At the center of the exhibition is a multifaceted dialogue between recent works and a collection of historical pieces dating back to 1987. This juxtaposition offers a precise reading of Sy’s ongoing engagement with materiality, corporeality, and performative strategies, which have shaped his oeuvre since its early years. At the same time, the radical independence of his artistic practice becomes visible, having developed consistently outside Western-dominated canons and remaining influential to this day. Some of the works on display were previously shown at the Weltkulturen Museum.
At the same time, El Hadji Sy is represented in the exhibition Tirailleurs – From Cannon Fodder to Avant-Garde at the Haus der Kulturen der Welt (March 21 – June 14, 2026). This group exhibition brings together international artistic positions and examines the history of colonial troops as well as their ongoing cultural and political resonances. Sy’s contribution situates his work within contemporary decolonial discourses and underscores its lasting relevance in the global art-historical context.
El Hadji Sy is considered one of the central figures of contemporary West African art. Since the 1970s, he has developed a practice that combines painting, performance, and institutional critique. As an artist, curator, and activist, he played a key role in establishing independent art structures in Senegal and deliberately positioned himself against the cultural-political directives of the so-called École de Dakar. His work is characterized by a consistent pursuit of artistic autonomy and a critical engagement with postcolonial power relations.
A defining moment in his artistic development is his conscious departure from traditional painting techniques. For years, Sy painted with his feet—a radical gesture that can be understood both as an expansion of his artistic expression and as a resistance to Western-dominated notions of art. This performative dimension remains present in his work today and significantly shapes the relationship between body, material, and support.
At the core of his oeuvre is painting, which he consistently pushes beyond its classical boundaries. Since the 1980s, he has frequently used jute rice sacks, industrial materials, or recycled supports, which he works with oil, acrylic, tar, or wax. The resulting works are distinguished by a raw, tactile quality while simultaneously referencing global commodity flows and economic relationships. His visual language is characterized by gestural lines, fragmented figures, and symbolic densities, moving between abstraction and figuration.
El Hadji Sy’s work has been featured in international exhibitions including the Venice Biannale (2022), documenta 14 (2017), the 31st São Paulo Biennale(2015), the Dak’Art Biennale (various editions), the Weltkulturen Museum (2010) in Frankfurt am Main, Kestner Gesellschaft (2024), and the Whitechapel Gallery (1995). These presentations have significantly contributed to the international visibility of his work and have cemented his position within global contemporary art discourses.
