Joël Andrianomearisoa is a contemporary artist from Antananarivo, Madagascar who forms part of a group of pioneering Malagasy artists advocating for the cultural and artistic development of their country. During the early years of his artistic practice, between 2003 and 2005, Andrianomearisoa trained in architecture at Ecole Speciale d’Architecture, Paris. Today, he lives and works between his hometown, Antananarivo and Paris.
Andrianomearisoa’s artistic career began in the mid-90s when he started experimenting with different media. His debut exhibition, Bar was shown at CCAC (the French Institute of Madagascar) in 2004. Although he is best known for his paper and textile works, Andrianomearisoa is a talented multidisciplinary artist also working in video, design, sculpture, photography, performance and installation. Across these media, the artist’s work is often characterised by its monochromatic quality, sometimes accompanied by a single splash of colour. Thematically, Andrianomearisoa explores the concept of sentimentality, as well as urban spaces – their noises, smells and images.
In line with his objective to advocate for the arts in Madagascar, in 2019 Andrianomearisoa represented his country for the first Malagasy pavilion at the 58th Venice Biennale with his work I have forgotten the night. His works have also been shown at the Biennale de Dakar, Senegal (2014), and the 12th International Cairo Biennale (2010). Between 2004 and 2007, Andrianomearisoa participated in the famous Africa Remix exhibition which travelled to multiple venues worldwide. His art has been collected by numerous institutions including Maxxi, Rome, the Smithsonian, Washington and the Centre Pompidou, Paris among many others.
