Fesman - Général

Général

BCA RSS Syndicator

Fesman2009

Arts and craft
At a time when, in the western world, many age-old crafts have disappeared under the pressure of industrial production, crafts in the black world, still very much alive, remain the guarantee that such traditions will continue. In the field of Arts and Crafts, the highly diverse range of “Black Arts” is producing objects which, owing to their intrinsic qualities, sometimes fall through the net of the discipline, as they border on Design or Visual Arts, etc.

Utilitarian or decorative objects, classical or reinvented traditions, the Festival is offering itself as a meeting point where these creations and skills will resonate with one another. Wood, iron, ceramics, textiles and leather, fibre and rushes, gold and silver will be given pride of place in this market where the usual mass-produced objects will sit alongside rare or even unique pieces.

The Festival competition will be open to craft objects made by transforming one or several combined materials including wood, metal, leather, fibre or any other material. The created work will be assessed on the quality of its content to reflect the relationship between contemporary expression and the spirit of black world cultural heritage, along with its capacity to illustrate the impulse to assert black African cultural identity.

The Festival will also invite artists to take part in an international exhibition in Dakar and one or two off exhibitions. Through a “Festival Market”, the aim will be to establish contacts to open up markets and opportunities, as FESMAN 2009 is seeking to support the creators of outstanding works in their marketing or even industrial production activities, as well as initiating partnerships between creators and foreign businesses.