Last evening witnessed the launch of the Mauritius International Art Fair (MIAF) at a vernissage in Moka Smart City’s Vivea Business Park. The event, which is now into its third edition, gathered artists, art enthusiasts and sponsors for a lively start to the four-day spectacle unfolding over 27-30 September.
The opening ceremony saw the founder and initiator of the MIAF, Zaahirah Muthy, welcome the artists, partners, sponsors and stakeholders to another thriving celebration of innovation in the arts by ZeeArts, this time under the motto ‘Embracing our past, Enlightening our future.”
Explaining the rationale behind the chosen motto, Zaahirah highlighted their commitment to ‘preserve our cultural heritage and undertake a collective journey towards a brighter tomorrow’, while noting that it has been challenging to continue to uphold the banner of the arts with the impact of the pandemic, yet their unwavering dedication had brought them to this moment.
Zaahirah Muthy expresses gratitude to PhoenixBev CEO, Bernard Theys, at the MIAF opening ceremony, for extending support to the event
The ties that bind: Mauritius, MIAF and global artists
Regarding Mauritius, she emphasised that, “The country provides ease of access to international markets and currently holds multiple bi-lateral agreements. MIAF’s existence shares the same ideology for the arts scene in Mauritius as well as globally. With this third edition of MIAF we will curate a selection of emerging and established artists across three separate pavilions.”
Highlighting how the event serves to bring together artists from the local, regional and global arenas, of which this edition will showcase original pieces from more than a hundred artists, Zaahirah stressed that, “This year, we are presenting 37 countries from across the world. We serve as an annual rendezvous for worldwide artists to engage in artistic dialogue for cultural exchanges. We believe profoundly in the power of art to transcend boundaries, bridge cultures and spark change. Fostering connections, nurturing creativity, and celebrating artistic expression, we collaborate with private sector, government entities and art experts to harness art’s transformative potential.”
Noting that the event acts as a catalyst for social change and global impact, she remarked that MIAF will present a conference on day two around ‘Harnessing arts as an investment to catalyse creative ecosystem transformation’ and expressed her pleasure at welcoming as their keynote speaker for the MIAF conference, Meagan Kelly Horsman, Managing Director of Christie’s Middle East, for her first time in Mauritius.
She also soberingly remarked that day three will see MIAF will dedicate a day to those late artists who have left an incredible mark on the arts scene in Mauritius. Their legacy will continue to shine widely and guide us to new artistic horizons, she added, noting that the event will pay tribute to senior artists who were part of previous editions of MIAF such as Said Hossanée, Tristan Bréville and Vaco Baissac, as also Roger Charoux.
In conclusion, an art day will be held where ‘children from the ENL Foundation will paint their dreams’ at Little Picasso and she also painted a vivid picture of the Avenue of Artists where she noted that ‘artists will transform the Vivea Business Park to an outdoor studio’.
Painting on a bigger stage
“As we embark on this new chapter, MIAF remains committed to position Mauritius as an arts and cultural destination. For cultural tourism and art investment, we lay foundation for a thriving artistic ecosystem that resonates far beyond our shores,” she noted. She also announced that, after three years of hard work to boost the art and cultural scene in Mauritius, MIAF was undergoing a regional re-branding as Trenniale des îles de l’océan indien under which it would be touring the ecosystem of neighbouring islands including Seychelles, Reunion, Rodrigues, Madagascar and Comoros. “Together, we are going to thrive and succeed,” she exclaimed.
She went on to extend heartfelt gratitude to all stakeholders for their unwavering support that has made MIAF the cornerstone of cultural innovation. She emphasised that the event is celebrating special people today, and those special people are the artists. MIAF has left its legacy on the island, and will continue to thrive and grow, she concluded, laying the floor opening to artistic performances that set the stage for the next three days of a vibrant celebration of arts and innovation.
Together with Moka Smart City, Mauritius Tourism, The Ministry of Arts and Culture, AfrAsia Bank, PhoenixBev, Vivo Energy Mauritius, MBC1, Biocom Ltd, Orijin Consulting, Musea, Engen, Zethical – PR & Comm, House of Digital – HOD, La Maison Eureka, Ravior and OrderManzer.mu, Platform Africa is proud to support the event, as a media partner.
| What’s next? To reiterate the key takeaways from the opening speech, the MIAF is being held around four axes, of which the main pillar is the international art exhibition that opened on 27 September, and will welcome the public from 28 to 30 September. Next, the Conference on “Harnessing Art as an Investment to Catalyze Creative Ecosystem Transformation” will take place today. This will be followed by a cultural visit with gathered artists and invited panellists at the House of Digital Art in Edith, Port-Louis on 29 September. Another important axis, a ‘Tribute to our deceased artists’, will take place at the Eureka house in Moka during the evening of 29 September, in order to pay homage to departed souls such as Roger Charoux, Said Hossanée, Tristan Bréville and Vaco Baissac. Finally, Saturday, 30 September will see MIAF 2023 close its doors on the back of two special events, ‘Little Picasso’ and ‘Avenue of Artists’. |
