Guide · Senegal
Dak'Art, the Dakar Biennale of Contemporary African Art
Dak'Art is the Biennale of Contemporary African Art, held in Dakar, Senegal. Its 16th edition runs from 19 November to 19 December 2026 under the artistic director Morad Montazami, in venues that include the former Palais de Justice at Cap Manuel and the Museum of Black Civilisations, with independent "OFF" exhibitions across the city.
Published 3 min read
What Dak'Art is
Dak'Art — in full the Biennale of Contemporary African Art, or Biennale de l'art africain contemporain de Dakar — is the oldest and best-known biennale devoted to contemporary art from Africa and its diaspora. It takes place in Dakar, Senegal, every two years. Unlike an art fair, nothing is sold: a curator chooses works, and the choices shape reputations. For the wider picture of biennales and fairs, see our guide to African art fairs and biennales.
The 2026 edition
The 16th Dak'Art runs from 19 November to 19 December 2026. Its artistic director is Morad Montazami, who succeeds Salimata Diop, curator of the 2024 edition. The organisers' theme is (Anti)fragilité : Arts de la réparation et stratégies du contrecoup — roughly, "(Anti)fragility: arts of repair and strategies of backlash".
As in earlier editions there are two parts: an international exhibition of artists from the continent and its diasporas, and the OFF, the independent exhibitions that fill the city's galleries, studios and public spaces around it.
The organisers had not published opening hours, admission terms or the full programme when this page was written. Check the official site, biennaledakar.org, before you travel; we update this page when the programme is out.
Where it happens
- The former Palais de Justice at Cap Manuel, a courthouse of the 1950s that has housed the international exhibition in recent editions, including 2024.
- The Museum of Black Civilisations, Dakar's circular museum opposite the Grand Théâtre, where the 2026 edition was launched and which hosted most of the 2024 exhibitions.
- The Galerie nationale d'art, the national gallery, listed by the organisers for 2026.
The Théodore Monod Museum on Place Soweto has also been a venue in earlier editions; check whether it takes part this year.
The OFF
The OFF is the part of the biennale that nobody curates centrally: galleries, cultural centres, artists' studios and temporary spaces show their own programmes during the same weeks. It is where a visitor finds younger artists, and also where hours and addresses change from day to day. Look for the official OFF list on the biennale's site and ask at the venues.
Planning a visit
- Give it two to three days. The main exhibition is only part of it; the OFF takes the rest.
- The opening week is the busiest, with talks and openings; the weeks that follow are quieter.
- Combine it with the city. Our guide to Dakar for art lovers puts the museums, Gorée island and the venues in an order for a visit.
- Check hours locally. Opening times of venues and OFF spaces change.
A short history
The biennale began in 1990; visual art joined from 1992, and since 1996 it has been devoted to contemporary art from Africa and its diaspora. It grew out of Senegal's long investment in the arts: after independence, President Léopold Sédar Senghor backed the painters and sculptors of the École de Dakar and, in 1966, opened the first World Festival of Black Arts in Dakar — the festival at which he announced the museum that became the Museum of Black Civilisations.
The 15th edition ran from 7 November to 7 December 2024 under the curator Salimata Diop, with the title The Wake (L'Éveil). Senegal's own artists are listed in our pages on Senegalese artists, including the sculptor Ousmane Sow.
Questions
When is the Dakar Biennale in 2026?
From 19 November to 19 December 2026.
How often does Dak'Art take place?
Every two years. The previous edition was in November and December 2024.
Where is it held?
In Dakar, in several venues: the former Palais de Justice at Cap Manuel, the Museum of Black Civilisations and the Galerie nationale d'art, with the OFF in the city around them.
What is the OFF?
The independent exhibitions that run alongside the official programme, in galleries, studios and other spaces across Dakar.
Who curates the 2026 edition?
Morad Montazami is the artistic director.
Further reading
For the contemporary scene the biennale shows, read our guide to contemporary African art; for permanent collections, where to see African art.
Photographs
