1
00:00:03,120 –> 00:00:04,240
Art in Embassies
2
00:00:04,240 –> 00:00:05,920
U.S. Department of State
3
00:00:07,280 –> 00:00:08,320
Dakar, Senegal
4
00:00:11,360 –> 00:00:12,480
artist exchange
5
00:00:12,480 –> 00:00:13,680
Mickalene Thomas
6
00:00:13,680 –> 00:00:16,760
Art in Embassies commisioned Mickalene Thomas to create a large
7
00:00:16,760 –> 00:00:20,200
scale photography mural at the US Embassy in Dakar.
8
00:00:20,200 –> 00:00:21,440
A collaboration with mosaic artist Stephen Miotto
9
00:00:21,440 –> 00:00:22,540
and Senegalese artist Ibrahima Niang “Piniang”
10
00:00:22,540 –> 00:00:25,740
the mural represents a unique exchange of arts,
11
00:00:25,740 –> 00:00:27,100
culture and values.
12
00:00:27,100 –> 00:00:29,660
Stephen Miotto (labeled) Mickalene Thomas (labeled)
13
00:00:33,960 –> 00:00:39,640
(Mickalene speaking) It was really phenomenal for me, working on that mural project
14
00:00:41,460 –> 00:00:44,900
and prior to the conception I had the opportunity to
15
00:00:45,760 –> 00:00:47,120
visit Dakar Senegal
16
00:00:48,180 –> 00:00:51,300
and during that trip we took some photographic
17
00:00:51,860 –> 00:00:54,500
documentation of the surrounding area
18
00:00:55,600 –> 00:00:57,920
of the US embassy as well as visited
19
00:00:59,360 –> 00:01:03,920
several artisans and artists and other creatives throughout Dakar
20
00:01:06,700 –> 00:01:09,660
that gave me some inspiration to the project
21
00:01:12,620 –> 00:01:14,540
and so once gathering images
22
00:01:14,540 –> 00:01:17,580
and photographs for some of the concepts I had behind the mural
23
00:01:18,620 –> 00:01:23,100
project, we came back here with those images and I created a collage
24
00:01:24,420 –> 00:01:26,580
from those photographic images
25
00:01:35,180 –> 00:01:43,180
Collective Mural created by Viye Diba, Amadou Lamine Ngom, Ousseynou Mbaye, Fode Camara, Ibrahima Niang
26
00:01:43,180 –> 00:01:44,640
I am Viye Diba and these are artists from Senegal
27
00:01:44,640 –> 00:01:45,140
and I am confident of this project
28
00:01:50,900 –> 00:01:54,420
in the US embassy in Dakar, this is a very interesting
29
00:01:54,420 –> 00:01:58,300
experiment for us to share (unknown) and ideals about this project.
30
00:01:59,080 –> 00:02:02,520
(Mickalene speaking) As an artist if I am invited to
31
00:02:04,300 –> 00:02:07,420
to an area or an environment to make something,
32
00:02:07,420 –> 00:02:10,420
to consider the community, and to integrate them
33
00:02:10,420 –> 00:02:12,400
into my process and practice.
34
00:02:15,640 –> 00:02:18,280
The Mural: is 95 feet long and 9 feet tall
35
00:02:18,280 –> 00:02:20,200
made out of ceramic and glass
36
00:02:20,200 –> 00:02:22,920
it took over 6 months to create the mosaic
37
00:02:22,920 –> 00:02:24,500
Yeah these are all photographs
38
00:02:24,500 –> 00:02:26,160
that I took while I was here
39
00:02:27,200 –> 00:02:29,520
so that this mural is for the people
40
00:02:30,020 –> 00:02:32,660
It will be outside, on an exterior wall,
41
00:02:32,660 –> 00:02:33,640
it’s for the people that walk by here every day
42
00:02:35,880 –> 00:02:39,240
to sort of acknowlege the fact of that integration
43
00:02:40,420 –> 00:02:43,060
of Senegalese and American history, of
44
00:02:43,060 –> 00:02:44,380
of the people in this community
45
00:02:47,400 –> 00:02:50,200
It was a great experience for me because my
46
00:02:50,200 –> 00:02:52,100
first mural was the mural in the embassy
47
00:02:54,440 –> 00:02:58,200
and to have also a, my work in also another collaboration
48
00:02:58,200 –> 00:02:59,920
it is something very nice for me
49
00:03:00,200 –> 00:03:02,440
because it was like having a piece
50
00:03:03,760 –> 00:03:06,000
inside and outside of the embassy
51
00:03:13,320 –> 00:03:15,160
For me it was more important
52
00:03:15,160 –> 00:03:16,260
for each to represent iconic things
53
00:03:17,520 –> 00:03:20,240
then to put people, we are within
54
00:03:20,240 –> 00:03:22,240
the landscapes
55
00:03:22,240 –> 00:03:23,680
so it was important to have the reference
56
00:03:24,180 –> 00:03:25,300
sort of mirrored
57
00:03:26,660 –> 00:03:27,300
back to us
58
00:03:27,300 –> 00:03:30,020
Dakar Mosaic by Mickalene Thomas and Piniang
59
00:03:30,020 –> 00:03:30,520
Art in Embassies U.S Department of State 2016
60
00:03:34,040 –> 00:03:36,360
Collective Mural, US Embassy 2016
61
00:03:45,740 –> 00:03:47,580
And the title of this piece?
62
00:03:49,020 –> 00:03:49,520
Dakar!