Meet the founders : ABLAKASSA is an independent artistic platform founded in 2…
Meet the founders :
ABLAKASSA is an independent artistic platform founded in 2024 by Ivorian artist and designer Jean-Servais Somian ( @somiandesign) and Franco-Rwandan curator Roger Karera (@rogerbakus), with the ambition of creating social spaces for art in Africa — open to all and grounded in sharing. What began as a unique gathering in Côte d’Ivoire, bringing together over 35 African and diasporic artists, has evolved into a traveling
project that challenges established formats and
encourages experimentation.
Without exclusivity, fixed models, or commercial
mandates, ABLAKASSA fosters collaboration, artistic
freedom, and community engagement through site�specific experiences. Each year, in a different African country, an atypical venue becomes the stage for exhibitions, residencies, educational programmes, and encounters between artists, audiences, and collectors.
Inspired by the vision of Bisi Silva (1962–2019),
ABLAKASSA goes beyond the exhibition format to build a resilient creative ecosystem and equip young Africans with the tools to write their own stories.
Upcoming edition:
Marrakech Feb 3rd to March 30.
📍 @dadamarrakech
Credit : @saywho @saywho.studio
