Dakar 2026: a historic moment
Dakar 2026 marks a historic milestone: the Youth Olympic Games will be held in Africa for the first time. This moment will bring people across the continent together to celebrate youth, sport and culture.
Empreinte 100 Ans is fully part of this historic sequence, carrying the message « Africa welcomes, Dakar celebrates ». The project positions the Senegalese capital as a leading platform for culture, sport and innovation, in line with municipal and national priorities — and helps strengthen Senegal’s soft power at a time when the world’s attention is turning to the African continent.
In the current geopolitical context, the scope of the project takes on even greater meaning: promoting peace through sport, art and technology, while celebrating African youth and building bridges between continents.
The exhibition
16 Oct. – 15 Nov. 2026 · Dakar, Senegal
The Empreinte 100 Ans – Dakar 2026 exhibition is on view at the Museum of Black Civilizations (MCN), a centre for culture and dialogue in the heart of Dakar. Kalidou Kassé, a major figure in Senegalese art, supports this edition as its artistic patron and associate curator.
The exhibition features works by 14 artists representing Senegal’s 14 regions, alongside 33 busts inspired by Pierre de Coubertin, created by Chinese artists for the Paris 2024 edition. Works by Elzo Jamdong and Papa Oumar Diagneare also part of the exhibition.
Designed as an immersive experience at the intersection of art, sport and technology, the exhibition explores peace, coexistence, exchange, pride, joy and humility. It is built around five pillars: sport, culture, ecology, technology and innovation, and social impact.
Combining physical and digital elements, it brings heritage into dialogue with innovation, traditional works with contemporary creations, and Africa with Europe, Asia and other continents.
More than an exhibition, Empreinte 100 Ans aims to be an open space for encounters, performances, workshops and experimentation, bringing together visual art, digital creation and immersive experiences. It is a collaborative project, a source of pride and a vehicle for cultural diplomacy, worthy of the history we are writing together.
