar – Senegal

Courtesy – Royal Air Maroc

The 2018 edition of Dak Art Biennial, which is currently ongoing in the Senegalese capital Dakar, is a fine testimony of the evolution, progress and capacity of contemporary African art.

Opened by Senegalese president HE Macky Sall, the festival, which has works of 70 artists from 33 countries on display, equally brought into the spotlight the issue of value for works by contemporary African artists.

Dubbed “The Red Hour” and curated by the Cameroonian writer / art critic Simon Njami, the expansive range of artworks that have inundated the city of Dakar, is a clear indication of the multiplicity, complexity and universality of works that are being produced in Africa and the diaspora.

With support from Alya Sebti (IFA Gallery in Berlin), Bonaventure Soh Bejeng Ndikung (SAVVY Contemporary – Berlin), Marisol Rodriguez (Author – Mexico), Cosmin Costinas (Para Site – Hong Kong) and Marianne Hultman (Kunstforening – Norway), Njami included over 300 artists in the off-section thereby spreading artworks all over the city.

Nevertheless, a vast number of Senegalese appear not to be aware of the biennial, despite its international bearing – and the organizers must begin to find effective ways of attracting local interest and participation.

The biennial equally touched on issues relating to “Artists Rights / Marketing & Repatriation of African Cultural Properties”, “Innovative Funding for the Arts in Africa”, “Creating Value for African Contemporary Art” and “The Development of Infrastructure”.

Diverse works fashioned out of materials including discarded metals, wooden boxes, colorful fabrics, wires, books, plastics and other recycled items appear to communicate with each other at a former Senegalese High Court, which housed the international exhibition.

Noted for his large-scale sculptures that are mostly wall based, Ghanaian master El Anatsui’s works permeated a rather large well lit room with its intricately woven materials that constantly exude a luminous and majestic presence.

UK based Ghanaian artist Godfried Donkor’s stock market prints from Financial Newspapers, which contain “millions” of data, are perched coolly on walls close to the entrance of this giant edifice as they transmit their queries on the commercialization of people.

A gigantic work by the Nigerian artist Olanrewaju Tejuoso, comprise domestic waste that he turned into an award-winning piece while exploring a process of accumulation through artistic and visual heights.

Cuban artist Juan Milano Benito presented a replica of a famous but out of use swimming pool from the 1950s in Cuba to depict failure. The piece indicates disappointment associated with diverse human endeavors and actions that continue to haunt us to this day.

Moshekwa Langa from South Africa showcased a playful installation that reveals experiences of his life, which he maps and incorporates into his rather complex and adjustable installations. In their numeric strength, they encompass an archive of his life and works.

Unassuming sculptures by France based Mozambican artist Téo Betin are characterized by a close attention to detail while bringing together diverse elements of a complete narrative. A staircase he constructed vividly establishes links with nearby objects.                                                                                                                                                                                                                         Moroccan artist Mohssin Harraaki installed a series of rocks that have been tired with black cables in the form of trees that end up as light bulbs. The installation, which expresses a diversity of ideas, is equally linked to genealogy, inheritance and history.

Dak Art 2018, which ends on Saturday June 2, aims at being a space of different prejudice-free visions alongside approaches and inspirations that analyze issues in relation to a plurality of influences from both immediate and distant sources.

Within the framework of the re-designed Aschberg programme for artists and cultural professionals, UNESCO will on May 3th and 4th organize a two-day training workshop for Ghanaian civil society and government officials on policies and measure to promote and monitor artistic freedom.

Catherine Afeku (Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture), Ama Serwah Nerquaye-Tetteh (Secretary General – National Commission of Ghana for UNESCO) and Danielle Cliche (Secretary of the 2005 Convention and Chief of the Section for the Diversity of Cultural Expressions) will open training, which also marks World Freedom Day 2018.

The workshop, which will be conducted by M. Ole Reitov (former Executive Director of Freemuse) and Sara Whyatt (former Deputy-Director of PEN International), will bring together about twenty people persons from governmental and non-governmental actors working in Ghana on issues related to artistic freedom.

