Ker Thiossane
Cultural and multimedia arts laboratory in Dakar, Senegal, operating a Fablab at the intersection of art, digital technology, and social innovation.
- CEO / Founder
- Marion Louisgrand Sylla and Momar François Sylla (co-founders, 2002). No CEO title documented—organization uses collective/co-directorship governance. Marion Louisgrand Sylla and Momar François Sylla are identified as the founding directors per contemporaryand.com: 'En 2002 Marion Louisgrand Sylla et Momar François Sylla ont fondé à Dakar le centre multimédias et centre d'art indépendant Kër Thiossane.'
- Team Size
- 11-50
- Stage
- Active
- Total Funding
- Undisclosed
- Latest Round
- Grant
- Key Investors
- Daniel Langlois Foundation; European Union
Technology & Products
Key Products
Fablab / digital fabrication workshop services; Artist-in-residence programme for innovative digital art projects; Afropixel Festival (biennial international digital arts festival, 8 editions since 2008); Digital fabrication training workshops (partnered with IMT Dakar); Immersive public-space art installations (e.g., solar-energy installation with RAW Material Company and Little Sun)
Technological Advantage
Fablab Defko Ak Niëp providing community digital fabrication access in Dakar; integration of multimedia and digital fabrication into traditional African artistic practices (music, dance, theatre, visual arts); transdisciplinary research space combining Fablab with Jardin Jet d'Eau garden (since 2014); Afropixel Festival platform for knowledge exchange; Arts Collaboratory global network membership enabling international partnerships; low-tech/DIY pedagogical approach making fabrication accessible to non-technical users.
Differentiation
Value Proposition
A cultural centre and digital fabrication lab (Fablab) at the crossroads of art and digital technology, incubating innovative artistic projects and fostering South-South exchanges between African and international actors in digital arts and social innovation.
How They Differentiate
Only Fablab in Dakar explicitly integrating digital fabrication with artistic/cultural practice and community social innovation (not purely technical/commercial); neighborhood-embedded model in Sicap Liberté II serving local residents; Afropixel Festival as unique platform for African digital arts ecosystem-building; transdisciplinary approach crossing art, technology, ecology, and urban practice; 'basses technologies'/DIY philosophy vs. high-tech commercial Fablabs; 22+ year institutional presence (since 2002) with deep local roots.
Market & Competition
Target Customers
Artists, digital creators, researchers, local communities in Dakar/Senegal, and international actors in digital art and culture — particularly those working at the intersection of art, technology, and social innovation in Africa.
Industry Verticals
Arts & culture; Digital technology / digital fabrication; Education & skills development; Social innovation; Community & civic engagement
Growth & Milestones
Growth Metrics
Founded 2002; Fablab Defko Ak Niëp established ~2013–2014 (from DIY workshop series 'Defko Yaw Rek' 2013); 8 editions of Afropixel Festival since 2008; Jardin Jet d'Eau transdisciplinary garden research space active since 2014; S+T+ARTS4AFRICA 2024 participation indicates continued international grant activity; Facebook presence: 5,944 likes / 416 check-ins; 24+ years of continuous operation (2002–2026); international artist residency program ongoing since opening; Wikipedia GLAM collaboration partnership established.
Major Milestones
Founded 2002 as independent multimedia art center and multimedia arts organization; Received Daniel Langlois Foundation grant 2001-2002; Afropixel festival 2014 in connection with Dak'Art biennale; Established Defko Ak Niëp FabLab in Sicap neighbourhood for digital fabrication research; Rose des Vents Numériques project 2009-2012 funded by European Union connecting multimedia art centers across Africa and Caribbean
Notable Customers
IMT Dakar (Institut Mines-Télécom) — partnered for digital fabrication workshops for Bachelor 'Innovation, Management, Technologies Numériques' students (confirmed via imt.sn). International artists-in-residence from around the world (since 2002 opening). Arts Collaboratory network partners including KUNCI Study Forum (Indonesia), RAW Material Company (Dakar). Partner organizations include Trinity Session (Johannesburg), Mains d'Œuvres (France), Centre Soleil d'Afrique/Collectif Yéta (Bamako). No B2B commercial customers identified.