The Institut français, new french agency for international artistic exchanges, is proud to be the partner of the Pavilion of Zimbabwe at the 54th Venice Biennale.

This will be an historic event for the participation of an African country in the most important Rendez-vous of all artists, curators, collectors, public and private institutions from the international contemporary art world, well as for a global public.

The Zimbabwean Pavilion will focus on its own history by presenting some of its best and most remarkable artists : Berry Bickle, Calvin Dondo, Tapfuma Gutsa and Misheck Masamvu.

We are pleased to note that two of these artists were introduced to the public during the Encounters of Bamako for African Photography, co-produced by the Ministry of Culture of Mali and by the Institut français : Berry Bickle, who won a price in 2009,  and Calvin Dondo, who won a prize in 2007.

We believe that the African continent can be the first to recognize the importance of African talents, as was shown in Bamako or at the Biennale of Dakar for many years for young visual african artists.

The Institut français extends its warm thanks to Raphael Chikukwa, Curator of the Zimbabwean Pavilion, and Doreen Sibanda, Director of the National Gallery of Harare, for their contributions over many years in promoting Zimbabwean Art which now comes to fruitition in this Venice Biennale.

Covering the fields of visual arts, architecture, cinéma, literature and performing arts by artists living and working in France as well as Africa and the Caribbean, with the program Afrique et Caraïbes en créations, the Institut français promotes international exchanges in the Arts. It is the operator of the French Pavilion during the Venice Bienniale.

Zimbabwe is a major country for the Arts, now is the time to focus on its contemporary artists.  We are confident that the 54th Venice Biennale will be a great success for the Zimbabwean Pavilion.

Sylviane Tarsot-Gillery
Directrice de l’Institut français