Sindika Dokolo
Encyclopedia
Sindika Dokolo is a Congolese
arts collector
and businessman. He is the husband of businesswoman Isabel dos Santos
from Angola
.
He was brought up in Belgium
and France
by his parents, selfmade man, bank owner, millionaire and passionate for African art
s, Augustin Dokolo and his Danish
wife Hanne Kruse. He attended the Lycée Saint-Louis-de-Gonzage in Paris
from which he graduated, later he studied economics
, commerce
and foreign language
s at the Pierre and Marie Curie University
in Paris.
In 2003 he married Isabel dos Santos, the eldest daughter of José Eduardo dos Santos
, President of Angola
. The wedding, a 4 million-dollar party with 1000 guests, was one of the largest weddings in the history of the country. To the big surprise by the ordinary people in Angola
, a large number of guests were flown into Luanda by special chartered aeroplanes from Portugal
and France
, without visas having been issued previously.
to join the large - in total 17 companies consisting family business - (banking, breeding, fishing, coffee exportation, real estate, consumer goods distributor, merchandise conveyance, printing, insurance, mining and car selling). The country collapsed and their activity couldn’t survive. Sindika took in hand the family business. These family businesses were later nationalized by the then Government of Zaire
in 1986 under former head of state Mobutu Sese Seko
.
Later he started the "Sindika Dokolo Foundation" (Portuguese: Fundação Sindika Dokolo) in order to promote numerous arts and culture
festivals at home and abroad. Its mission is to create a center for contemporary art in Luanda, in the display, and not only pieces of contemporary African art, but also create the conditions and activities which are necessary to integrate African artists in the international circles of the art world.
Sindika Dokolo started expositions like the SD Observatorio (July 2006 - August 2006) at the Valencia Institute of Modern Art
in Valencia (Spain
), the Trienal de Luanda (December 2006 - March 2007) in Luanda, or the Check List Luanda Pop (June 2007 - November 2007) at the 52nd Venice Biennale
, Venice
(Italy
). This event caused heavy irritations among visitors and experts, due to Sindika Dokolo's acquisition of a large African arts collection from the widow of German
collector Hans Bogatzke. It took place under mysterious circumstances for just 600.000 Dollars, however, but this was estimated to be 3 times the value. On January 25, 2009 was following a huge exposition to the 434. anniversary of Luanda, called Luanda Suave e Frenética, with many artists reflecting on various ways about a "vibrant and smooth" city.
s from a subsidiary of Endiama
, the Angola state company for mining concessions. Sindika Dokolo is also member of the board of Amorim Energia
that owns a third of Portuguese petrol company Galp
through Esperanza Holding BV.
Sindika Dokolo lives in Luanda. He is often in Kinshasa to spend time there and to run his business.
Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a state located in Central Africa. It is the second largest country in Africa by area and the eleventh largest in the world...
arts collector
Artist collective
An artist collective is an initiative that is the result of a group of artists working together, usually under their own management, towards shared aims...
and businessman. He is the husband of businesswoman Isabel dos Santos
Isabel dos Santos
Isabel José dos Santos is an Angolan investor. She is considered by Forbes worth at least 50 million US Dollars and as the most powerful and richest woman in her country and among the richest in Africa....
from Angola
Angola
Angola, officially the Republic of Angola , is a country in south-central Africa bordered by Namibia on the south, the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the north, and Zambia on the east; its west coast is on the Atlantic Ocean with Luanda as its capital city...
.
He was brought up in Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
and France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
by his parents, selfmade man, bank owner, millionaire and passionate for African art
African art
African art constitutes one of the most diverse legacies on earth. Though many casual observers tend to generalize "traditional" African art, the continent is full of people, societies, and civilizations, each with a unique visual special culture. The definition also includes the art of the African...
s, Augustin Dokolo and his Danish
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
wife Hanne Kruse. He attended the Lycée Saint-Louis-de-Gonzage in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
from which he graduated, later he studied economics
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
, commerce
Commerce
While business refers to the value-creating activities of an organization for profit, commerce means the whole system of an economy that constitutes an environment for business. The system includes legal, economic, political, social, cultural, and technological systems that are in operation in any...
and foreign language
Foreign language
A foreign language is a language indigenous to another country. It is also a language not spoken in the native country of the person referred to, i.e. an English speaker living in Japan can say that Japanese is a foreign language to him or her...
s at the Pierre and Marie Curie University
Pierre and Marie Curie University
The Paris VI University , or the Pierre and Marie Curie University , is a university located on the Jussieu Campus in the Latin Quarter of the 5th arrondissement of Paris, France....
in Paris.
In 2003 he married Isabel dos Santos, the eldest daughter of José Eduardo dos Santos
José Eduardo dos Santos
José Eduardo dos Santos is an Angolan politician who has been the second and current President of Angola since 1979. As President, José Eduardo dos Santos is also the commander in chief of the Angolan Armed Forces and president of the MPLA , the party that has been ruling Angola since...
, President of Angola
Angola
Angola, officially the Republic of Angola , is a country in south-central Africa bordered by Namibia on the south, the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the north, and Zambia on the east; its west coast is on the Atlantic Ocean with Luanda as its capital city...
