The visual arts at the biennial Burkinabè National Cultural Week

Abstract

Every two years the Ministry of Arts, Culture, and Tourism of Burkina Faso organises a National Cultural Week in Bobo Dioulasso.
Its main objectives are to develop and promote Burkinabè culture and artists. This event, which includes numerous domains of
art, nevertheless remains quite obviously a framework for the development and promotion of the performing arts in particular.
The visual or fine arts do not seem to have found in this event the means of expression whereby their development can best be
promoted. The constraining factors for this category of art are the confusion that exists between traditional and contemporary art,
the anonymity of visual artists, the absence of a theme around which the competition can be organised and the unfortunate fate
reserved for prize-winning art works and artists. Proposals for solutions are made here in the hope that these will enable the
National Cultural Week to become the springboard for the development of the visual arts.

Keywords: Burkinabè National
Cultural Week, Burkinabè visual arts, Burkinabè fine arts, Burkinabè visual art promotion, artistic development in Burkina Faso.

> Tydskrif vir Letterkunde Vol. 44 (1) 2007: pp. 110-122