While we wait for Dakar Biennale to return here are exhibitions to see this May at 'OFF'

The 2024 Dak'Art Biennial, a mainstay of the African art world, has been postponed from its original May date to November. There is still a lot to see in Dakar despite the delays. Dakar's independent galleries and studios who make part of the  "OFF" scene during the Biennial are  actually still ‘ON’ and opened on May 15 2024.

Although bureaucratic inertia might have led to the  postponement, this does not stifle creativity as  independent artists are currently dictating the Dakar's artistic pulse. Their work, on display in exhibitions and pop-up events this month  reflects the city's dynamism and its engagement with global issues.

This alternative art scene in this years ‘OFF” is not merely reactive as it sends trends with the works on display. Here is a list of shows to attend if you are in Dakar.

Black Rock Sénégal: Encounters

Artists: Adrian L.Burrell, Amina Kadous, Ayan Farah, Chinwe Chigbu, Enam Gbewonyo, Gouled Ahmed , Khalif Tahir Thompson, Leonard Pongo, Mae-Ling Lokko, Nengi Omuku, Panmela Castro, Paul Verdell, Sophia Nahli-Allison, Stephen Hayes, Kwabena Appiah-Nti, Ousmane Ba, Lilah Benetti, Makrone Diop, Souleye Fall, Timothy Hunter, Chase Johnson, Ngimbi Bakambana Luve, Ange-Frederic Koffi, Nicolas Lambelet Coleman, Samuel Nnorom, Ardeshir Tabrizi, Keith Tuttii

Location: Blaise Senghor Cultural Center

Dates: May 16 – June 16

Encounters is an exhibition showcasing the work of Black Rock's third and fourth-year artists-in-residence. Curated by Dr. Jareh Das, the exhibition explores how various encounters—whether personal or collective, from the past, present, or future—shape the artists' perceptions of themselves and their place in the world.

Dem Dikk/Viavai

Artists: Jukai, Djibril Dramé, Stefania Gesualdo

Location: Institut Culturel Italien de Dakar, 48 Léon Gontran Damas, Fann Résidence

Dates: May 21 – July 14

Curated by Mohamed A.Cissé, Dem Dikk/Viavai is a research project that dives into the rich history of Dakar's Sandaga market. This exhibition, featuring Italian and Senegalese artists, celebrates the vibrant spirit of Dakar’s most famous market, a key hub of the informal economy now being revitalized. Through their work, the artists aim to capture and share the unique essence and cultural significance of Sandaga.

Khalifa Hussein: Linge

Location: Institut Culturel Italien de Dakar, 48 Léon Gontran Damas, Fann Résidence

Dates: May 18 – June 14

Opening : May 21 at 6:00pm

Curator ART KCISS has invited photographer Khalifa Hussein to showcase his pictures from the protests in 2022 and 2023.

Export-Import

Artists: Younes Baba-Ali, Mbaye Diop, and Hamedine Kane

Location: Selebe Yoon

Dates: May 15 – June 27

The term "import-export" often conjures images of bustling trade between countries, hinting at a dynamic but sometimes unequal exchange. This concept goes beyond mere economics; the flow of cultures, customs, and knowledge has been happening for centuries, long before today's globalized trade. From colonial times to now, these exchanges often occur subtly. By looking at specific sports, leisure activities, or industries, artists can uncover hidden networks and power dynamics, revealing the often unseen mechanisms of subordination and influence.

Zohra Opoku: With every fibre of (my) being

Location: RAW Material Company

Dates: May 19 – June 16

Zohra Opoku’s work explores what it means to belong and return for Afro-diasporic communities. Drawing from her own life, she tackles universal questions about acceptance and otherness, the way we identify ourselves, and the responsibilities society has as a result.

Na Chainkua Reindorf: Strange Flesh

Location: Galerie Cécile Fakhoury

Dates: May 15 – August 24

Na Chainkua Reindorf, born in 1991 in Ghana, is a versatile artist fascinated by world-building and mythmaking through masquerade art. She envisions a fictional female masquerade society, and her work spans paintings, tapestries, and sculptures that bring this imagined world to life.

Branching Streams. Sketches of Kinship

Location: Théodore Monod Museum of African Art

Dates: May 18 – September 15

"Branching Streams. Sketches of Kinship" is part of the transnational research project 'Reconnecting “Objects”' (2021-2025). This initiative gathers scholars and artists from Africa and Europe to explore diverse perspectives and transformative practices in and beyond museums.