Photos by Annika Haas
In the last week of March, a study trip to Senegal took place for the curatorial students of the Institute of Art and Visual Culture. The study trip was part of the gallery studies course led by Triin Metsla and aimed to introduce students to global art history and contemporary art outside Europe and the Anglo-American cultural space. Dakar, the capital of Senegal, was chosen as the destination because in recent decades it has become a centre for contemporary art in Africa and has a strong gallery network.
The study trip started with a visit to the UNESCO World Heritage island of Gorée. The colourful little island is known for its rather dark history as a centre of the slave trade between the 15th and 19th centuries. The visit to the island was an opportunity to learn about the history of West Africa and the colonisation of the region.
During the following days, there were visits to various galleries, museums and art organisations and meetings with local artists and institutions. At the house museum of the Senegalese sculptor Ousmane Sow, we were shown his life-size sculptures influenced by traditional African art. The house itself, where, in addition to the works, the artist’s personal archive and memoirs were on display, was created by his own hands. We also made a visit to the Théodore Monod African Art Museum (formerly known as the IFAN Museum of African Arts), one of the oldest museums specialising in African modern art in West Africa. There, we had the opportunity to meet the museum’s curator, who, among other things, told us more about the Dakar Biennale.
Gallery visits took place to Cecile Fakoury, Selebe Yooni, OH, Atiss Dakar and Trames galleries. These galleries specialise in contemporary African as well as diaspora art and several of them support artists through residency programmes. Several galleries hosted meetings with curators or gallery owners, which gave a good insight into the local art scene.
Among the arts organisations, there was also the Village des Arts, a lively and contrasting mini village with artists’ studios and a gallery named after Léopold Sédar Senghor. Visits were also made to Diop University and the Raw Material Company, a centre for contemporary art education. A memorable visit was made to Black Rock Senegal, an exclusive art residency where it was possible to talk to the artists currently in residence. But also a visit to artist Djibril Drame’s home studio, a visit to Aissa Dion’s textile factory and a visit to a local private collector’s collection – all of which offered a different insight into local art.
Traditional evenings of architectural walks were also part of the trip, as well as joint seminars at the end of each day to discuss what had seen and experienced.
Lecturers took part in the trip: Triin Metsla, Linda Kaljundi, Epp Lankots, Anders Härm and Rahel Aerin Eslas; and students Anastassia Janovskaja, Birgit Tohter, Annika Haas, Emili Kelle, Hanna Õunapuu, Kaidi Ojasoo, Hans Alla, Triinu Rannula, Polina Richter, Piret Arukaevu, Mailis Timmi ja Sergei Trofimov.
Text by Triinu Rannula, photos by Annika Haas.
Study trip was funded by:
