The legendary festival Segou'Art celebrated its 19th edition in Mali on the banks of the Niger River in Segou, from January 31 to February 5, 2023. The theme for this year was 'Heritage and Creativity'. This year's festival was inaugurated by Prime Minister Dr. Choguel Kokalla Maiga. The Ségou 'Art Festival, is a creative format that focuses on contemporary art through a contemporary art fair, as well as all of the traditional components of the Festival on Niger (Giant Concerts on the banks of the Niger River, Theater, Dance, Workshops, Conferences, Ségou Fair, Traditional Events, Cultural Caravan for Peace.
The festival in addition to the traditional components of the Festival on Niger, consists in gathering gallery owners, collectors and art lovers, art critics, and others around the works of young emerging talents from Africa and elsewhere, not only to make them known and stimulate local consumption, but also to initiate a reflection on the development of visual arts in Africa and to create the optimal conditions for their emergence through a local art fair.
For its 19th edition, the Ségou'Art Festival sur le Niger received the high patronage of Colonel Assimi Gota, President of the Transition and Head of State who had this to say,
"For those who know the eminently important role of culture in consolidating social cohesion and living together, in the current context of our country, we need events of this kind to help us get out of this crisis.” _ President Colonel Assimi Goïta.
It also featured prominent artists such as Mr. Camille from Seychelles, who displayed a collection of twenty-six of his recent artworks in a solo exhibition titled 'So Close, So Far,' which included etchings, collagraphs and 4 works on canvas. He described the collection as a culmination of his work over the span of his career as an artist.
“The exhibition title, ‘So Close, So Far’, referred to the fact that the two locations, Segou and Seychelles, are at the extremities of the African continent and while being far away in a physical form yet being close and near in emotions and creativity. Both locations are dependent on the body of water surrounding them to provide sustenance and importance.” _ Mr. Camille
With the aim of elevating the arts and cultural sector to the level of professionalism, the festival also hosted a Pan-African Curatorial Workshop at the Kore Institute of Arts and Crafts, led by the renowned curator from Cameroon, Simon Djami.
There is no doubt that the Ségou'Art Festival sur le Niger 2023, 19th Edition will be a landmark edition.
"Bissimillaye, Ségou tells you."_ President Colonel Assimi Gota
For more information about the festival visit: http://www.festivalsegou.org/autres/article/editorial?lang=fr
Comments