. The wedding, a 4 million-dollar party with 1000 guests, was one of the largest weddings in the history of the country. To the big surprise by the ordinary people in Angola
Angola
Angola, officially the Republic of Angola , is a country in south-central Africa bordered by Namibia on the south, the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the north, and Zambia on the east; its west coast is on the Atlantic Ocean with Luanda as its capital city...
, a large number of guests were flown into Luanda by special chartered aeroplanes from Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
and France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, without visas having been issued previously.
Promoting African arts
Through Sindika Dokolo's father initiative, he started an arts collection at the age of 15. In 1995 he decided to return to then ZaireZaire
The Republic of Zaire was the name of the present Democratic Republic of the Congo between 27 October 1971 and 17 May 1997. The name of Zaire derives from the , itself an adaptation of the Kongo word nzere or nzadi, or "the river that swallows all rivers".-Self-proclaimed Father of the Nation:In...
to join the large - in total 17 companies consisting family business - (banking, breeding, fishing, coffee exportation, real estate, consumer goods distributor, merchandise conveyance, printing, insurance, mining and car selling). The country collapsed and their activity couldn’t survive. Sindika took in hand the family business. These family businesses were later nationalized by the then Government of Zaire
Zaire
The Republic of Zaire was the name of the present Democratic Republic of the Congo between 27 October 1971 and 17 May 1997. The name of Zaire derives from the , itself an adaptation of the Kongo word nzere or nzadi, or "the river that swallows all rivers".-Self-proclaimed Father of the Nation:In...
in 1986 under former head of state Mobutu Sese Seko
Mobutu Sese Seko
Mobutu Sese Seko Nkuku Ngbendu wa Za Banga , commonly known as Mobutu or Mobutu Sese Seko , born Joseph-Désiré Mobutu, was the President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo from 1965 to 1997...
.
Later he started the "Sindika Dokolo Foundation" (Portuguese: Fundação Sindika Dokolo) in order to promote numerous arts and culture
The arts
The arts are a vast subdivision of culture, composed of many creative endeavors and disciplines. It is a broader term than "art", which as a description of a field usually means only the visual arts. The arts encompass visual arts, literary arts and the performing arts – music, theatre, dance and...
festivals at home and abroad. Its mission is to create a center for contemporary art in Luanda, in the display, and not only pieces of contemporary African art, but also create the conditions and activities which are necessary to integrate African artists in the international circles of the art world.
Sindika Dokolo started expositions like the SD Observatorio (July 2006 - August 2006) at the Valencia Institute of Modern Art
Institut Valencià d'Art Modern
The Institut Valencià d'Art Modern in Catalan or was the first center of modern art created in Spain, opening in 1989. The Institut Valencià d'Art Modern is the most important centers for modern and contemporary art in Valencia, Spain and Europe.It shows continuous developments of art and...
in Valencia (Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
), the Trienal de Luanda (December 2006 - March 2007) in Luanda, or the Check List Luanda Pop (June 2007 - November 2007) at the 52nd Venice Biennale
Venice Biennale
The Venice Biennale is a major contemporary art exhibition that takes place once every two years in Venice, Italy. The Venice Film Festival is part of it. So too is the Venice Biennale of Architecture, which is held in even years...
, Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
(Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
). This event caused heavy irritations among visitors and experts, due to Sindika Dokolo's acquisition of a large African arts collection from the widow of German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
collector Hans Bogatzke. It took place under mysterious circumstances for just 600.000 Dollars, however, but this was estimated to be 3 times the value. On January 25, 2009 was following a huge exposition to the 434. anniversary of Luanda, called Luanda Suave e Frenética, with many artists reflecting on various ways about a "vibrant and smooth" city.
Business
Sindika Dokolo is also doing business in Angola. He is member of the board of the Angola cement company Nova Cimangola, but more importantly, he acquired the exploration rights for diamondDiamond
In mineralogy, diamond is an allotrope of carbon, where the carbon atoms are arranged in a variation of the face-centered cubic crystal structure called a diamond lattice. Diamond is less stable than graphite, but the conversion rate from diamond to graphite is negligible at ambient conditions...
s from a subsidiary of Endiama
Endiama
Endiama is the national diamond company of Angola and it is the exclusive concessionary of mining rights in the domain of diamonds. Angola's state-run diamond company Endiama produced 8.55 million carats of diamonds in 2010. Antonio Carlos Sumbula is the president of the corporation...
, the Angola state company for mining concessions. Sindika Dokolo is also member of the board of Amorim Energia
Amorim Energia
Amorim Energia BV is a Portuguese company based in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Amorim Energia BV operates as a subsidiary of Amorim Investimentos e Participações, holding of the Amorim Group....
that owns a third of Portuguese petrol company Galp
Galp
Galp may refer to:*Galp Energia, an oil and gas company from Portugal*GalP , an integral membrane protein present in Escherichia Coli*Glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate*Galanin-like peptide, a neuropeptide...
through Esperanza Holding BV.
Sindika Dokolo lives in Luanda. He is often in Kinshasa to spend time there and to run his business.