Set up in Amsterdam, in 1983, at the instigation of its current President, Michel Leveau, the Olfert Dapper Foundation takes its name from a xviith-century Dutch humanist who, despite never leaving his native country, wrote an encyclopaedic Description of Africa, first published in 1668.

The purpose of this private non-profit organisation is to raise the profile of sub-Saharan Africa's artistic heritage and contribute to its conservation, by staging exhibitions and awarding research bursaries.