The Institut Français de Maurice (IFM) in Rose-Hill will come alive with the first edition of GeekinCon 2026. More than just a convention devoted to geek culture, this new event aims to be a genuine artistic and cultural crossroads, bringing together creators, enthusiasts, families, and the curious around worlds that unite people across generations.
Over the course of a day, visitors will be invited to explore a wide range of disciplines shaping pop culture today: illustration, comics, cosplay, video games, animation, music, film, literature, digital creation, and storytelling. These varied forms of expression reflect a culture that is alive, creative, and deeply woven into everyday life.
Organized to mark the fifth anniversary of We Are Geekin’ (formerly Geekin’ Moris), this first edition represents an important milestone in the evolution of the Mauritian geek community. It is supported by Doritos as platinum sponsor; SWAN Mauritius, Yop, and NexForge Computers as gold sponsors; eSports Faction, Gravity MAX, and 101-multimedia as additional sponsors; the Institut Français de Maurice as venue partner; Otayo as exclusive ticket distributor; and The Talent Factory as public relations partner. More than an anniversary event, GeekinCon brings to life an ambition that has been years in the making: to give Mauritius a convention celebrating the full richness of geek culture and showcasing the local talent that shapes it.
Among the highlights of this first edition will be three conferences, as well as the Artist Alley, a space entirely dedicated to Mauritian artists. Illustrators, creators, artisans, and designers will present their work there, engage with the public, and share their creative worlds. More than a simple exhibition, this space was designed as a meeting place where visitors can discover local talent, understand different artistic approaches, and take home original creations.
As a reminder:
The opening conference, “The Geek Renaissance: Why Pop Culture is the New Universal Language,” led by artist Evan Sohun, will open the discussion on pop culture’s growing influence in our societies.
The “Innovation Summit” will address a very current question: “AI & the Creator: Future-Proofing or Destroying the Industry?” Director Jean-Yves Chantoiseau, concept artist Nicola Gaiser, comedian Guillaume Silavant, AI content creator Fish John, and music producer Gary Mach will share their perspectives on the impact of artificial intelligence on creative professions.
Finally, “The Living Page: The Power of Storytelling in a Digital World” will highlight the essential role of storytelling in creative industries, featuring Amarnath Hosany, Yianna Amodine, and Clémence Soupe.
GeekinCon also aims to encourage exchanges between the various players in the Mauritian creative scene. Video game developers, cosplayers, illustrators, content creators, authors, and enthusiasts will share the same space, fostering discussion, collaboration, and new inspiration, a unique opportunity to build bridges between worlds that often overlap without truly meeting.
“The main goal of a convention is to make new connections, have fun, and discover new worlds. We want everyone to be able to talk with the artists, ask questions, learn about their creative process, and leave feeling inspired. GeekinCon is, above all, a human experience,” explains Cedric Sookahet, founder of We Are Geekin’.
Throughout the day, several conferences will enrich this cultural immersion. They will address the growing place of pop culture in our society, the essential role of storytelling in a digital world, and the challenges artificial intelligence poses today for creative professions. Mauritian professionals from a range of backgrounds will share their experiences and invite the public to reflect on the evolution of contemporary creation.
The event also leaves plenty of room for nostalgia. The day will close with a Geek Rock concert revisiting the iconic theme songs of the 1990s and 2000s that marked a generation. From TV series to cartoons to iconic anime, this performance promises to stir up memories and get audiences of all ages singing along in a festive atmosphere.
This desire to bring generations together is one of the guiding threads of GeekinCon. Parents will rediscover the heroes of their childhood, while younger visitors will discover the worlds that continue to inspire today’s creators, a natural dialogue across eras that illustrates the constant evolution of pop culture.
“We’re all a bit geeky in our own way. Pop culture has become a universal language that creates connections between generations. Seeing parents share their memories with their children around a series, a game, or a character is probably one of the greatest achievements we can hope for with GeekinCon,” adds Cedric Sookahet.
Beyond the activities, GeekinCon’s ambition is above all to build a community where everyone feels free to express their passion, discover new talent, and meet like-minded people. In a society where communities increasingly form around shared passions, the event aims to show that geek culture is, above all, a wonderful platform for connection, exchange, and creativity.
Questions for Evan Sohun, Artist
Questions for Evan Sohun, Artist
Why do you think pop culture has become a universal language that transcends borders, generations, and cultures?