This workshop will facilitate a better understanding of the 2005 Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions and its goal to promote human rights and artistic freedom.

Others are exchange on existing laws, policies and measures which promote and protect artistic expression and challenges that countries face while increasing knowledge and understanding of the obligations that governments (in close cooperation with civil society) have in terms of reporting on policies and measures taken to promote artistic freedom.

The first day of the workshop will introduce participants to the concept of artistic freedom and help to engage a discussion on global challenges to artistic freedom, the international legal frameworks regulating artistic freedom, social and economic rights of artists and data collection mechanisms.

The second day will focus on how to report on artistic freedom worldwide and in Ghana. Through group works, the participants will qualify how Ghana may report on artistic freedom as part of the forthcoming quadrennial periodic report submission to UNESCO on the implementation of the 2005 convention, which Ghana signed in 2016.

Picture:-

Aïda Muluneh

Darkness Give Way to Light

Lumières d’Afrique Exhibition

Ethiopia – 2015

By John Owoo

(In Accra – Ghana)

Communicative paintings by the Osaka Triennial award winning artist Wiz Kudowor that span a period of forty years are currently on display in three galleries in Accra.

Titled “Retrospective” – the exhibitions, which are being held at the ANO, Berg and Artist Alliance Galleries – effectively trace the chronological trajectory, imaginative vocabularies and vigorous artistic language of Koduwor.

Curated by Sela Kodjo Adjei, Kudowor’s work at the Artists Alliance Gallery simultaneously draw on diverse energies and manages to push them beyond fixed spaces and characteristics in his quest to explore and interpret hidden truths.

Easily one of Ghana’s best respected and acclaimed modernist painters, his paintings are influenced by rich African symbolism, out of which he creates impenetrable messages that are characterized by stimulating titles and designations.

Employing pastels, acrylics, charcoal, inks, collages and watercolors, his bold figures tend to highlight body contours, faces, scenes and shapes that equally rejuvenate and conjure Ghanaian traditional themes while exploring geometric and revolutionary styles.

Emotions and facial expressions are deeply embedded in works on display at the Berg Gallery, which illustrate his mid-career period. Abstract masks, motherhood and feminine essence among others are quite pronounced in these small-scale paintings.

His works at the ANO Gallery from his early days as an artist reveal varied details of faces and their vocabularies in his dancing and romantic figures, market women and beer downing gatherings that largely portray practices in the local Ghanaian art scene in the 1970s.

Educated at the College of Art and Sculpture, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (Kumasi), Kudowor has exhibited widely across Africa, Europe, Asia and the United States of America.

His works can be found in a number of international collections including the Ministry of Culture (People’s Republic of China), African American Museum (Texas, USA), Ghana Museums and Monuments Board (Accra, Ghana) and the Osaka Prefecture Contemporary Art Collection (Osaka, Japan).

A multidisciplinary artist / academic, Adjei graduated with an MPhil in African Art and Culture from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (Kumasi). He has curated a number of exhibitions including the famous Chale Wote Street Art Festival.

The exhibitions end on Wednesday April 18.

By John Owoo

(In Accra – Ghana)

The walls of Gallery 1957 provide an imperturbable sense of belonging – indeed the burgundy coloured walls offer a true feeling of intimacy that border on a boudoir – as one gets encircled with artworks by the Haitian American artist Florine Demosthene.

Located within the premises of the elegant Kempinski Hotel in Accra, the atmosphere is one of both familiarity and interference as one moves from one artwork to the other, some of which are decorated with elaborate frames.

A close scan of the walls show Demosthene as a masterful technician – who employs a penetrating fusion of figurative and abstract forms to examine diverse issues that confront the contemporary world – while engaging her own profile as a reference point.

Titled, “The Stories I Tell Myself”, the mixed media works are conceptual and does not illuminate one meticulous notion, event or history. “For me, my art has been a passing away of layers of preconceived ideas; much in the way as a snake sheds its skin. This slow shedding process can be viewed as a continual rebirth of our identity”, she explains.

