Abidjan Art Week Expands Reach as Ivory Coast City Positions Itself as Regional Cultural Hub

“This scene is alive… and we want the public to see that art here belongs to everyone.”

Abidjan Art Week has continued to expand in scale and visibility, with organisers and artists positioning Abidjan as an emerging centre for contemporary art in West Africa, supported by growing public engagement, new venues, and a widening base of collectors.

During the latest edition of the event, galleries and museums across the city extended their opening hours into late evening, hosting a coordinated “Night of the Galleries” programme. The initiative allowed visitors to tour multiple venues after working hours, with organised transport linking cultural sites across different districts.

More than a dozen institutions participated, reflecting a deliberate effort to broaden access and integrate art into everyday urban life.The late-night programme was first introduced in January 2024 alongside the Africa Cup of Nations, which was hosted and won by Côte d’Ivoire. Organisers subsequently incorporated it into the annual art week, aiming to sustain momentum generated during that period of increased international attention.

Since its inception, the event has diversified geographically, moving beyond traditional cultural centres to include venues in different parts of the city. These include La Rotonde des Arts in the Plateau administrative district and Adama Toungara Museum of Contemporary Cultures in the working-class neighbourhood of Abobo.

The expansion reflects a broader strategy to decentralise access to art and engage audiences across socioeconomic divides.Marie-Hélène Banimbadio Tusiama, a spokesperson for the event, said the objective is to encourage sustained interaction with art beyond commercial transactions.

She described the initiative as an effort to create opportunities for audiences to engage more deeply with artistic practice and to normalise gallery visits as part of routine cultural participation.Abidjan’s emergence as a cultural centre follows a period of political instability, including two civil wars in the 2000s and early 2010s that disrupted economic and cultural activity.

In recent years, the city has sought to reassert itself as francophone West Africa’s economic and creative hub, positioning itself alongside Dakar, long regarded as a regional reference point for contemporary visual arts.The growth of the local art ecosystem has been supported by a rising number of collectors and increased institutional activity.

Since 2022, MuCAT has hosted the Africa Foto Fair, while the Marché des Arts du Spectacle d’Abidjan, a major performing arts market often compared to the Dakar Biennale, is scheduled to hold its 14th edition later this month.Public art has also gained prominence.

A nationwide graffiti festival launched two years ago marked a shift in official attitudes toward street art, which had previously been associated with vandalism and subject to legal penalties. Murals now feature prominently on urban landmarks, including the exterior of La Pyramide building and several hotels in the Plateau district, signalling a broader acceptance of contemporary visual expression in public space.

Organisers say participation in this year’s art week has increased significantly, with the number of galleries involved more than doubling. Artists from countries including Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Mali exhibited work, reflecting the event’s regional scope and its role as a platform for cross-border artistic exchange.

Yacouba Konaté, founder of the event and director of La Rotonde des Arts, said inclusivity remains a central objective. He noted that the programme is designed to challenge perceptions of art as an elite pursuit by encouraging broader public participation and increasing visibility of local artistic production.

According to Konaté, communication efforts have focused on reinforcing Abidjan’s identity as a cultural city with an active and evolving visual arts scene. He said organisers aim to scale the event independently of external validation, prioritising local engagement and sustainability.

Exhibitions during the week reflected a range of artistic approaches. At MuCAT, the exhibition “Murmures d’Archives” presented archival and research-based works, offering a quieter, reflective counterpoint to more commercially oriented shows. The programme concluded with a workshop involving participating artists, followed by a DJ performance, blending visual art with other cultural forms.

In the Cocody district, Ouattara Watts presented a solo exhibition at Galerie Cécile Fakhoury, one of the city’s leading galleries. The exhibition attracted members of the Ivorian diaspora as well as local audiences, facilitating dialogue between international and domestic art communities.

Watts, who relocated to New York in 1988 on the advice of Jean-Michel Basquiat, said his work reflects a transnational perspective. He described his artistic vision as extending beyond geographic boundaries, using recognisable visual elements to communicate across cultural contexts while maintaining a broader conceptual scope.

The continued expansion of Abidjan Art Week reflects broader efforts to institutionalise cultural production in the city and to position it within regional and international art networks.

Increased participation, diversified venues and evolving public engagement suggest a growing ecosystem, supported by both local initiatives and cross-border collaboration.