Reiffers Art Initiatives - "La prochaine fois, le feu" Exhibition

As a graduate of the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna under the tutelage of Daniel Richter, Alexandre Diop anchored his artistic approach in painting and sculpture, with a particular interest in the materiality of the elements used, most often found in his surrounding environment. The artist explores the theme of African identity, which follows in the footsteps of great artists including his mentor Kehinde Wiley. Diop’s work has been showcased in exhibitions in Italy, Austria and the United States, and in several international collections as well.

Through an exhibition at the Acacias Art Center, this book reveals a rich plastic dialogue between a young talent from the French art scene and an international figure of contemporary art. It also relates, through a series of texts and photographic archives, the creative process of a young autodidact artist, who through large format materializes his work in multiple techniques.

Reiffers Art Initiatives, an endowment fund for young contemporary creation and cultural diversity, opened the inaugural exhibition of its mentorship program “NO APOLOGIES” at the Acacias Art Center in October 2021. The exhibition featured work by French artist Kenny Dunkan, under the mentorship of world-renowned artist Rashid Johnson.

It also served as a platform for Kenny Dunkan to discuss the post-colonial heritage of his island. The body itself, a recurring theme for the artist, who never hesitates to use his own black body, was also at the heart of the collection: a fragmented body, diverse and in the making. The title "NO APOLOGIES" ("no excuses") is the artist’s way of adressing the current violence against bodies, whether black, gay, and his refusal to excuse these actions.

Nourished by his exchanges and the advice of the famous Afro-American artist, Kenny Dunkan has proposed an exhibition at the opening of FIAC 2021 in the form of an initiatory journey through monumental and immersive installations, sculptures, videos and photographs, recounted in this exceptional book, which bears witness to a unique creative epic.