Indeed, it is an unrestricted body of work that actually enjoins the viewer to conceive and communicate his or her own ideas. Consequently – the works, some of which are uncanny – attract a flurry of concepts including femininity, race, sensuality, heroines and gender issues.

With images that seem to be hovering in the universe, she effectively re-appraises socio-political constructions and circumstances that currently encircle female sexuality and physicality as her delicate figures tend to initiate a kind of dialogue around female bodies.

Demosthene earned a BFA the Parsons New School for Design and an MFA from Hunter College (both in the United States). She has shown her work extensively in group and solo exhibitions in the Caribbean, United Kingdom, Slovakia, Germany, the United States and several parts of Africa.

She was a recipient of a Joan Mitchell Foundation Grant in 2011 and was featured in the premiere issue of “Arc”, a magazine that is dedicated to highlighting emerging and established Caribbean artists.

The artist is also a 2012 Keyholder resident at the Lower East Side Printshop in New York (USA), a Guest Artist for the 2014 Dakar Art Biennale and a participant in the first Kampala Art Biennale in Uganda.

The exhibition ends on Sunday May 6.

By John Owoo

(In Abidjan – La Côte d’Ivoire)

It was a cool evening at the Salle Kodjo Ebouclé, one of the theatres located within the premises of the Palais de la Culture – a giant edifice that overlooks the scenic Lagoon Ebrie in Abidjan (Côte d’Ivoire).

There is an eerie silence and the audience remain attentive as they await Judith Olivia Manantenasoa – a courageous Malagasy dancer / choreographer – who as widely expected sends the audience on an unforgettable journey.

Clad in a mainly white flowing gown with a spotlight in tow, Manantenasoa lunges into “Metamorphoses”, a solo piece she choreographed that show her as a creator / interpreter. She remains motionless for minutes and evokes an imagery of diverse organisms while bending into controllable movements.

In the process she takes off her top, exposing her breasts as she begins a process of transfiguration. Employing movements and gestures that are technically proficient alongside pensive phrasing, she looses her individuality while assuming the character of an object.

She eventually moves closer to lines of twines tired on stage with colorful pegs hanging loosely on them. Further complex movements lead to a nude show as extremely dim lights overshadow the stage. In the process, she fully becomes and embodiment of the word “metamorphoses”.

“Manantenasoa is an extremely audacious artist – she expresses herself in a manner she deems fit – and her message gets across with amazing ease”, says Marie Hervè, a visual artist / poet from Cotonou, Benin.

In yet another compelling solo performance titled “Energy”, Cameroonian dancer / choreographer Agathe Tamo Djokam moves with calculated steps and facial motions as she works her way through what appears to be dense air.

With a metal ladder on her shoulders that signify a satirical symbol of flight or ascent – she climbs, crashes, pulls and carries the ladder while collapsing again and again on the stage – a move that denotes difficulty in her quest for flight.

Through static animation, she seems to be fighting within herself for some form of control – undeniably for energy to assert herself as an artist – but the ladder proves to be extremely heavy. Nevertheless, the quest for her right to choose still persists.

“A self-motivated artist with a mission – Djokam is full of concepts and beliefs that can be effectively and successfully transferred onto the stage. This is surely a teaser”, added Yao Kouame, a dancer in Abidjan.

Over 70 music, dance and theatre groups alongside poets, storytellers, slammers and street artists from various countries in the world performed during the festival, which ended on Saturday March 17.

By John Owoo

(Abidjan – La Côte d’Ivoire)

Ghanaian reggae star / radio presenter Blakk Rasta last Thursday became a beaming light of joy and humor to everyone – indeed a ringleader of escapism as he interspersed his performance with anecdotes.

Performing at the French Institute in Abidjan as part of Market for Abidjan Performing Arts (MASA) 2018, he enthralled the audience with a dramatic fusion of reggae and traditional Ghanaian rhythms as he moved in a zigzag formation amidst cheers from the audience.

