Venice, Italy — Vice President Kembo Mohadi says his visit to Italy for the 60th Venice Biennale has been fruitful as it allowed Zimbabwe to explore ways of boosting the visual arts sector.
In an interview at the Ethiopian Pavilion yesterday after being taken through the works of contemporary artist Tesfaye Urgessa, VP Mohadi said the Biennale has given him ideas of taking the country's visual arts sector to another level, especially since he superintends over the Ministry of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture.
"Having seen all this and having something in mind back home, I think we can do something of this sort (art galleries) of our own," he said.
"We have got different people that are exhibiting here (Venice Biennale). We are here at the Ethiopian Pavilion, seeing what they are doing.
"It would be prudent that we go and do the same back home. We promote our artists, see to it that they have their galleries."
After setting up art galleries and filling them with works of local artists, VP Mohadi said a deliberate move can then be made to try to get paintings from the SADC region and beyond.
"Once we have done so, then we will become gurus in the arts sector in Africa, SADC and also back home. So, it is very good for us (and) as someone who superintends over the Ministry of Sport and Arts, I now have got ideas. I now know how to guide them on what to do," said VP Mohadi.
He added that attending grand events such as the Venice Biennale can be inspirational.
Similarly, the VP said it is not in the nation and arts sector's interests for people to travel to far-away countries to view the works of fellow citizens when that could be done back home.
"So we need to go out, do what we think we can do, create a system whereby that is going to attract our artists to come and subscribe, that is to submit their paintings for display, and also conscientise the generality of the public back home to appreciate the art.
"It is not everybody that understands art, but they need to appreciate it and read it.
"As I am talking to you here, I am looking at a piece there, which depicts something, but what I am seeing might not be what other people are seeing or what the artist is seeing. So it is a perception," said VP Mohadi.
In a separate interview, Deputy Minister for Sport Emily Jesaya said they welcome the VP's directive to set up art galleries across the country.
She said they will incorporate the plan in their 100-Day Cycle projects to ensure speedy implementation.
"We are going to create platforms where we are going to be showcasing the works of our artists who have already established as well as upcoming artists so that they can look up to those that have started ahead of them.
"We help them to develop their skills and talent as well as to promote the works they are doing in Zimbabwe. So this is a project we are going to take seriously and ensure that we hit the ground running to create a replica of this Biennale back home," she said.
Before visiting the Ethiopian Pavilion, VP Mohadi toured the works of Taylor Nkomo, Kudzanai Chiurayi from Zimbabwe, Sandra Poulson from Angola, Kang Seung Lee of South Korea and Nazira Karimi in the Arsenale Exhibition area.
Nkomo was given an entire garden to showcase his artworks carved from different types of stones.
Later on, VP Mohadi toured some markets and scenic parts of Venice including the Patriarchal Cathedral Basilica of Saint Mark, commonly known as St Mark's Basilica, which became the episcopal seat of the Patriarch of Venice in 1807, replacing the earlier cathedral of San Pietro di Castello.
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It is dedicated to and holds the relics of Saint Mark the Evangelist, the patron saint of the city.
The church is located on the eastern end of Saint Mark's Square, the former political and religious centre of the Republic of Venice.
VP Mohadi was accompanied during the tours by Deputy Minister Jesaya, Chargé d'Affaires at Zimbabwe's Embassy in Italy Caroline Matipira and Zimbabwe Pavilion Commissioner Mr Raphael Chikukwa, among others.
The 60th Venice Biennale is running under the theme, "Foreigners everywhere", which suggests that the world continues to become a village, and global citizens are everywhere.
