The artist and film director Fatou Kandé Senghor, who works across photography, film, and text in her artistic practice, has dedicated a temporary, walk-in installation to the “Signares” in the outdoor area of the KINDL - Centre for Contemporary Art. An adaptation of the work has already been shown in the exhibition Ré-imaginer le passé at the Musée Théodore Monod in Dakar. There, the artist showed a 6-metre-high walk-in installation outdoors.

The Signares were emancipated Senegalese women who formed relationships with European men on the island of Gorée and later in Saint-Louis, granting them access to various privileges. Signares played a crucial role in preserving Senegalese culture amidst the cultural disruption caused by the colonial powers’ arrival. Senghor’s artwork is a wooden replica of the historic train station in Saint-Louis, with its structure based on the “Fanal” tradition.
The fanal was a lantern carried by Signares during their procession to and from midnight mass on Christmas Eve, accompanied by their servants. Over time, the tradition evolved into a festival, with lanterns made of wood and paper mimicking important buildings or monuments in the city. This tradition, rooted in a forced coexistence with European colonial powers, continues to this day. Signares contributed to shaping local narratives and developing new cultural practices based on the foreign customs they encountered.

You can see a wonderful 360-degree shot of the artwork from Dakar here.

Credits Text: KINDL — Centre for Contemporary Art