At the beginning of July, we were visited by Désire Sawadogo, a painter from Burkina Faso who specialises in acrylic painting on traditional fabric. He was completing a six-month artistic residency at the WIELS contemporary art centre, Africalia's partner in implementing the Belgium programme. As part of this partnership, he received support from Africalia for this residency. Arrived in January,"adapting to the climate was the most challenging but we adapt quickly"he said. His residency was packed with museum visits and meetings with his mentors every Wednesday, in French and English, as he was used to a predominantly French-speaking environment. He was also able to visit the country's various art schools to talk to students and teachers about artistic practices. The residency, supervised by the WIELS was also an opportunity to meet other artists, collectors, art dealers and gallery owners in order to familiarize themselves with the international art market.
His short stay in Belgium, nevertheless, very enriching allowed him to weave links and create a network thanks to which He will be back next September for an exhibition and, in 2024 as part of another exhibition at WIELS.
