HAKANTO CONTEMPORARY
Hakanto Contemporary celebrates and supports artistic creativity in Madagascar.
Dedicated to showcasing the richness of contemporary Malagasy art, the non-profit independent space for artists, was launched in February 2020.
Under the artistic direction of Joël Andrianomearisoa, the 300 m² space – located in the Ankadimbahoaka district in the south of the capital Antananarivo – contributes to dialogues between local and international art scenes, whilst affirming the uniqueness of Malagasy culture.
Free to visit and open to all, Hakanto Contemporary offers a meeting place for artists and audiences across the globe. Alongside an ongoing exhibition programme of group and solo exhibitions showcasing work from across Madagascar and beyond, Hakanto Contemporary offers spaces dedicated to artist residencies. Working to accelerate exchanges, strengthen skills and initiate creative projects which both represent and support the local art scene.
Hakanto Contemporary is supported by the Fonds Yavarhoussen. Understanding that art and culture are essential pillars of development, the Fonds Yavarhoussen endowment fund promotes creativity for future generations.
HASNAINE YAVARHOUSSEN
Hasnaine Yavarhoussen is the CEO of Groupe Filatex and the founder of the Fonds Yavarhoussen. Understanding that art and culture are essential pillars of development, the Fonds Yavarhoussen endowment fund promotes Malagasy art and culture for future generations.
In 2019 the Fonds Yavarhoussen supported Madagascar’s first-ever national pavilion at the 58th Venice Art Biennale, led by Malagasy artist Joël Andrianomearisoa. In 2020 they launched Hakanto Contemporary in Antananarivo, Madagascar: the country’s first multi-purpose (non-profit) art space which is dedicated to showcasing the richness of contemporary Malagasy art, and also provides artist residencies.
At Groupe Filatex, Hasnaine Yavarhoussen has grown the family-owned business internationally, transforming the Group’s energy subsidiary into the largest IPP producer in Madagascar. Hasnaine Yavarhoussen has also overseen Groupe Filatex’s various CSR activities, which has involved the implementation of 32 philanthropic programmes in Madagascar.
In 2018 and 2019, Hasnaine Yavarhoussen was selected for the Choiseul 100 Africa ranking, a publication which recognizes 200 of the most successful African leaders under the age of 40.
JOËL ANDRIANOMEARISOA
Born in 1977 in Antananarivo, Madagascar, he lives and works between Paris and Antananarivo.
Joël Andrianomearisoa is the artistic director of Hakanto Contemporary, Madagascar.
Joël Andrianomearisoa founded and leads the artistic development and curation at Hakanto Contemporary since its opening in February 2020, uniting his roles as both an artist and a supporter of the cultural and artistic promotion of Madagascar internationally. He represented Madagascar at the 58th Biennale di Venezia in 2019, and his work has been exhibited in leading global institutions including MAXXI, Rome; Hamburger Bahnhof, Berlin; the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art, Washington DC and the Centre Pompidou, Paris. As a cultural supporter, he founded 30 and Presque-Songes (2007, 2011), a multi-platform project dedicated to the works of Malagasy poet Jean-Joseph Rabearivelo. He has also collaborated on the Sanga dance festival (2003) and Photoana festival (2005).
FONDS YAVARHOUSSEN
The Fonds Yavarhoussen is an endowment fund initiated by Hasnaine Yavarhoussen, Managing Director of the Filatex energy-production group, operator of free zones and property, and infrastructure developer.
Created in 2019, Fonds Yavarhoussen promotes the dynamism of Madagascar’s contemporary art scene and the singular nature of its culture, within Madagascar, and internationally.
Introducing, backing and supporting Malagasy creativity and innovation for future generations are among the objectives laid down by the Fonds Yavarhoussen.
WHY HAKANTO CONTEMPORARY IN MADAGASCAR
The success of the exhibition I Have Forgotten the Night with a significant contribution from the Groupe Filatex to the funding of the first Madagascar Pavilion at the 58th Venice Biennale in 2019, promoted awareness of Madagascar’s genuine artistic potential, but also of the real condition of its artists and their difficulties in gaining access to platforms for expression and creativity.
In response, Hasnaine Yavarhoussen created Hakanto Contemporary – an Antananarivo location for exhibitions, expression and joint creation – to catalyze the strengths of cultural players in Madagascar and abroad, and enable artistic expression and public access to culture in a facility of international standing.
The meeting between the patron and collector, Hasnaine Yavarhoussen, and the artist Joël Andrianomearisoa – both determined to give new momentum to the Great Island’s creativity – has accelerated the Fonds Yavarhoussen action, ensuring multidisciplinary programming in Madagascar and internationally with the sole aim of restoring the confidence of the young generations in their creativity and promoting a unique culture in the world of Pan-African, Oceanian, and international art.