Gratis Diaries...

A theatre director, a multi-media artist and an artist-in-residence at Rote Fabrik, Amitesh Grover captures the different moods of his residency. [dated October 2008]

A theatre director, a multi-media artist and an artist-in-residence at Rote Fabrik, Amitesh Grover captures the different moods of his residency. Bridging the yawning gap between an overbearing traditional performance past and a nascent urban performing sensibility, Amitesh represents the new generation of Indian theatre artists in the best possible way.

Describing the residency as a truly international experience, Amitesh recounts engaging in inter-cultural discourses with art practitioners from around the globe. Collaborations, exchanges, dialogues are what the future holds for Amitesh as he is scheduled to be in Zurich until December 2008.

" I was greeted by a nippy Zurich summer on a lazy morning of 12th July. Making my way into the city before it had woken up, I was struck by how crisp it was. Welcome to Europe, I chuckled. I was escorted to my studio the same day, which nests within a stark, bold red brick building abandoned by a textile factory early last century. Titled Rote Fabrik (Red Factory), it is spattered by graffiti that, at first impression seems to be slovenly but playful - a respite from city’s exacting landscape – only to reveal to a careful eye how each animated corner carries a nifty anecdote about authority, religion, sex and just about everything else. A capacious double-pillared hall with two majestic windows opening onto Zurich lake, the first floor studio bearing my name on its door was divine for artistic indulgence.

I conducted two Open-Days soon after. Over 50 Artists – visual, sound and performing – and curators attended the evenings in which I showcased my past work. Intriguing interactions followed the presentation; one artist couldn’t help being beguiled by the ‘theatricality’ of contemporary Performance Art in India. Its what helps us young artists bridge the yawning gap between an overbearing traditional performance past and a nascent urban performing sensibility, I explained. She smiled.

Theatrespektakel began mid-august amidst great fervour. An over-arching festival embracing all performing arts (and not just theatre) boasted of stunning shows from Brazil, Indonesia, New Zealand, South Africa, France, Germany, India and Switzerland. Being part of jury (and consequently, having free entry to all shows; half the article’s title should begin to make sense by now!) was less daunting than I imagined. We were a quadruple-nation cultural quintette – South Africa, Egypt, India, Switzerland (Swiss and French part; a miracle we emerged from our award discussions smiling!). It was heart-warming to discover how, despite our apparent differences, anxieties soon melted away as we candidly confessed what we loved and hated, often to my surprise, the same things in the same order! Perhaps goes to show how the language of art can render distances futile.

I also attended a Residents’ Meet at Villa Strauli, Winterthur. It proved to be a fabulous opportunity to meet other artists-in-residence in Switzerland from around the world. Rainer Duvell, sculptor and architect from Berlin, conducted a workshop on perception after which we visited the studios in the lovely villa, once home to Winterthur’s soap-manufacture giant!

Over the past weeks, I have met many talented artists for the work I wish to develop here. Laura Klaus (a dancer from Argentina), Cornelia Luethi (a dancer from Switzerland), Martin Wigger (sound artist from Switzerland), Stephan Komitsch (video artist from Germany) and Sophia Stepf (Dramaturg working in inter-cultural discourse from Germany) are few among others with whom I will be striking a collaboration in the coming weeks. We have ‘Present - Episode I’ planned for a show mid-October and ‘Absent – Episode II’ planned for a show late November in my studio." Amitesh Grover Lettenholzstrasse#2 Zurich Switzerland 8038

Artist: Amitesh Grover 
Art Form: Theatre
Theatre director and a multi-media artist, Amitesh is a visiting faculty member at the National School of Drama. A Charles Wallace scholar, he completed his postgraduation in Visual Language of Performance from the Wimbledon College of Art, University of Arts London.
Residency partner organisation: Rote Fabrik
Residency duration: 12 July - 12 Dec 2008