Laurence Bonvin at SUNU CICES [Dakar]

Swiss visual artist Laurence Bonvin has been invited to participate in SUNU CICES, (“our CICES” in Wolof), a colloquium on 21 June 2022 in Dakar, Senegal focusing on the past, present and future architectural heritage of the Senegal International Center of Foreign Trade (CICES). Sprawling over 19.5 hectares and characterised by a series of triangular buildings with exquisite detailing, the CICES counts among the most iconic 20th century architectural heritage on the African continent.

Laurence has been invited to present her film Ghost Fair Trade, which she co-created with Cheikh Ndiaye onsite at CICES during a 2020 residency. The film introduces viewers to the masterpiece of architectural modernism through key events as well as other commercial, political, and cultural events that lend a sense of rhythm to the venue, contrasting with the day-to-day stillness. Step by step, a narrative unfolds that reveals invisible presences, evoking the site’s complex history – where animism, independence, and postcolonial heritage intertwine.

The film will be screened in the CICES cinema, and will inaugurate the reopening of this mythical space after a break of more than 30 years. A round table and question & answer session with the artists will follow the screening.