Maldivian Artist Community (MAC) brings to us the Maldives Contemporary Art Exhibition, Unveiling Visions 2019. The opening ceremony for the exhibition was held last night at the National Art Gallery.
The exhibition was officially opened by the guest of honour, Minister of Education, Dr. Aishath Ali. Minster of Arts, Culture and Heritage, Ms. Yumna Maumoon and the Minister of Youth, Sports and Community Empowerment, Mr. Ahmed Mahloof were also in attendance.
Mr Hussain Ihfal Ahmed, the General Secretary of MAC, in his speech during the ceremony highlighted the importance of art exhibitions to artists, stating that an individual becomes an artist when their work is shared with an audience. He further highlighted the key achievements of the association, noting that MAC has been able to facilitate 70 solo exhibitions and 9 group exhibitions since their inception in 2016.
Mr Ihfal also voiced the concerns of the artists in the country, drawing attention to the poor state of the National Art Gallery, the absence of a permanent collection and stressing the importance of a strong management in an institution such as the National Art Gallery.
Minister Yumna Maumoon, speaking at last nights ceremony, noted the importance of the work carried out by associations such as MAC in the revival of the art industry. She stated the importance of art education and noted the high level of involvement of youth in the art industry, urging both the Education and Youth Minister to join her in the work towards the growth and development of the art industry in the Maldives.
Since its launch in 2017, this will be the third consecutive year that this exhibition is held. With 55 visual artists taking part in the exhibition this year, Unveiling Visions 2019 is the biggest art exhibition to happen in the country.
The Most Vibrant Artist Award which is a recognition award rewarded to artists under 30 years of age was awarded to three artists during the ceremony. The awardees were Hassan Raaif Siraj, Aishath Shuaila Rasheed and Mohamed Razzan Abdulla. Of the 55 artists whose artwork is displayed in the exhibition, 98% are under 35 years old.
Unveiling Visions 2019 is open to public from 4th to 7th August 2019 at the National Art Gallery.