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‘People will forget what you said, they’ll forget what you did, but they’ll never forget how you made them feel.’ MAYA ANGELOU
Senegal | 2024 | Visual Arts, Sculpture
Listening to the sea
Once known for the purity of its waters and the abundance of its marine resources, Hann Bay, near Dakar, is now devastated by pollution. Industrial discharges, plastic waste accumulation, and household effluents threaten both biodiversity and fishing activities. Faced with this ecological emergency and the resulting economic and social risks, and alongside cleanup initiatives, sculptor Serigne Gorgui Mbaye, visual artist Nadia Maya Mandine, and the association Gaïa imagined a pair of giant ears…
Listening to the sea
An environment weakened by pollution
Hann Bay is now one of the most polluted sites in Senegal. The impact of this pollution is multifaceted: fishermen see their catches decrease, women fish processors struggle to maintain their activities, and local residents, directly exposed to degraded waters, face increased health risks. Plastic pollution in particular suffocates marine life and degrades beaches that were once places of gathering and exchange. As the situation worsens year after year, it underlines the urgency of collective awareness and concrete actions to restore and preserve this fragile environment.
Artist
Serigne Gorgui Mbaye (sculptor) and Nadia Maya Mandine (visual artist)
Serigne Gorgui Mbaye (sculptor) and Nadia Maya Mandine (visual artist)
Partners
GAIA (development operator), Hann Bel Air Municipality, local authorities of Hann Bay
GAIA (development operator), Hann Bel Air Municipality, local authorities of Hann Bay
Participants
50 residents of Hann Bay, including many young people and children from local schools
50 residents of Hann Bay, including many young people and children from local schools
Agency
AFD Senegal
AFD Senegal
Listening to the sea
50
participants: Community members directly involved in creating the artwork
300
young people and children: Reached through the WeekEco programme
60%
of the industrial activity of Dakar is located along the bay, rejecting their waste into the water
Over the course of eight weeks, educational and creative workshops brought together about fifty residents to design a sculpture: what to represent, where, how…? In parallel, 300 young people and children took part in creative and educational sessions, including documentary screenings, discussions, artistic activities, and workshops focused on waste management.
Municipal authorities of Hann Bay and key community leaders were closely involved in the project.
The initiative concluded with a public unveiling ceremony, bringing together residents, local stakeholders, and institutional partners.
The sculpture will serve as a focal point for future environmental actions and marks the first step toward rehabilitating the beaches of the bay.
Installed in a place where many residents of Hann Bel Air gather, the pair of ears misses nothing of what is said and gently reminds everyone how urgent it is to listen to the sea.
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