2 Seychellois artists can win a trip to art exhibition in Venice

The agency is inviting Seychellois artists who would like to visit the Venice Biennale next month. (Arterial Network) 

(Seychelles News Agency) - Two Seychellois artists have the opportunity to visit and experience one of the world’s most prestigious art exhibitions, as Seychelles’ Creative Industries and National Events Agency (CINEA) is making paid trips available to Venice, Italy.

The agency is inviting Seychellois artists who would like to visit the Venice Biennale next month to apply by Friday, September 20 at 6.00 p.m.

Successful applicants will visit the Seychelles’ national pavilion at the exhibition as well as spend a week experiencing the type and quality of artwork exhibited at the prestigious art Biennale.

The works of two Seychellois artists -- George Camille and Daniel Dodin -- will be exhibited in the 58th Venice Biennale exhibition -- the world's most prestigious art exposition -- which is running since May 11 to November 24.

Interested artists have to provide their Curriculum Vitaes (CVs), three images of recent work with a short description of each piece, a copy of their national identity cards and phone numbers.

Also attached should be a statement of 300 words maximum explaining how the applicant believes that experiencing the Venice Biennale will enhance and improve their work as an artist.

The documents can be emailed to MconsultingK@gmail.com or a hard copy can be handed to either the CINEA offices at the International Conference Centre Seychelles (ICCS) or the Eden Art Space gallery at Eden Plaza.

The selected artists must have valid passports with at least nine months remaining before the expiry date and must be prepared to travel to Venice on Sunday, October 20 and return a week later.

CINEA will cover accommodation, city tax and flight costs as well as Biennale entrance fees. The artists will be expected to cover their own personal expenses during the week, including transport within Venice on public boats.

The curator of the Seychelles participation will be present to lead workshops on aspects of the Biennale. Workshops will focus on the way in which relatively new technology such as video and installation work has largely replaced painting as the predominant form of creative expression on the international platform.

CINEA chief executive, Galen Bresson, said that “CINEA organised our national participation at the 2019 edition of the Venice Biennale and it was always our intention to send selected artists to the exhibition so that they might gain a deeper understanding of the standard of work being produced and shown at an event which traditionally exhibits 'cutting edge' art.”

Bresson said sending artists to Venice will be a significant investment in the development of culture in Seychelles, a group of 115 islands in the western Indian Ocean.

“We know that such an experience will have a tremendous impact on the work that the artists make subsequently. We hope that they return to Seychelles with an appetite for creating fresh and exciting art which, like much of that on show in Venice, has a strong conceptual base as well as a high standard of technical realisation,” he said.

Selection of the two artists will be made by a committee comprising of the Biennale curator, Biennale commissioner and two other persons from the visual arts sector in Seychelles.

All applicants, both successful and unsuccessful, will be informed on Friday, September 27.