The Heritage Wall in Benin, created by the Association Sena Street Art (ASSART), aims to promote urban culture and make art accessible to all. ASSART, a cultural association, has initiated over 8,000 young people in various fields, including graffiti, photography, and urban dance. The wall aims to connect every African to their culture and identity, promoting the importance of connecting with their heritage.
Produced as part of the festival effect graffiti organized by the Association Sena Street Art known by the acronym ASSART, the heritage wall is about the history of our beloved homeland Dahomey then and Benin now. The Heritage Wall relates the history of the peoples of Benin and Benin and brings out their perspectives.
“Association Sena Street Art (ASSART)”
Born from the idea of making art accessible to all through the promotion of urban culture; ASSART (Association Sèna Street Art) is an association of young artists engaged in various respective fields such as: graffiti, plastic arts, music, dance, photography, video, and digital arts.
Registered as a cultural association under number 2018/2518/DEP-LIT/SG/SAG-ASSOC of November 28, 2018 ASSART works for the initiation, awareness, and development of youth through art and culture. ASSART fights for the influence of urban art in the public, institutional and cultural landscape of Benin through various initiatives; tours in different localities of Benin, awareness, initiation workshops, exhibitions, etc.
The artists go to meet the people of Benin to share their knowledge and awareness, beautify and clean up their living environment. Since 2013, ASSART has held several annual and periodic events including the festival Effet graff and art training for the youth and awareness campaigns. Assart has initiated more than 8000 young people to drawing, urban art, photography, urban dance, including more than 2000 out of school and in reintegration. ASSART also has about forty volunteers devoted to the cause and ideals of the Association.
“Every African must be connected to his culture”
Our message is that every worthy son and daughter must be connected with his or her culture and identity. We have very rich, dense, diversified, authentic, and accentuated cultures and values that unfortunately are forgotten or seem to be more and more relegated to second place by the young generation. This does not honor us as such. No one can tell our story better than us and in our place.
It is a pure aberration to see our story told by others under other skies without telling it as it should be. It is there that our works and graffiti make all the sense because they are realized in full cities and in direct contact with the populations. Our goal of making walls into open-air museums is only just beginning and we want to do more.
