"Seychelles: A journey through the history of maps (1482-1830)" opens at National Arts Gallery
Arts & Culture |Author: Rita Joubert-Lawen Edited by: Betymie Bonnelame | November 12, 2023, Sunday @ 07:29| 7157 views
There are a total of 80 artefacts - that were found in museums all over Europe and they all have a connection with the Indian Ocean. (State House)
(Seychelles News Agency) - The first ever maritime maps exhibition, "Seychelles: A journey through the history of maps (1482-1830)" has opened at the National Arts Gallery and will remain open until January 20, 2024.
President Wavel Ramkalawan officially opened the exhibition on the evening of November 7, in the presence of many guests including officers from various naval vessels currently in Port Victoria.
The Seychelles National Institute for Culture, Heritage and the Arts (SNICHA) secretary general, David Andre, called the exhibition "an important endeavour for a small island state that could morph into a regional one".
There are a total of 80 artefacts - that were found in museums all over Europe and they all have a connection with the Indian Ocean - on show at the newly refurbished National Arts Gallery.
He added that through the exhibition visitors will be able to view "treasures of the sea" and that it should be "a source of inspiration for teachers to bring their students to view."
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| President Ramkalawan officially opened the exhibition on the evening of November 7. (State House) Photo License: CC-BY |
The cartography and maps exhibition is a collaboration between the Ministry for Fisheries and Blue Economy and SNICHA.
French historian Richard Touboule led the team for the exhibition and in certain areas was assisted by Seychelles Defence Forces officers.
The Minister for Fisheries and the Blue Economy, Jean-Francois Ferrari, expressed joy at having finally opened the exhibition adding that it "offers the people of Seychelles a different aspect of what the ocean means".
"The Blue Economy is also our culture and our history," he said.
Ferrari commented that this will also "awaken the different senses" of the various sea voyages to Seychelles and it "would make people dream."
Once the exhibition closes in Seychelles, it will later tour the Indian Ocean in neighbouring islands such as Mauritius and Reunion Island.
As Ferrari revealed "this was the first stone in the dream of establishing a maritime museum dream."