A week in Senegal
The Saint-Louis Museum of Photography, the first space entirely dedicated to this medium in West Africa, is dedicating an exhibition to Muriel Pénicaud. Invited by its founder, Amadou Diaw, the photographer is presenting a selection of photographs in a double exhibition held simultaneously in Saint-Louis and Dakar.
Entitled L’Ombre de tes rêves(The Shadow of Your Dreams), this exhibition weaves a sensitive dialogue between photography and poetry. The poems of Birago Diop and Rennie Yotova do not illustrate her photographs, but rather open up a dialogue with them. These poetic voices sometimes extend what the image suggests, sometimes question it, and sometimes even offer a completely different interpretation. Together, they resonate and form a dance in which each language retains its uniqueness while participating in a deeper conversation about our experience of the world.
The first opening reception took place on Wednesday, May 14, at the Yara Residence in Dakar. The opening night attracted a large audience, including several diplomatic figures: Ms. Juliette John, Ambassador of the United Kingdom to Senegal, Ms. Christine Fages, Ambassador of France, and Mr. Federico Gonzales Perini, Ambassador of Argentina. The exhibition will remain on display until early July.
Many thanks to Christine Fages, French ambassador, who organized a wonderful meeting with Senegalese artists ahead of the event.
Photo: Lunch with Senegalese artists, organized by Christine Fages, French Ambassador.
The artist was deeply touched by the visitors' welcome, their looks, and the words they shared with her:
"Your portraits take center stage, accompanied by photographs showcasing incredible textures: wood, feathers, clouds, rock, water, air. The whole is punctuated by the passionate, harmonious dance of the poems."
"Congratulations on the beautiful exhibition. A wonderful discovery. Magnificent prints with infinite nuances. This series conveys a great deal of emotion and poetry, mystery and wonder. Looking forward to seeing the rest in St. Louis."
Muriel Pénicaud also visited the ISM Group's Baobab Campus, where she took part in a strategic discussion with representatives of the Management Committee. She then led a captivating masterclass on "The Future of Work" in front of an audience of students and alumni, sharing her vision of the transformations taking place in the professional world: changing professions, new skills, artificial intelligence, and flexible working. The students enjoyed a private guided tour of the exhibition, and Muriel Pénicaud was impressed by their curiosity, intelligence, and spontaneity, which enlivened the discussions.
Photo: Muriel Pénicaud and students from the ISM Group
Three days later, on Saturday, May 17, the public gathered at the Museum of Photography in Saint-Louis for the opening of the second exhibition, which will run until November 30.
Photo: Amadou Diaw, Muriel Pénicaud, and Marie Caroline Camara at the opening reception at the Saint-Louis Museum of Photography.
On this occasion, Mr. Hassan Naciri, Ambassador of Morocco, was present alongside Mr. Al Hassan Sall, Governor of the Saint-Louis region.
Photo: Muriel Pénicaud presents her work and talks with visitors during the opening of the exhibition at the Saint-Louis Museum of Photography.
This week has been rich in creativity and encounters, giving rise to new images taken in the Medina of Dakar, on Gorée Island, the Senegal River, Saint-Louis Island, among the Fulani women herders in Richard Toll, and in the fishing village. These photographic wanderings allowed Muriel Pénicaud to reconnect with Bagoré Bathily and La Laiterie du Berger, a dairy company supported by Danone, which collects and processes milk from Fulani herders in the region, guaranteeing them a stable source of income, but this time through her photographer's eye.
Sileymane Niang and she also explored Gorée Island and the streets of Dakar together during a photography expedition.
Photo: Muriel Pénicaud and Sileymane Niang
None of this would have been possible without the generous invitation from Amadou Diaw, founder of MuPho, whose warm welcome, along with that of his entire team, made this wonderful artistic adventure and new collection of photographs possible.