Regard Biennial Launches in Benin with African Artists

The first edition of Regard, a contemporary visual arts biennial, took place from June 8 to August 31, 2010, across Cotonou, Porto-Novo, and Abomey in Benin. Initiated by Olivier Poivre d'Arvor and supported by the French Embassy and CulturesFrance, the event was embraced by Benin's Minister of Culture Galiou D. Soglo, who saw it as a chance to boost cultural development. The biennial featured nearly ten exhibitions and fifty artist studios, utilizing both institutional and unconventional spaces. Notable artists included Aston, an autodidact creating installations from societal waste; William Adjété Wilson, who revived the appliqué textile tradition with his work 'Océan noir'; and Zinkpé, whose installation at Fondation Zinsou used thousands of wooden fetishes to explore identity and animist rituals. The Fondation Zinsou was highlighted as a rare professional supporter of contemporary art in West Africa. Other artists, despite energetic practices, were noted for a focus on materiality and muted tones. Georges Adéagbo's poetic seaside studio offered a refreshing contrast. The biennial was funded by the French Embassy, CulturesFrance, and the Beninese Ministry of Culture, a rare financial commitment in Africa.