By Stephen Garan'anga
La capital de France, Paris, was given a taste of Zimbabwean contemporary art exploits by Zimbabwe's First Floor Gallery (FFG) in their very first international export exhibition.
The exhibition titled "Harare Paris! Young, Contemporary and Zimbabwean" that took place in May 2011 strongly cements the country's undisputed reputation of international success and excellence.

This international platform complements the other Zimbabwean high-profile show that has just kicked off at the Venice Biennale in Italy.
"Harare Paris! Young, contemporary and Zimbabwean" is to date the pinnacle of the young and progressive career artists under the First Floor Gallery umbrella as it turned a new page for the emerging voices to be recognised by international audiences.

The highly creative 2010 National Arts Merit Award winner in the three-dimensional visual arts category Zacharaha Magasa, numerous awards winner in various previous shows and co-founder of the First Floor Gallery, Moffat Takadiwa, Wycliffe Mundopa, Brian Banda and Terrence Musekiwa are the young minds that showed at Pavé d'Orsay in the France.

Paris is world renowned for its numerous high-profile international art museums and galleries that secure hundreds of thousands of artworks by countless global old masters and important contemporary artists.
The Zimbabwean exhibition was the result of dreams and aspirations of First Floor Gallery as a fast emerging critical art space.

The intention to have the art show abroad had been in the pipeline for some time as the young artists working together with the support of Paris-based art critic and educator Valerie Kabov.
Kabov has also been the First Floor Gallery's senior advisor and mentor since its inception a couple of years ago.

The dream was to bring to European audiences a truly contemporary and dynamic vision of Zimbabwe and to broaden the audiences and support for emerging Zimbabwean art internationally.
The exhibition had a warm reception and support with a launch, which was graced by a special performance from the guest of honour and renowned Zimbabwean singer Busi Ncube, who had travelled from Oslo in

Norway to support the opening on May 12, 2011.
Marcus Gora, the co-director as well as the co-founder of First Floor Gallery, said:

"Not only has this been an amazing opportunity to bring to the attention of a truly international audience contemporary art, it has also been an opportunity to change people's hearts and minds about Zimbabwe.

"People who become interested in our artists also want to know about their lives and look beyond the headlines.

"This has really made us feel how powerful art can be at changing perceptions and fighting prejudice. Of course, the best thing has been to know that people from all around the world can recognise the merit and find joy in the works of young talented Zimbabweans who speak about their lives and lives of their people with honesty and integrity.
"This proves that as artists we don't need to try to pretend to be like anyone else or conform to other people's agendas. When we are truly ourselves that is when we find a global audience and support!"

• Stephen Garan'anga is an international fine art practitioner, independent art projects co-ordinator, chairperson of AfricanColours Artists, executive member Batapata International Artists' Workshop, critical visual arts writer amongst other things. He can be contacted at garananga@gmail.com