Gëestu / Giss is an artist/craft residency located within a spiritual community on the edge of the desert in Senegal. It is aimed at artists wishing to ground their practice in a local context, engaging with traditional skills such as dyeing, embroidery, basketry, and working with cotton, leather, and metal.
Located in the Diourbel region, in the heart of Senegal’s peanut basin, the residency unfolds across two emblematic Senegalese locations: Mbacké Kadior, a spiritual cradle, and Ndem, an artisanal and agroecological village.
The programme is structured in two phases (immersion followed by production, October–November) and fosters a dialogue with these practices, within a context where contemporary creation, craftsmanship, and daily life are closely intertwined. The residency culminates in a presentation in the framework of the OFF programme of the 2026 Dakar Biennale (19 November–19 December 2026).
- Phase 1: Observation and Research Residency, in Mbacké Kadior for one week (October 2026)
- Phase 2: Production Residency in Ndem Craft Village for 2 to 3 weeks (October 2026)
- Phase 3: Exhibition and Public Presentation at Espace Maam Samba, Dakar, for two weeks (November 2026)
The residency invites artists to observe, learn, collaborate, and then produce within a framework of ecological, cultural, and human responsibility.
Gëestu / Giss is a new artist–artisan residency initiative. The project is jointly developed by the NGO des Villageois de Ndem, active since the 1980s around the transmission of artisanal know-how and agroecology in Senegal, and the cultural space Maam Samba (Dakar & Gorée).
Support:
- Accommodation and meals
- Compensation: 2,000 EUR
- Production budget: 2,000 EUR
- International and local transportation
- Insurance
- Visa fees (if required)
