At an art festival in Dakar, artists from both sides of the Atlantic examine the legacy of slavery

Associated Press

DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — The Dakar Biennale of Contemporary African Art, or Dak’Art, has opened in the Senegalese capital. The international arts festival, founded in 1989 by the government, has over the years become one of the most important platforms promoting African artists. Organizers say the theme of this year’s edition is “Wake.” It opened on Thursday with 58 artists from 33 countries exhibiting their work, which explores various meanings and evocations of the term, including exhumation, mourning and uprooting. The United States, the guest of honor of this year’s show, is represented by seven African American artists whose works examine the past, present and future repercussions of slavery.