As part of the Dresden-Brazzaville twinning arrangement, the municipalities of Dresden and Brazzaville, in collaboration with the Goethe-Institut Kamerun and in cooperation with Zentralwerk Dresden e.V. and Les Ateliers SAHM (Brazzaville), organised a competition in February 2023 for an artistic residency for artists from the two cities. The theme chosen for this artist-in-residence programme is: "Between the Congo and the Elbe - a dialogue between rivers", and its aim is to discover the artistic scene in the capital of the Republic of Congo Brazzaville and to exchange ideas and suggestions. Dresden, the capital of Saxony in Germany, is synonymous with museums, classical architecture, masterpieces and a river, the Elbe. Brazzaville, on the other hand, represents an important part of the history of French-speaking Africa and its shared past with Europe, the vitality of its people and the second largest river in the world - the Congo.
At the end of the selection process, two artists were chosen: Ina Weise from Dresden and Alegra Loubaki from Brazzaville.
The artist Ina Weise stayed in Brazzaville in September. The visit was part of the Rencontre International De L'art Contemporain (RIAC). Created and run by Les Ateliers SAHM, the RIAC is a festival of contemporary African artists that has been taking place in Brazzaville since 2012. The festival is set up and organised by Les Ateliers SAHM.
The artist Alegra Loubaki will be staying in Dresden for 4 weeks between November and December 2023. The stay will take place at the Zentralwerk Dresden e.V. and will be used to network and get to know the Dresden art scene. At the end of her residency, the artist Alegra Loubaki will present a final work in the city of Dresden.
