At the Musée des Civilisations Noires in Dakar, sport has come in through the museum's front door. Until 15 November 2026, the institution hosts Empreinte 100 Ans – Peace through Sport, Art and Culture, an international exhibition staged as Dakar prepares to welcome the Youth Olympic Games.
The project is built on Senegal's map. Fourteen artists represent the country's fourteen regions, each region contributing its heritage, skills, archives and sporting figures. Painting, sculpture, photography, video, installation and digital work share the space, alongside 33 busts inspired by the values associated with Pierre de Coubertin.
Artist Kalidou Kassé is the project's artistic patron and associate curator. Performances by ELZO and Papa Oumar Diagne joined the opening, at which Culture Minister Alpha Thiam spoke. The Grand Théâtre National Doudou Ndiaye Coumba Rose hosts complementary activities, from screenings and digital creations to meetings with young people.
Empreinte 100 Ans did not begin in Dakar. Founded by Jingshi Feng, it was first presented in Paris in 2024 as part of the Cultural Olympiad, and is due to travel to Los Angeles in 2028.
The interest of the Dakar chapter lies in that itinerary. Between Paris and Los Angeles, Dakar's turn gives the regions of Senegal, and not only its capital, a place in a story usually written elsewhere.
