Page 35 - Mokazine 4 Eng

Rezidan is launching 2 calls for proposals per year. What are you looking for in applicants?
For Emergence, the jury consists of Charlie d’Hotman and Salim Currimjee, who are looking
for emerging artists whose portfolio reflects an interesting and original artistic approach. They are also sensitive to
the background, education, and artistic value of the proposal. It is interesting to work with Charlie as Imaaya is among the few galleries in Mauritius to operate on a continuous temporary exhibition basis. It offers a
real professional platform for artistic production and Charlie’s support can bring a lot to emerging artists.
Mokassiens and Blooming Point are collective residencies, so we take into consideration the quality of the proposal but also any possible synergies between
the participants.
Rezidan is a flagship project of Moka,
city of culture. How do you feel about it now that it is underway?
I am super excited about the launch
of this project! Unfortunately, a
space dedicated to artistic residency
and continuous residency programmes are not common in
Mauritius. We are happy to support
artistic development in this way.
How will you manage to integrate the people of
Moka (and not only the arts community of the island) into your cultural projects?
To date, my priority has
been to develop qualitative projects. But with the launch
of Rezidan, I am looking at cultural mediation: how do we transform this content to make it more accessible? How do we communicate to reach audiences beyond the arts community?
First of all, the students of Moka (MGI, CTC, University of Mauritius),
who represent a
critical mass, are among our main audiences for cultural events. We are therefore actively working to create synergies with universities and schools.
The Moka’mwad
network is focused on
the development and inclusion of the people of Moka. It
is also doing a great job in
the field through its network of volunteers and complimentary activities that attract a large audience. We now want to tap into this important network to integrate more people of Moka into the region’s cultural scene. In addition, ENL Foundation reaches out to various social milieus and is a powerful tool for cultural mediation.
I might add that street art and public art in general – not only within the smart city but also in Saint Pierre, Petit Verger and the surrounding villages – are a means for integration and a real opportunity to open up the art scene to the public.
The presence of artists also contributes to improving social life and making the city more attractive.
You have been in this position for about 1 year already. What are your successes and challenges?
I am very happy to have launched Rezidan. It was important to have this flagship project, which is the highlight of the city’s cultural agenda. I am also pleased with the interest shown by the public, artists
bigger picture
"We will develop a cultural space in 2023 in Telfair, the future city centre
of Moka."
and cultural
and educational organisations in the "Moka, city of culture" initiative. We are weaving our way into
the fabric of the Mauritian cultural landscape.
It remains a
challenge to attract more cultural projects
to the area. We would like
to work with more existing cultural players; we can provide them with partial funding and/ or spaces.
What are the future cultural projects of the city (in the pipeline, but also the ones you dream of)?
We will develop a cultural space in 2023 in Telfair, the future city centre of Moka. We want
to add a cultural dimension
to Les Kocottes, which is currently closely associated with NGOs.
I would also like to host a high- quality annual festival and diversify the city’s cultural life.
2022 / NO 4 / MOKAZINE 33