1:54 Forum: Sindika Dokolo in conversation with Osei Bonsu

Your collection began as a personal passion; subsequently, it has become one of the foremost collections of contemporary art based on the continent. How do you manage the expectations of having both a museum, and maintaining your own subjective approach to collecting?
The principle common denominator of the collection is my subjectivity and my personal evolution. Not being a museum, means that the corpus of the collection is less coherent at times. As my taste and interests evolve, the collection becomes more lively and interesting. It is the witness of a decade of research, encounters, and curiosity in different fields. Even though, our objectives oblige us to have a strategy for the collection, I try to stay as intuitive and responsive as possible. The way I see it, my foundation should create dynamics in the African art scene and my collection should try to grasp the effects of these dynamics. My objective is that the collection manages to reflect as much as possible, the best of what’s happening on the continent.

Recently Angola was awarded the Golden Lion at the Venice Biennial, in a year that saw considerable focus on the African continent as a whole. After 30 years of war and turmoil in Angola, there seems to be a newfound optimism led by fledgling economic prospects. What do you feel would help sustain the growth and confidence, looking towards other African nations facing difficult realities?
The past decade has been clearly marked by a structural growth in the Angolan economy. This positive evolution has created new perspectives as well as expectations, that have reshaped the Angolan society and the way Angolans look upon themselves, Africa and the world.

A new page of Angolan history is being written. A sustained public investment policy in infrastructure, energy, and education is generating a general sense of self-confidence in the Angolan economic and social future.

The particularity of the Angolan mindset, also comes from the war years. Having experienced deception and false promises, Angola has integrated the fact that it should only count on itself to reach its objectives, in terms of development. I think the other African countries should integrate that factor as well, and stop hoping that help is coming.

Could you talk about how you see the collection expanding in the future? How will you ensure its preservation for future generations and that its reputation and legacy remain intact?
My foundation has designed a project for a revolutionary museum that would be more accessible, more interactive and have a real impact beyond its own walls. The Angolan government supports that project and the new master plan of the city of Luanda will integrate this project as a priority. This museum will be a laboratory for new ideas and will host my collection.

Osei Bonsu is an independent writer and curator. He currently coordinates 1:54 Forum, a public programme of screenings, talk and discussions taking place between the 15th and 19th of October at Somerset House in London.
Sindika Dokolo Foundation is the main sponsor of 1:54 Contemporary African Art Fair. Sindika Dokolo will give a keynote speech on the 19th of October at 1:54 Forum.