Temandrota
Temandrota (his official name is Randriahasandrata Razafimandimby) is a multi-media artist who is based in Madagascar’s capital city: Antananarivo. Born in 1975, he attended Antananarivo University, after which, in the absence of any Fine Art Schools in the entire country, he resolved to self-teach in the Art practice. Along the years he attended a great number of Art Residencies at home and abroad. These include, among others: Cite Internationale des Arts, Paris/Fondation H(2017 and 2023); Endemika Films France, Paris (20200; William Kentridge Art Centre, Johannesburg South Africa (2020); World Art Tokyo, Embassy of Madagascar in Japan (2019); Art dans les cites, Britany Region, France (2015); Residency “Trans”, Foundation la revue Noire, Haiti (2010).
Temandrota’s recent work explores the notion of Resonance as coined by the German Sociologist Hartmut Rosa; how we can develop and establish fulfilling relationship to the world, and in his case, within the complex socio- historic Malagasy context, the country’s political, economic and ecological dysfunctions, and the new accelerations that are brought up by the technological revolution.
Reconnecting with the traditional Tandroy culture emanating from the South part of the country where he was brought up mostly by his grand-parents, the artist transforms natural and intangible ethnographic materials- fibres, sap, resins, wood, soil, earth, craftsmanship, stories, symbols etc.- through a set of protocols. These involve the aggregation of acrylic and spray paint and at times, elements reclaimed from the technological world; the use of rain, and fire, and the acts of travelling, meditation and danse.
The results are extraordinarily material paintings, that are intricated and crusty, whilst looking supple like textile. Often abstract, they call to mind notions of a rich nature, biology, and cosmology in which the human trace seems to be fusing, or resonating with.
Temandrota’s work was shown extensively in Magadascar. His other exhibitions include: Musee du Quai Branly,Paris; Cite des Arts, Paris; Fondation H, Paris; French Institute, Tokyo;, Biennale “ Art Actuels”, La Reunion Island. He was the recipient of the first “Paritana” prize (2017) organised by Fondation HJ, that awards the best Malagasy artist of the year.
