Collector and Patron Hasnaine Yavarhoussen Is Determined to Bring Madagascar’s Art Scene to the Rest of the World
Malagasy collector and entrepreneur Hasnaine Yavarhoussen helped enable Madagascar’s debut pavilion at the Venice Biennale in 2019 after meeting artist Joël Andrianomearisoa the year before and deciding to sponsor the project. Following that pavilion, Yavarhoussen—who sits on Tate’s Africa Acquisitions Committee—founded Fonds Yavarhoussen in 2019 to support Malagasy art and culture, and in February 2020 he and Andrianomearisoa cofounded Hakanto Contemporary in Antananarivo, with Andrianomearisoa as artistic director. Hakanto Contemporary has expanded into a nearly 2,000-square-foot renovated warehouse and runs exhibitions, residencies, education initiatives, and workshops aimed at building a local scene and increasing international visibility. Recent programming includes a 400-work survey of photographer Pierrot Men, curated by Andrianomearisoa and Rina Ralay Ranaivo; Yavarhoussen is also CEO of Groupe Filatex, a Malagasy conglomerate said to provide about a third of the country’s power needs.
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This story was covered in Scandals, Stolen Jewels, and Art’s Lasting Power