INTERVIEW
You were able to benefit from our residency program created in collaboration with the Foundation H, can you tell us a few words about it?
La Parenthèse, manomboka eto ny fahasambarana (here begins happiness).
It is a dream that has come true thanks to the dynamism of the Fondation H team and the warm welcome of the Cité internationale des arts.
It was the first time I left Madagascar and it was a big change when I woke up the next day in the heart of Paris. The architecture, the museums, the cultural events, the metro, the people... everything impressed me. The magic of this incredible experience exceeds all my expectations. Traveling through art, with art, for art is a blessing for me.
The principle of the residency at the Cité allows for unexpected and exceptional encounters with artists from all over the world, whatever their discipline.
It is a privileged mode of support for artistic production in all its diversity, as well as for the professionalization of artists. The original work environment offered allows, thanks to the time thus freed up and the spaces and tools made available, a renewal of the forms of creation, production and transmission. Not to mention the team, attentive and very attentive, which seeks to put each resident at ease.
I am in the middle of developing my project La parenthèse, ici commence le bonheur, an ode to sensitivity, love and resilience. The impact of the first two weeks of residency is already reflected in my current creations: new colors or techniques or new mediums.
This breath of energy is a unique opportunity for me to grow on a personal level but also / especially in the construction of a professional career.
An anecdote about your residency at the Cité internationale des arts?
Being a bit shy by nature, I was afraid to show up at the welcome breakfast for new residents – so much so that I couldn't sleep the night before. Fear of the unknown, of the language barrier, of approaching people, of not being up to it. Up to what? I don't know.
The ice was broken as soon as I walked through the door of the Café des Arts where the meeting was held.
I still remember the warmth of the place. You don't need words to understand why we were all there. One could feel through the looks and smiles the sincerity of the sharing, all these artists coming from various horizons gathered with the same passion for art, having dreams and ambitions.
The contact was made naturally. I realized how much pressure I was putting on myself about what I had to accomplish here. There is no obligation of result, all the interest of a residency lies in the process, the research and the development of oneself.
It's an adventure that begins and you are dazzled by the magic of today and the surprise of tomorrow.
BIOGRAPHY
Richianny Ratovo is a visual artist from Madagascar. Fascinated by the history of each of her encounters, she seeks to materialize the essence of each subject by combining personal vision and research from contemporary creation. Through this medium, she develops a poetic language populated with images, reflecting a real or imaginary life scene.
She expresses herself mainly through painting, drawing and pyrography, but also through photography and poetry.