Join us and the Director of RAW Material Company, Marie Hélène Pereira, for a rare opportunity to learn about Senegal, its historic artistic political leaders and its artistic landscape today.
Former French colony, Senegal, gained independence in 1960 together with several other African countries. This is of particular significance in the fact that its first President, Leopold Sedar Senghor, was a poet and writer who played a crucial role in building institutions that will put art and culture at the heart of Senegalese society. Senghor was one of the founding fathers of the Negritude movement – together with writer and political figure Aimé Césaire – which extended to the African continent and became a reference point in the fight for independence in Africa.
From the creation of Ecole de Dakar to the first World Festival of Negro arts (FESMAN) in 1966, artistic production from Senegal possesses a central position in contemporary art in Africa. The development of a strong critical artistic practice, that would go beyond production and aesthetics, can be attributed to a couple of informal initiatives that played a big role in what the scene is today.
One cannot talk about contemporary art in Senegal without discussing the work of renowned artist Issa Samb, Senegalese painter, sculptor, performance artist, philosopher, playwright and poet who was a pioneering member of Laboratoire Agit’art, founded in the 70s. In his practice, Samb openly criticized the ideology of Negritude and quickly realized the shift of public cultural institutions and the necessity for artists to create their own independent spaces and initiatives. The Laboratoire Agit’art paved the way to different generations of artists and citizens who deeply felt their role in re-shaping a better society in which art and culture would gain due recognition.
‘RAW Material Company’ was born decades later, alongside Senegal’s ‘Biennale of Contemporary African Art’ both of which constitute an important platform for visual arts on the African continent. The main intention of RAW is to fill a void by creating a space for deep reflection and criticism around artistic and curatorial practice.
Founded in 2008, RAW Material Company is a center for art, knowledge and society that finds its relevance in opening up the discourse around art and related practices that are not necessarily understood or given the value they deserve. Our initiative as an art center involves curatorial practice, artistic education, residencies, knowledge production, and archiving of theory and criticism on art. The programme is trans-disciplinary and is equally informed by literature, film, architecture and urbanism, politics, fashion, cuisine and diaspora. Since its inception, RAW possesses a panafrican vocation nurtured by collaborations and exchange with artists and artists initiatives in Africa and beyond. http://www.rawmaterialcompany.org/
Participating fee:
➖Adult: 100,000VND (online); 130,000VND (at door)
➖Students: 40,000VND
*Participants of the event allow The Factory and co-organizer (if applicable) to use their images and statements as documentary for the program, for non-commercial purposes such as: archive, press, media, promotion on our website, Facebook etc