Urban tourism and culture

It only took two months of preparation, and an initial budget of some FMG25 million for photographer Rarivosoa Rivomahefa, in collaboration with the National Association of Tour Guides, and Madagascar’s Poet and Writer’s Guild, to put together “Antananarivo unveiled”.

The exhibit is made up of 150 recent color photographs designed to raise public awareness among those who live in the heart of their city, but mostly overlook its beauty, and cultural significance.
This is one of the reasons that no caption accompanies each photograph – “to allow the viewers to use their own imagination, and to get them more interested in the images themselves”.
Original idea, to uncover the synergy between the written words and visual images: only poems, and lyrics by famous authors, and singers highlight the snapshots.
While the imagineers urge the jaded urban dwellers to get to know their city better, their ultimate aim is to revive urban tourism, and to restore, and reawaken a sense of pride in belonging to such a city.

Antananarivo was thus photographed from five different vantage points: through its alleys, backstreets, and nightlife; through portraits, and up-close and personal snapshots of its inhabitants at work; and last but not least, through the capital city’s very symbol, or whatever is left of it, the Queen’s Palace.

The photographs will go from the National Library, where it will remain until November, 2, 2002, to the open-air market of Analakely, a few schools, and business establishments.
“Antananarivo unveiled” is slated to become an annual event, and would eventually include other provinces, e.g. “Mahajanga unveiled”…
This constitutes the first step toward an awareness campaign which is to become national in scope.

Translated by J. F. Razanamiadana