Rasta, who rarely stays still during his boisterous performances, captured the attention of the crowd when he introduced and performed a famous tune he composed in honor of former US president Barack Obama.

“It is an amazing presentation of yet another synthesis of reggae through a fascinating blend with African musical resources – it simply shows the power and capacity of African rhythms”, added Assan Diarra, a writer from Bamako, Mali.

In another concert at the same venue, dynamic Ghanaian singer / guitarist Fatau Keita delighted music fans with a lucid stream of diverse rhythms, beats and songs that flowed with amazing ease from a fully equipped stage.

With sounds that streamed through the theatre like a bird in flight, Keita astonished the audience with a precise and definite rhythm that moved from piece to piece thereby creating an emotional intensity that gripped the entire concert hall.

Clad in a rather funky costume, the young singer and his Nawuni Bie Band turned the auditorium into an African groove with a cogent repertoire while gradually seeping into robust tunes as the night progressed.

“It’s amazing to see a band with such an amalgam of refreshing rhythms and close harmonies that tend to celebrate African creativity and excellence”, said Mali Seck, a music student in Dakar, Senegal.

Over 70 music, dance and theatre groups alongside poets, storytellers, slammers and street artists from various countries in the world performed during the festival, which ends today Saturday March 17.

By John Owoo

(In Abidjan – La Côte d’Ivoire)

Ashakata Dance Group from Benin on Monday took the Salle Kojdo Ebouclé at the Palais de la Culture in Abidjan by storm with a performance that showcased a dramatic blend ancestral dance forms with contemporary movements.

Titled “Les Intrepids”, the neo traditional piece embraced sacred ancestral movements, which the dancers reinterpreted through contemporary moves as voodoo inspired rhythms filled the elaborate performance hall.

Performing at the 10^th edition of Market for the Arts in Abidjan (MASA), the artists took the audience on a mute journey to the late 1880s as they dealt with a ruling passed by an oracle while highlighting the era of fierce resistance to colonialism by Francophone West Africa.

It revealed consultations with priests and it’s consequences as orders pronounced by oracles were ignored – indeed, a subsequent war declared by a King eventually ends in surrender owing to the lack of commitment and treachery from some of his troops.

Clad in colorful costumes, the dancers evoked the fight of rural women who wish to sustain their traditional values with diverse movements while showcasing a new way of preserving our heritage through the medium of dance.

“The performance is deeply steeped in history, heritage and culture – it’s about resilience and determination of people who want to preserve their tradition while taking note of contemporary times”, said Koffie Agbo, a musician from Togo.

It was a night of over 1000 laughs at the Institut Français in Abidjan as the acclaimed Ivorian comedian / writer Adama Dahiko dug deep into his repertoire and dished out a cocktail of humor that ranged from politics, terrorism, curroption as well as the significance of numbers and alphabets.

In a two-hour blitz at the Institut Français in Abidjan, he touched on socio political issues while mimicking a number of world leaders including US president Donald Trump and several African leaders as he dilating on the issue of corruption.

He condemned the phenomenon of African leaders extending their mandate through referenda characterized by fear and intimidation and succinctly made wild fun on the relationship between African governments and the media with a short play.

“Dahiko is a bold artist with a determination to deal with the ills of our society in a satiric manner – nevertheless, it’s effect is quite phenomenal since he appears to have a huge following”, said Michelle Roux from Paris, France.

The crowd moved into a state of frenzy as he took on the character of an alcoholic who freely comments on issues in his society. His tone and demeanor added to the fun as catcalls and applause filled the auditorium.

In a rater audacious move, he set up a “conference call”, between current president Allasane Ouattara and former presidents Konan Bedie and Laurent Gbagbo while mimicking their voices in a near perfect manner.

Over 70 music, dance and theatre groups alongside poets, storytellers, slammers and street artists from various countries in the world are expected to perform during the festival, which ends on Saturday March 17.

Pictures – Mychel Tayee 

By John Owoo

(In Abidjan – La Côte d’Ivoire)

Tenane Dance Company from Senegal yesterday surprised dance lovers at the ongoing MASA festival with a compelling performance through subtle, swift and fluid movements alongside a precise choreography that cuts straight into ones heart.

Choreographed by Marie Agnes Gomis, the four dancers exhibited raw energy alongside complex articulations that captured intermittent attention of viewers who cheered and applauded as the piece unfolded.

Titled “Who Are We”, the choreographer employed the use of urban dance forms that were effectively harnessed to create a new synthesis that exhibited attitudes of antagonism, anger and rage.

With a colorful plastic water bottles arranged on stage, they made the act of dancing look natural with solo and group movements – as they showcased a variety of emotions associated with anger – whether one is alone or with others.

“The dancers are full of energy – and the energy translates into the dance with such amazing harmony. Indeed, it seeped over from the stage and encompassed the audience in a relaxing manner “ added Chantal Kouame, a teacher in Dabou, a town close to Abidjan.

In a related performance at the same venue, Joseph Aka Dance Company swayed the crowd with rubbery movements that made effective use of fore arms, hands and fingers at the Palais de la Culture in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.

Turning their bodies into sketchy toys, the three Ivorian dancers displayed rigorous yet cool control of movements as they borrowed heavily from people with motor problems in their day-to-day struggles.

Choreographed by Joseph Aka, “No Rules”, which was inspired by “In the Chest of a Woman”, a play written by the late Ghanaian dramatist Efo Kojo Mawugbe, underscores the power and guidelines that affect and control the human body.

Accompanied by box/calabash drums and a double bass, the dancers appear to be forming, deforming and reforming bodies with movements that are motivated and created through traditional African gestures, signals and actions.

“It is a magical performance – the audience was virtually held spellbound. Joseph Aka is noted for productions that simply stimulate the mind”, said Olivier Seydou, a pharmacist in Abidjan.

Over 70 music, dance and theatre groups alongside poets, storytellers, slammers and street artists from various countries in the world are expected to perform during the festival, which ends on Saturday March 17.

Photos – Alessa Lübbig & Mychel Tayee

By John Owoo

(In Abidjan – Côte d’Ivoire)

Henriette Dagri Diabaté, a former Ivorian Minister of Culture last week opened the 10^th edition of Market For Performing Arts Festival (MASA) in Abidjan during a colorful ceremony interspersed with brief magnetic performances.

She recounted the humble beginnings of MASA, which was initiated in 1993 with the support of La Francophonie and lauded past and present directors of the festival for a wonderful job in regard to sustenance and promotion of the arts.

Maurice Kouakou Bandaman, current Minister of Culture and Francophonie recalled the commitment of the authorities in the Ivory Coast in ensuring the success and survival of the festival, which has featured thousands of artists over the past twenty-five years.

“The birth of MASA was under the authority of HE Alassane Ouattara, the then Prime Minister / current President of Ivory Coast and vision of former president Félix Houphouet-Boigny, who described the festival as a unifying phenomenon for the promotion of arts and culture”’ he said.

On behalf of the Ivorian President / Prime Minister, he offered a sincere welcome and a warm stay to all participants ranging from artists, professionals, journalists and visitors adding that the Ivorian capital Abidjan is set to be the cultural hub of the world during the festival.

Director General of MASA, Prof Yacouba Konate paid tribute to the initiators of the festival for a brilliant concept that included development through culture adding that it is a torch that has been carried aloft no matter the circumstances.

Following the opening ceremony, the festival moved in first gear with a number dramatic music, dance and theatre performances as well as fashion shows at the Palais de la Culture (a grand edifice overlooking the lagoon Ebrie), as well as venues in the suburbs of Plateau, Koumassi, Adjame and Youpougon.

Over 70 music, dance and theatre groups alongside poets, storytellers, slammers and street artists from various countries in the world are expected to perform during the festival, which ends on Saturday March 17.

Pictures by Mychel Tayee