In January 2012, artist Nick Cave was invited to spend a month in Dakar, Senegal, to gain inspiration for a large-scale installation to be installed at the city’s U.S. Embassy. This residency, part of the U.S. Department of State Art in Embassies (AIE) program, allowed him to create a stunning installation based on the cross-cultural dialogue he experienced with local artists.
Cave used his time in Senegal’s capital to engage with local artists, finding inspiration in these encounters. This would translate to the final piece, a 20-by-25-foot bas-relief weighing approximately 500 pounds. It took Cave three months and the help of 10 assistants to create the piece, which is primarily made from pony beads and pipe cleaners. The artist also incorporated sequins, as well as found objects from the United States and Senegal.
Together, the materials form a vibrant web symbolizing unity. A true cross-cultural work, this piece was created by Cave in his Chicago studio and incorporated work by local Senegalese artists Seni M’Baye, Loman Pawlitschek, and Daouda N’Diaye on-site.
“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,” the artist shares in a 2013 video produced by AIE. “It’s part of this sort of opportunity for people to intersect and have interesting conversation around ideas. It’s part of the magic.”
Cave’s piece is just one part of the Department of State’s extensive art program, which presents approximately 60 exhibitions per year and has helped create over 70 permanent art collections in over 200 diplomatic facilities in 189 countries.
In 2012, artist Nick Cave was invited to spend a month in Senegal as part of the U.S. Department of State Art in Embassies (AIE) program.
The resulting artwork, installed in the U.S. Embassy in Dakar in 2013, weighs approximately 500 pounds.
Primarily made from pony beads and pipe cleaners, it was inspired by his encounters with local artists.
