HAKANTO CONTEMPORARY
Hakanto Contemporary celebrates and supports artistic creativity in Madagascar. Dedicated to promoting the richness of contemporary Malagasy art, this independent, non-profit space for artists was launched in February 2020.
Under the artistic direction of Joël Andrianomearisoa, the two spaces located in the Ankadimbahoaka area in the south of the capital, Antananarivo, foster dialogue between local and international artistic worlds, while affirming the uniqueness of Malagasy culture.
Free and open to the public, Hakanto Contemporary is a meeting place for artists and audiences from around the world. In addition to collective and solo exhibition programs that highlight works from across Madagascar and beyond, Hakanto Contemporary offers residency spaces dedicated to artists. It strives to accelerate exchange, strengthen skills, and launch creative projects that both represent and support the local art scene.
Hakanto Contemporary is a project by Joël Andrianomearisoa and Hasnaine Yavarhoussen, supported by the Fonds Yavarhoussen.
© Hakanto Contemporary
Four years after the success of its launch, the new Hakanto Contemporary space opens its doors on September 14, 2024, in Antananarivo, with a 2,000 m² building entirely designed and envisioned by artist Joël Andrianomearisoa. Divided into several modular spaces, its vast exhibition area also includes a bookstore, workshops, and a library, and transforms throughout the year based on proposals structured around major seasonal themes. While the inaugural season addresses the theme of family, the following season will explore love in all its forms through a diversity of poetic and daring projects.
From highlighting the emerging scene to rediscovering historical Malagasy artists, to fostering unprecedented and cross-disciplinary dialogues beyond the boundaries of the art world, this versatile space offers a rich program punctuated by events.
“The plurality of spaces allows us to organize our programming over different timelines: major exhibitions will change approximately every six months, and the projects presented in the three modules will be more flexible. Having such a vast and versatile playground is extremely motivating; we can go even further in our concrete commitment to contemporary creation.” — Joël Andrianomearisoa
A new breath for a committed place where, in the words of Hasnaine Yavarhoussen, “generations, social classes, and cultural backgrounds come together around what we have most precious to share: beauty, emotion, and art.”