Announced on July 20, the winners of the Art and Biodiversity project – Vony Ranala, Encoder Experiment and Hoby Andria – are now presenting their works to the public. As a reminder, the Art and Biodiversity project is a joint initiative of the Association La Teinturerie and FAPBM, which aims to raise awareness of the need to preserve biodiversity and protected areas through cultural activities.
The artists’ residency began with a visit to the Maromizaha Protected Area in Andasibe. It gave the three winning artists a better understanding of the importance of biodiversity and protected areas in the lives of communities, a new feature of this second edition. They had the opportunity to discover the ecosystem services provided by the reserve, in particular its water sources and medicinal plants, and to talk to the Maromizaha community and learn more about the income-generating activities of the local communities. What an enriching experience, they said, which inspired them to carry out their project to strengthen their commitment to raising public awareness of biodiversity conservation in Madagascar.
Encoder Experiment by the BSKMG Cultural Collective for the “Origins” project
The “Origins” project is a musical experience filmed in the Vohimana Reserve. Using the principle of “field recording”, the team recorded the sounds of nature and the people of Vohimana to produce tracks. The product is now available as a four-track EP (Extended Play) (Zanak’ala, Resilience, Mana and Origins) on various music streaming platforms. They will also be presenting a documentary on their experience on site during an exchange event on October 4 at La Tenturerie Ampasanimalo.
Hoby Gloria Andriamanohisoa Raveloson for the “Educ-Art-Eco” project
EDUC-ART-ECO which stands for Education – Art – Ecology (biodiversity) aims to raise public awareness of waste recycling and recovery. The artist is both a biologist and an ecologist, and as part of her approach, she organises awareness sessions for schoolchildren in Antsirabe, introducing them to the art of creating portraits from waste. Her project includes the production of a video report highlighting the various aspects and effects of waste in the city of Antsirabe. For the Art and Biodiversity exhibition, artist Hoby Andria will present her work, demonstrating that it is possible to create works of art from what we consider to be waste.
Vony Ranala for the “ArtAroAry” project
“ArtAroAry” or “art to preserve life” is an artistic proposal by Vony Ranala. The project combines both art of photography and poetry, leading the public to question their relationship with flora and fauna. Indeed, city dwellers may seem unrelated to these issues, and ArtAroAry’s challenge is precisely to involve the public in their day-to-day relationship with biodiversity. As a follow-up to this awareness (or lack of it), a panel discussion will be organised at La Teinturerie on Thursday, October 5.
All the projects could have been visited during the Art and Biodiversity exhibition week, which runs from September 29 to October 7, 2023, at the Isart Gallery Ampasanimalo. Other activities planned during the exhibition week include:
- Saturday, September 30 at 9:30am: “Biodiversity Collage” workshop – FAPBM
- Wednesday, October 4 at 3pm: Exchange with Encoder Experiment/ BSKMG – Origins
- Thursday, October 5 at 3pm: Panel discussion with Vony Ranala – ArtAroAry
- Saturday, October 7 at 10am: Conference on “The influence of culture on biodiversity” – Za Bibikely Association
As a reminder, the project received a dozen artistic proposals from the various regions of Madagascar. The winners were chosen by a jury made up of artists and environmental and cultural stakeholders: Aina Zo Raberanto, cultural journalist and photographer, Marie-Laure Jaomatana, fashion designer, Max Fontaine, founder and CEO of Bôndy, as well as Roda Operman and Miranto Rafanomezana, representing respectively FAPBM and La Teinturerie.
About FAPBM
Created in 2005 at the initiative of the Government of Madagascar and international conservation organizations (WWF and Conservation International), Madagascar Protected Areas and Biodiversity Fund is a private Malagasy trust fund dedicated to the conservation of Madagascar’s biodiversity. Its mission is to contribute to the sustainable financing of the Madagascar Protected Areas System (SAPM), to contribute to the conservation of biodiversity, to the maintenance of ecosystem services, to the well-being of the population, to the fight against climate change and to promote good management within the SAPM.
Contact : Rindra Miarivololona – rmiarivololona@fapbm.org +261 38 53 631 96 / www.fapbm@.org
About La Teinturerie
La Teinturerie, an artists’ association, was founded in 2014 with the mission of promoting visual art and all other art forms, improving access to art and culture for as many people as possible, hosting foreign artists in creative residencies, giving artists the opportunity to exchange, train, create and emancipate themselves.
Contact : Anjara Ralaiarijaona – lateinturerie.association@gmail.com – +261 34 15 937 05
