Views from Se­ne­gal

For the first time in Switzerland, the Vitromusée Romont is devoting its own exhibition to Senegalese reverse glass painting. This folk art, known by the Wolof term Souwèr, was introduced from the Maghreb and the Middle East in the late 19th century. The technique spread to the country's urban centers via Arab and Berber traders, but also via marabouts and Senegalese Muslim scholars returning from pilgrimages. The images, which were copied by anonymous painters, tell the epic story of Islam and depict the followers of the Prophet and saints. Later, the souwèr developed into an identity-forming form of expression that the great locals depicted figures of the Muslim brotherhoods and the resistance against French colonization. In the 1960s, on the threshold of independence, a new painterly repertoire developed under the influence of some artists who introduced secular themes. The exhibition presents several Senegalese artists who express their creativity in the reinterpretation of this iconographic heritage. The works from the Afric.Art collection, which includes more than a thousand images, differ from the reverse glass paintings offered in tourist markets and aimed at mass production. The collection reflects the sensitivity of Zurich collector Marianne Berna, whose interest in this street art dates back to the late 1990s. She often traveled to Senegal, documented the workshops in Dakar and got to know the painters.

As part of this exhibition, the Vitromusée Romont is offering a workshop in reverse glass painting on July 14, 2024 under the direction of the Senegalese painter Azou Bade. The artist will also be present at the museum on July 7, 2024 to demonstrate the technique. Two unique opportunities to meet an artist who has been making souwèr for over 30 years. He was educated at the École des Beaux-Arts in Dakar and lives and works in Saint-Louis (Senegal). The number of participants for the course is limited, so registration is required.