Dak'Art 2016 presents rich variety of contemporary African art

Aida Muluneh's exhibit consists of images from a series of photographic works in which she questions life, love, history, and whether we can live in this world with full contentment. The title comes from an expression used by Muluneh’s grandmother "the world is 9, it is never complete and never perfect." Aida Muluneh is an Ethiopian artist based in Addis Ababa.

Presented in one of the halls of the former Palace of Justice the work of Monteiro is a reflection on power, or the "drift" of power in Africa. A large chair in the form of golden eagle sits on a red carpet. Fabrice Monteiro invites visitors to reflect on the misuse of power and write their thoughts in a book titled 'Vox Populi', or the voice of the people.

The multimedia exhibit in the main hall of the former courthouse focuses on what happens before the re-enchantment, before Africans arrive at their new destination looking for 'enchantment'. A flat screen displays videos shot by the artist of men wearing crowns of golden miniature Eiffel towers representing the migration to Paris.

John Kamicha’s art focuses on questioning societal assumptions. He confronts taboos such as sexual identity, prostitution and Christianity. Rather than accepting Jesus as sacred, he considers his life as a human being. Kamicha used Leonardo da Vinci’s ‘The Last Supper’ as a basis for a provocative collage.

Kine Aw lives and works in Senegal. Her vision revolves around the universe of women in the Sahel: round shapes, beauty, traditional versus modernity and themes inspired by her own experiences. Her critical voice encourages women to reflect on their lives.

The installation of transparent plastic bags worming their way through a barbed wire hoop hangs from the ceiling lit up by fluorescent tubes. Nabil Boutros chose to represent the dream of a liberated Africa, responsible for itself, through his installation.

Ephrem Solomon addresses human identity and that of Africans in particular. Symbolism plays a key role in his socio-political work. Those portrayed bear the burdens and uncertainties of modern life.

The installation of 15 pots represents the members of the West African regional bloc ECOWAS and is a glimpse of a larger installation at the National Museum of Lagos. 'The United Nations of Jollof' is an imaginary political reality of a collaboration between African militaries bound by a common goal of achieving peace on the continent.

The series of paintings by the Algerian painter reflects on what a princess dreams of through several portraits of women with different facial expressions, depicted in gold and black.

Kader Attia's installation called "The infinite Rhizomes (a continuously growing horizontal underground stem with jutting lateral shoots) of the revolution," represents trees in rebar rods and slingshots as the nature of man and his revolt. And sometimes revolutions begin with a stone.

Mbaye Babacar Diouf is a Senegalese artist. The large ink canvas is covered in minutely drawn men clinging to and hanging off each other, either in ascent or for survival.

Victor Ehikhamenor is a Nigerian visual artist, photographer and writer. Written inscriptions cover the walls, floor and ceiling of a blue-lit room entitled "the Prayer Room." Author: Emmanuelle Landais