The Venice Biennale - Mauritius Pavilion

The Mauritius Pavilion at the Venice Biennale is a testament to the vibrant artistic scene of this island country located in the Indian Ocean. Since its first participation in the Biennale, the pavilion has played a crucial role in showcasing Mauritius’ contemporary art to the world, providing a platform for artists exploring themes related to their identity, culture, and history. Located in the Biennale Gardens, the Mauritius Pavilion harmoniously blends into the architectural and landscape context of Venice. The design of the pavilion is both functional and aesthetically pleasing, with exhibition spaces that allow for optimal enjoyment of the artworks. This welcoming and well-designed environment facilitates a direct dialogue between art and visitors, creating an engaging and reflective experience. The exhibitions at the Mauritius Pavilion are known for their ability to address social, political, and environmental issues through powerful and innovative visual language. A significant example was the 2022 edition, where the installation “Beyond the Horizon” explored themes of migration, diaspora, and cultural identity. The work, composed of a series of sculptures and multimedia installations, invited visitors to reflect on the experiences of migrants and the complexity of multicultural identity. In 2024, the pavilion continued on this exploration with the exhibition “Reclaiming Roots,” curated by Nirmal Roy and featuring works by artists such as Kavinash Thomoo and Ananda Devi. This exhibition highlighted the resilience of indigenous communities and their struggle to preserve cultural traditions in a globalized world. The exhibited works used a variety of media, including video, painting, and interactive installations, to create a multisensory experience that engages the audience emotionally and intellectually. One of the most interesting aspects of the Mauritius Pavilion is its commitment to environmental sustainability. Many of the presented works directly address issues related to climate change and biodiversity conservation. This reflects Mauritius’ growing awareness of the need to protect the island’s natural environment, a particularly relevant theme given the country’s insular context. For example, Thomoo’s work “Ocean’s Cry” used recycled materials to create sculptures representing the fragility of marine ecosystems. From a historical perspective, Mauritius’ presence at the Venice Biennale is a sign of the country’s increasing importance in the global art scene. In recent years, Mauritius has seen a flourishing of the local art scene, with a growing number of galleries, museums, and exhibition spaces promoting contemporary art. Participation in the Biennale is therefore a recognition of this development and an opportunity to further consolidate the country’s reputation as a center of creativity and innovation.