China-aided Senegalese museum becomes place of cultural exchanges

Published: May 31,2023

The file photo, taken on Dec. 6, 2019, shows an exterior view of the Museum of Black Civilizations in Dakar, Senegal. (Photo by Louis Denga/Xinhua)

The wonders of China come to life through the brushes of African artists at the Museum of Black Civilizations in Dakar, the capital of Senegal.

The wonders of China come to life through the brushes of African artists at the Museum of Black Civilizations in Dakar, the capital of Senegal.

The recently opened painting exhibition, titled “Perspectives Across Oceans: China through the Eyes of African Artists,” showcased a vibrant array of Chinese landscapes and scenes as seen by African painters.

This exhibition, a result of collaboration between China and Senegal, highlighted 39 paintings created by 20 African artists from various countries, including Benin, Chad, Mozambique, and South Africa.

These paintings, crafted during their trip in China, depicted the vivid colors, play of light and shadows, and the artists’ unique vision of this distant land.

Visitors take photos at the Museum of Black Civilizations on May 12, 2023, in Dakar, Senegal. (Xinhua/Li Yahui)

The artwork has already won the admiration of visitors such as Semou Diouf, a high school student from Dakar who visited the exhibition with his classmates.

Enthralled by the painting titled “Morning Sun in Nanjing,” Diouf said, “I love how alive and vibrant this painting is. It makes me want to travel to China one day.”

The Museum of Black Civilizations, the venue hosting this exhibition, was built with the assistance of China and was inaugurated in 2018. During the museum’s opening ceremony, Senegalese President Macky Sallhailed it as a “gift from China,” symbolizing the friendship and solidarity between the Chinese and Senegalese peoples.

As a significant cultural project in Senegal, the museum aims to display the diversity of black civilizations while fostering exchanges and dialogue among cultures and civilizations from around the world. Since its inauguration five years ago, it has established itself as one of Senegal’s and the African region’s major cultural landmarks, fully embracing its roles as a curator, exhibitor, and educator.

Xinhua

Visitors take photos at the Museum of Black Civilizations on May 12, 2023, in Dakar, Senegal. (Xinhua/Li Yahui)

Lamine Biaye, a cultural mediator at the museum, expressed his gratitude for China’s support of Senegal’s culture and heritage. “Apart from the museum’s construction, the Chinese government’s support remains consistent, whether through the establishment of infrastructure, provision of materials, or the presence of the Chinese team,” he said in an interview with Xinhua.

Biaye also emphasized the increasing cultural exchanges between China and Senegal at the museum in recent years, citing the exhibition of China through the Eyes of African Artists, and another ongoing exhibition celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Chinese medical mission’s deployment.

These achievements, he said, are essential to promote cultural cooperation between the two countries, whether through delegation visits or infrastructure development.  ■