I think pop culture simply rode the wave of the Internet and social media to break out of the niche circuits and small communities where it had long existed. Today it speaks directly with its audience, in a language that helps creators better understand what the public expects. In turn, consumers have easy access to it and can almost instantly contribute to its “virality.” It’s a constant back-and-forth between public and creator that, in my view, keeps it alive and makes it so far-reaching.
For a long time, geek culture was considered marginal. What explains its rise today?
It used to be less well-known and less consumed. But I feel that in the past, it was surrounded by a certain mystery that gave a fixed image of the “geek,” whereas today, being a geek is seen as “cool.” There’s also more openness now and much easier access to content.
Do Mauritian creators today have the means to develop their potential, or are there still significant obstacles?
There’s enough narrative and visual content out there for Mauritian creators to draw inspiration from. That said, they still need real access to it. I’ll use the example of visual arts, which is where I come from , for me, it raises questions about how much value is really placed on Mauritian visual storytelling within the academic curriculum, as well as how accessible contemporary works and Mauritian artistic heritage are to the public.
Can Mauritius become a recognized player in the region’s creative industries?
Mauritius is clearly already an important player in the region. Whether in literature, music, visual arts, or audiovisual work, the country has a great deal of talent and real creative potential that should continue to be nurtured and supported.
What advice would you give to a young Mauritian passionate about drawing, animation, or digital creation who wants to make it their career?
I’d tell them it can become one of the most beautiful careers in the world , as long as they don’t see it merely as a job, but as something self-evident. I’d quote Marina Abramović, who said: “And to me it’s like breathing. You don’t question if you breathe, you have to breathe…”
Questions for Clémence Soupe
Why has telling entertaining stories become so important in the digital age?
To me, a living story is one that composes itself in the moment. The nuances we bring to it today won’t be the same tomorrow, and it’s precisely those nuances that make it captivating. In the digital age, where everything is smoothed over, calibrated, and tightly framed, the right to make mistakes has almost disappeared. As a result, I find that stories increasingly resemble one another and lose their spark.
On stage, even when performing a story that’s written and well-rehearsed, the unexpected brings a liveliness to the performance and an even stronger sense of listening , both from the performers and the audience. In a world that flattens everything, a truly living story, with its flaws, its surprises, its texture, is what stays with us, what we remember, what makes us want to pause and reflect on it.
Is storytelling an essential skill today, regardless of the creative profession?
I believe so, even in creative fields that don’t tell stories in the traditional sense. In clay sculpture, for example, I need to know what I want to express behind a piece , a metaphor has to exist before I even begin. But that story must never become too fixed, or it cuts off all feeling. The material itself tells you something, as long as you’re willing to listen.
In a creative profession, storytelling may not mean “telling a story” in the literal sense, but rather carrying meaning while staying attuned to what the material, the form, or the moment gives back to you. Without that, even a technically perfect work remains empty, in my view.
What makes a story still resonate with audiences in a world saturated with content?
A story resonates most when it doesn’t say everything, when it leaves room for the audience to complete it with their own imagination. I think of Cocteau’s La Voix Humaine, a one-woman show in which I play a woman on the phone for an hour and a half, interrupted by the kind of line troubles typical of another era. What struck me was that the audience hung on every silence and every word from the man on the other end of the line, someone we never actually see. I made him exist only through the void and the imagination he left for the audience. That’s still what resonates today: a story that doesn’t spell everything out for the audience, that leaves space for them to fill in themselves, unlike a nonstop stream that fills every silence.
Have social media and AI changed the way we tell stories?
I think it has inevitably influenced how we tell stories, because we no longer consume stories the same way. We expect to be immersed immediately, through every sense, with timing designed to capture attention before we have a chance to scroll. Storytelling naturally adapts to that. But I believe it’s mainly the way stories are distributed that has changed, more than the substance of the story itself. A bad project is still a bad project ,we feel that just as much as before. Quality standards haven’t really dropped. What matters differently today is how a story is delivered, not fundamentally what it’s about.
Can audience attention still be captured for the long term in an environment where everything moves so fast?
Yes, even with its share of challenges. I’m sometimes surprised when audience members bring up projects, years later, that I thought were completely forgotten. What lasts is never the speed at which a story was told , what lasts is the emotion. A performance, a poignant scene, sometimes a striking set or a precise comedic moment. You don’t hold attention for the long term by slowing everything down, but by genuinely moving someone, even in a very brief moment. A sincere emotion lingers long after everything else has been forgotten.
