Alioune Diagne, SAYTU: Preserving Senegal’s Cultural Heritage

In Wolof, Saytu refers to the act of searching, observing and examining closely in order to find and preserve what is precious. Guided by this idea, Senegalese artist Alioune DIAGNE (b. 1985) spent several months travelling through central and southeastern Senegal, meeting minority communities living in remote regions — including the Bassari, Bedik, Dialonké and Coniagui. Through these encounters, Diagne documented ancestral customs, rituals and ways of life that these communities continue to practise, transmit and preserve across generations. In this conversation with MAYÌ ARTS, Alioune Diagne reflects on Saytu, the encounters that shaped the project, and his approach to memory, cultural heritage and transmission through painting.