For many years, The Institute of French-Caribbean Cooperation has been actively involved in the promotion of the Guadeloupean artists and the artistic exchanges with the Caribbean. One of its last events called “L’Expo” allowed the pictorial works of 19 Dominican, Haitian, Guadeloupen artists which belong to ICFC traveled up and down the island of Guadeloupe. The aim of this travelling exhibition was to improve arts education.
At the request of the public, “L’Expo” (The Exhibition) decided to travel up and down Guadeloupe, in 2015. Indeed, this exhibition of Caribbean artworks – organized in 2014 on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the “Institut de Coopération Franco-Caribéen” (ICFC) – was only supposed to last only 48 hours (2 days).
To reach as many people as possible (lovers and novices), “L’Expo” stoped at four Multimedia libraries of the Department : Multimedia Library in Le Lamentin from February 27 to March 11; Multimedia Library in Le Moule from May 29 to June 10 ; Multimedia Library “Yvon Leborgne” in Port-Louis, April 10 to 22 ; Multimedia Library in the capital, Basse-Terre, in November.
They were nineteen plastic art artists who took part in “L’Expo” : five from Haiti, four the Dominican Republic and ten from Guadeloupe. Everything was planned by the ICFC to make a success of this event. Some tours for the school children were scheduled with the Guadeloupe Education Authority and some aducational brochures were given to students. Some round tables and visits of studioes took place especially with Dustin Muñoz (Dominican artist and top of the bill for the exhibition in Basse-Terre) and Guadeloupean artists like Joël Nankin.
A master-class, aimed at high school students in art class (Baimbridge High School in Pointe-à-Pitre), was hosted by Grégory Vorbe (Haitian artist and top of the bill for the exhibition in Port-Louis) in Antoine Nabajoth’s studio.
An active cultural cooperation
Guided tours by Nathalie Hainault (art critic and member of Studies and Research Centre in Aesthetics and Plastic Arts – CEREAP in French) were also organized to show the paintings which were not hung on the walls as usual, but presented on easels draped with white fabric…
Through the various subjects of inspiration (a voodoo scene, a cyclone, a shanty town, some mangoes, a merchant, a grave etc.), the public could discover the techniques and materials used by the visual artists such as oil, acrylic, pastel, watercolours, collage, drawing, paper, cloth, ink, pencil, wrought iron, leather, nails …
The ICFC is very active to promote Guadeloupean artists in the Caribbean. Indeed, through this association, Marielle Plaisir (Gold Medal in 2001), Firmin Ano Eddy, Richard Viktor Sainsily-Cayol, Sanmyèl José Lewest and Thierry Lima participated in the Santo Domingo Biennale. Also supported by the ICFC, Antoine Nabajoth and Daniel Goudrouffe took part in exhibitions by the Cariforo Cultural Centre ; other artists shared their works to Carifesta’s audience. The institute also organized several exhibitions in the Dominican Republic (La Casa de Francia) and in Haiti where Guadeloupean artists could show their creations.
Its cultural cooperation measures were supported financially by the Regional Council of Guadeloupe.
The artists in “L’Expo”
Haiti : Pierre Augustin – Henri Dubreuil – Alexandre Micles – Grégory Vorbe – Frantz Zéphirin
Dominican Republic : José Muria – Dustin Muñoz – Willy Perez – Enriquillo Rodriguez Amiama
Guadeloupe : Christian Bracy – Dany Dubois – Lucien Léogane – José Lewest (Stonko) – Thierry Lima – Marie-Josée Limouza – Bruno Pédurand (Iwa) – Antoine Nabajoth – Michel Rovelas – Richard-Viktor Sainsily-Cayol
