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IKONIK Dakar
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Collection SRDM
The Collection SRDM was created in 2003 by Samantha Ripa di Meana, an Italian architect and international relation specialist, with over 25 years’ experience in China, Russia and Africa. Samantha believes that governance and culture are deeply entwined and that an understanding of both is essential to the development of meaningful cultural policies and projects.
The founder of Roots Contemporary in Brussels and Nairobi and Ikonik in Dakar, Samantha, began collecting artworks in the conviction that artworks must be gathered to preserve and explain the narrative of our times. The Collection SRDM has grown to include more than 300 art pieces by artists exploring society, governance, and human values.
Unique and diverse, it brings together artworks, in a wide range of media, by emerging African artists alongside internationally acclaimed Chinese, Russian, and East African artists. Echoing through the Collection is the message of how citizens play a role in shaping the future or destiny of their Nations.
I believe governance and culture are intimately related and a good knowledge of both is essential to implement culture-related policies, programmes and projects.With 25 years of professional experience in the field of Culture and international relations, my career has had me living in China, in Russia and in Africa.I speak 5 languages: I am fluent in Italian, French, English and speak and write intermediate Russian (UN level4) and Chinese (HSK level 3 diploma).I trained as a Landscape Architect and worked in Venice at the Ministry of Public Works- Consorzio Venezia Nuova on the MOSE project in the Venetian Lagoon.In China, I followed several major infrastructure projects for two Chinese Architect Firms. I worked as curator in Nairobi and a consultant for Art Fairs in Moscow, Shanghai and Brussels.In Moscow, I organized exhibitions, under the patronage of the European Union, about artists who were addressing mutations in society and challenging values.I have a master’s degree on Chinese Foreign Policy at Torino University; I followed 2 Executive Trainings at Nanjing University as well as 2 Executive Trainings at the European University Institute School of Transnational Governance.Founder of Roots Contemporary & Ikonik, I have collected over 200 pieces of art from engaged artist who work on values and societies.
