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INCREDIBLE BEAD INSTALLATION OF 500 POUNDS REPRESENTS CROSS-CULTURAL DIALOGUE BETWEEN U.S. AND SENEGAL

Published: 2025-01-19 12:50:36 Last Updated: 2025-01-19 12:58:42

To gather ideas for a massive installation that would be erected at the U.S. Embassy in Dakar, Senegal, artist Nick Cave was asked to stay there for a month in January 2012. He was able to produce a beautiful installation during this residency, which was a component of the U.S. Department of State Art in Embassies (AIE) program, based on the intercultural conversations he had with local artists.
During his stay in the capital of Senegal, Cave interacted with local artists and drew inspiration from them. This would result in the finished product, a bas-relief that is 20 by 25 feet and weighs about 500 pounds. The piece, which is mostly made from pipe cleaners and pony beads, took Cave three months to complete with the assistance of ten assistants. Along with found items from Senegal and the United States, the artist also used sequins.
The materials come together to create a colourful web that represents unity. This piece was made by Cave in his studio in Chicago and included on-site work by Senegalese artists Seni M'Baye, Loman Pawlitschek, and Daouda N'Diaye. It is a true cross-cultural piece.

The artist explains in a 2013 AIE-produced video, "For me, when, you know, people are experiencing the piece, I have to be open to what they see and how they respond to it and allow that to be another part of this sort of broad dialogue around an emotion." It's a part of this kind of chance for people to meet and engage in thought-provoking dialogue. It's a component of the magic.

Cave's work is part of the Department of State's broad art program, which includes about 60 exhibitions annually and has contributed to the establishment of more than 70 permanent art collections in more than 200 diplomatic buildings across 189 nations.

Article Tags: Viral Senegal U.S. Cross-Cultural Dialogue