Kehinde Wiley establishes Black Rock Senegal artist residency in Dakar

Kehinde Wiley has initiated Black Rock Senegal, a residency program in Dakar for visual artists, writers, and filmmakers. The inaugural session will span from June 2019 to February 2020, with applications due by 15 April 2019. Participants will receive up to three months of accommodation, meals, and studio space. Named for the volcanic stones along Dakar's coast, the project aims to encourage cross-disciplinary and cross-cultural exchanges with local artists and organizations. Wiley, an African-American artist from New York, first visited Dakar in 1997, citing a deep connection to Senegalese culture. He described the residency as a response to his desire for an 'uncontested relationship with Africa' and a space to create work outside Western contexts, addressing a void shared by many African Americans.