The Italian Cultural Institute in Dakar is pleased to open the exhibition spaces of its new headquarters in Plateau to the public with the exhibition “Souvenir d'Italie”, presented on the occasion of the 15th edition of the Biennale d'art de Dakar - section OFF and the 13th edition of Partcours.
Eugenio Viola, Artistic Director of MAMBO - Museum of Modern Art in Bogotá (Colombia), and one of Italy's most influential curators internationally, is curating the exhibition in response to the theme launched by the Dakar Biennale, “The Wake”.
The title “Souvenir d'Italie” is borrowed from Antonio Pietrangeli's 1957 film of the same name, a tourist comedy that exploited popular stereotypes to promote postcard Italy. The exhibition seeks to subvert this simplified vision to propose a critical reflection on what Italy represents today, and how Italian culture is influenced and enriched by the stories and visions coming from Africa and its diasporas.
The exhibition brings together the works “Il peut pleurer du ciel” (2024) by Binta Diaw, “Let Me” (2021) by Adji Dieye, and the series “Città Foresta” (2022) and “Visitate l'Italia” (2002) by Délio Jasse. The three Italian and Italian-resident artists of African origin explore themes of memory, identity, migration and diaspora, highlighting the complexities of a world that is increasingly connected and multicultural, but also marked by new forms of intolerance.
The exhibition promotes a message of openness to dialogue and coexistence between cultures, underlining the role of art as a tool for building bridges rather than barriers.
“Souvenir d'Italie - explains curator Eugenio Viola - is an invitation to recognize and celebrate the complexity of migration and identity experiences, past and present. It invites us to rethink Italianness in a global context, offering a space for reconciliation and dialogue between diversities, and stimulating critical reflection on concepts of identity and belonging, today more fluid and renegotiable than ever.”
The exhibition will be open to the public at the new headquarters of the Italian Institute of Culture in Dakar, from November 9, 2024 until February 8, 2025, and is one of several initiatives aimed at strengthening cultural ties between Italy and Senegal, offering a platform for encounters between artists and communities.
Opening: Saturday, November 9, 2024, from 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm
Opening hours: Monday to Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
