CULTURE
ICAIO et sa porte rouge dans un bâtiment typique du vieux Port-Louis.
ICAIO and its red gate in typical old-aged Port-Louis building.
“In Mauritius, when you ask a child what he wants to
become when he grows up, he will never say an artist. Being
an artist is not an option!” Salim Currimjee wants to change
people’s mindsets and has since May 2015 opened the ICAIO
(Institute of Contemporary Art Indian Ocean) in the city
that he holds dear. Situated in a preserved building of the
historic city of Port Louis, at number 51 of Sir Seewoosagur
Ramgoolam (SSR) Street, this non-profit organisation allows
the public to discover the great names of contemporary art of
the region.
Recently, Pieter Hugo, a famous South African
photographer, was exhibiting vivid portraits he took in Africa.
Breathtaking pictures which have gone round the world. 50
Mauritian children have been able to meet with this artist
face-to-face during workshops hosted by the ICAIO. “I hope
that he becomes a role model for some of them” explains Salim
Currimjee, the creator of vocations!
In the absence of a desperately needed National Art
Museum, the foundational stones of a Port Louis, sensitive to
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Art, have been laid. After spending some time in America, the
illustrator, painter and photographer returns to his island at
the age of 28, armed with steely determination. Since 1993, he
has been working in this building and knows every nook and
cranny of the capital by heart. His solo exhibitions are always
an event. Nine to be precise, and always held in very peculiar
places in the heart of Port Louis. From the old abandoned
building at Louis Pasteur Street to the street exhibition on
William Newton Street, and also the use of the huge granary
in 1998; his exhibitions have a street glamour and carry an
atmosphere of discovery.
In preparation for his next exhibition, Salim Currimjee draws
every day from his home in Poste Lafayette, located on the
north-eastern coast of the island. From the ICAIO Foundation,
he dabbles between pencil and paint with a fierce determination
of challenging youngsters. “Art must play a more important role
in the education of Mauritians. Career opportunities in Art are
numerous, and an artist should enjoy the same credibility as a
doctor or lawyer.” Take note children.