For Hassanein Hiridjee, Collecting Art Is a Commitment to Africa’s Future
Observer ·
The AXIAN Group CEO founded Fondation H, the country’s first private foundation of its kind, and has assembled a fast-growing collection of Malagasy and African artists. He sees their work as a source of identity, pride and hope for the continent’s future.
In 2010, Hassanein Hiridjee bought an artwork by Malagasy textile artist Madame Zo, kicking off a journey he remains deeply passionate about. More than 15 years later, he is surrounded by works from his collection: at home, in his offices, at Fondation H, his Antananarivo-based contemporary art foundation , and even in the departure lounge of Ivato International Airport in Madagascar’s capital. “I am blessed. I am lucky enough to have artworks everywhere I am,” the Malagasy-French entrepreneur and collector told Observer, turning his camera to show off the art in his Paris office. The works, he added, inspire him.
Hiridjee is chief executive officer of AXIAN Group , a company with holdings in energy, telecommunications, financial services, fintech and real estate. Born in Antananarivo in 1975, he graduated from the École Supérieure de Commerce de Paris Business School in 1997 and held positions in finance before returning to Madagascar to manage the family business, founded in the 1990s. AXIAN Group launched in 2015 and now operates across the Indian Ocean region and Africa, with Hiridjee and his brother, Amin, serving as co-CEOs.
In 2017, Hiridjee founded Fondation H, Madagascar’s first private art foundation. He calls it “an art university” because its initiatives and programming specifically promote Malagasy artists and, more broadly, artists from across the African continent. Three years ago, the foundation moved into a 2,200-square-meter space—the country’s first cultural institution of that scale. The revamped, century-old colonial-era central post and telegraph building has free-to-enter exhibition spaces, a library, an artist studio, a café, a garden and a courtyard.
When Observer visited this past summer, the exhibitions on view were a solo show by M’barek Bouhchichi, curated by Hobisoa Raininoro , and a group show, “Kabarin-Javakanto,” curated by Abdellah Karroum . The group show featured work from the foundation’s collection by about 40 artists, most of them from Africa: Moroccan Bouhchichi, Malagasy Joël Andrianomearisoa , Egyptian Ghada Amer , Ghanaian-American Rita Mawuena Benissan , Nigerian-Belgian Otobong Nkanga, Congolese Sammy Baloji , Malian Abdoulaye Konaté , Guinean Nù Barreto , Ghanaian El Anatsui, Ugandan Sanaa Gateja , Zimbabwean Moffat Takadiwa , Ghanaian Ibrahim Mahama , Moroccan Mohammed Melehi , Nigerian-American Wura-Natasha Ogunji , Ugandan Odur Ronald , Moroccan-French Sara Ouhaddou , Burkinabe Hyacinthe Ouattara , Malagasy Arilala Ophelia Ralamboson , South African Katlego Tlabela , Algerian-French Maya Inès Touam , Nigerian Ngozi-Emeje Ezema , Malagasy Finoana Ratovo and Canadian artist of Tanzanian heritage Kapwani Kiwanga , among others.
The curation reflects the “variety [and] diversity of the collection,” according to Hiridjee. “It’s quite a wide variety and I think it’s a good glimpse of what we have. The collection is very rich. It’s a very living collection and it’s getting bigger and bigger.” The foundation acquires about 100 works a year. “We are very, very active in terms of acquisition,” he added. Asked about his favorites, Hiridjee declined to choose: “I love all of them. I can spend hours discussing the artworks.”
But he did name one work with the power to shape his mood: Billie Zangewa ’s “amazing” Quiet Contemplation (2022), which shows a boy, likely the artist’s child, playing at home while his mother remains out of frame. “I think that’s very powerful because you can [tell that the artwork’s message is] about bonding together, growing together, sharing moments, supporting each other,” Hiridjee explained. “And this strong message is that today in such a fragmented world, we should keep uniting. We shouldn’t build walls but we should build bridges together. That’s very important.”
Beyond the foundation, works from Hiridjee’s collection hang in the offices of the multinational group he leads. In the boardroom at Yas, the Antananarivo-based telecommunications company, is Takadiwa’s 1930 Land Apportionment (2022), a sculpture made from woven keyboard keys that echoes the company’s mission, goals and offerings. The same approach applies across the group’s other businesses, with works chosen in coordination with each unit’s leadership team.
Hiridjee’s home has work by artists including Bouhchichi, Yinka Shonibare , Elladj Lincy Deloumeaux , Youssef Nabil , Cheikh Ndiaye and Idris Khan ; he said the family regularly changes the artworks and that he makes these decisions with his wife. A family favorite, however, is Ghada Amer’s bronze sculpture The Words I Love the Most (2012)
“It’s such a privilege to be able to live with different artworks. Living with art means knowing where you’re coming from, because the artwork brings you to who you are, what you belong to, and your roots. It’s making sure that you are strongly rooted in your environment,” he said. “I think an artist is reminding you of the different aspects of the world that is surrounding us. Artists show us their perception through their eyes, but also reflect on you, prompting you to question yourself and make sure that you are strengthening yourself. Living around artworks makes you proud of your history, especially when it’s about your country or continent. It gives you hope and it’s very important.”
Fondation H will celebrate its 10th anniversary and the Prix Paritana, an annual prize awarded to artists from Madagascar and its diaspora, with two shows displaying contemporary Malagasy art opening on Nov. 13 at the Antananarivo space: “ Masoandro amam-bolana ” (“Of the Sun and the Moon”), a solo exhibition of works by Temandrota, the first Prix Paritana winner, curated by Fondation H’s Hobisoa Raininoro and Tasmin Hong of Serpentine, and a group show, “ Prix Paritana: 10 years of Malagasy contemporary art ,” curated by N’Goné Fall , featuring 21 Prix Paritana winners and runners-up including Yannick Tojonantenaina Andrianambonisoa , Chloé Soafaniry Ramanankasina , Miangaly Elia Andriantsoa , Richianny Ratovo , and Madame Zo. Both will be on view through April 24, 2027.
Hiridjee remains unwavering in his long-term support for artists, both through his personal efforts and Fondation H’s initiatives, including international artistic exchanges, residencies, exhibitions, and monograph publications. His patronage extends beyond Madagascar to include support for the Benin-based Fondation Zinsou . “I am a strong, strong believer that as Africans we must be proud of where we are coming from. We must be proud of what we are doing and we must be proud of our future,” Hiridjee said. “The future is bright and artists will bring a huge, massive contribution to the development of the continent and the world.”