Season's Greetings and best wishes for 2010

Pro Helvetia New Delhi wishes you all a happy New Year. Thank you for your support during 2009. We look forward to a productive and inspiring 2010.

Pro Helvetia New Delhi wishes you all a happy New Year. 
Thank you for your support during 2009. 
We look forward to a productive and inspiring 2010.

Image: Atul Bhalla, New Delhi (INDIA)

The image used is extracted from Basel Walk by the Indian visual artist, Atul Bhalla which he created during his Residency at iaab, Basel, Switzerland in April 2009. He is often called a ‘new media practitioner' who employs video, photography, performance (performative photography) and sculpture within his works or installations.

TITLE-Basel Walk
(30th April 2009 / 13:26 pm to 3:38 pm
RESERVOIRSTRASSE to WASSERSTRASSE) 

I attempted a walk, as one of my works during my Art Residency at iaab Studios, Basel with Pro Helvetia. This walk started from the Bruderholz Reservoir. Bruderholz is situated on a picturesque hillock above Basel. It has a water reservoir, which was built at the time, only for the upper class people in the neighbourhood. I started walking from the street named Reserviorstrasse to Wasserstrasse. Wasserstrasse is a small lane ending at a dead end in the ‘lower’ end of town which is going to be demolished for ‘better’ low cost housing, by a huge multi national pharmaceutical company based in Basel.

Water flows downhill; and would from Bruderholz to Wasserstrasse. Walking downhill from Bruderholz to Wasserstrasse I photographed all the “wasser” caps, that came along my way during my walk, which one would find all over the Basel roads and lanes. The ‘wasser’ caps or ‘water caps’ are iron caps, about 4 inches in diameter covering the actual control points of pipes which supply water to the city. So they are the main points from where water distribution to the city is controlled. This ‘performance’ materialized in a work consisting of 96 enlarged photographs transcending themselves from what they actually were, of all the ‘wasser caps’ I photographed during my walk displayed in chronological order. This sociological exercise turned out to be extremely interesting as I got a deep insight into the city and its history of functioning and water sharing.

This lead me to other water reservoirs of the city, old and new, abandoned and still to be commissioned. My practice as an artist interested in water was further enhanced with perspectives and insights from a different culture and a different city.

ATUL BHALLA
2009

Launch of India Habitat Centre's Annual Arts Journal 2009

The Journal is a collaboration between Pro Helvetia New Delhi and the Visual Arts Gallery, India Habitat Centre with essays by Swiss and Indian leading theorists on New Media.

The India Habitat Centre along with Art India brings together the fifth Annual Arts evening to be held on December 10, 2009 at the Amphitheatre of the IHC. This is also supported by Pro Helvetia- Swiss Arts Council and the Delhi Blue Pottery Trust.

This year the Visual Arts Gallery will unveil a special journal focusing on New Media art co-edited by Dr Alka Pande, Consultant Art Advisor and Curator at the Visual Arts Gallery, India Habitat Centre and media theorist Dr. Nils Roeller, Professor for Media and Cultural Theory at the University of the Arts, Zürich, where he is co-director of the special field of Media Art.

The Journal is a collaboration between Pro Helvetia New Delhi and the Visual Arts Gallery, India Habitat Centre to co-produce the first of its kind journal with essays by Swiss and Indian leading theorists on New Media. The journal explores how in the genre of New Media, technology is being used to express cultural constructs and how it is based on adapting innovative technology as a tool for artistic exploration. It is an attempt to explicate this concept from the different points of view that run across cultures and disciplines.

The publication will carry contributions by Swiss theorists of New Media as well as their Indian peers, including curators, art historians, artists, scholars and writers.

This will be followed by a piano performance titled Hits/Stills by the Swiss artist Claudia Rüegg.

MIMETIC participates in Global Groove

Global Groove the first electronic music festival & convention in India is scheduled to be held in New Delhi. Ajoint initiative between Goethe-Institut/Max Mueller Bhavan, New Delhi and Entertainment Media Services Pvt. Ltd.

Pro Helvetia New Delhi presents
MIMETIC at Global Groove, the electronic music festival & convention
Global Groove the first electronic music festival & convention in India is scheduled to be held in New Delhi from 17 - 20 of December 2009. Ajoint initiative between Goethe-Institut/Max Mueller Bhavan, New Delhi and Entertainment Media Services Pvt. Ltd., Global Groove seeks to connect the International electronic music Industry & musicians with their counterparts in India

The convention 
This will be held on the 17 - 18 of December 2009,where there will be an opportunity for the International music professionals to interact with Indian labels, clubs, music TV and radio channels, promoters and of course musicians.  

The Festival
Scheduled for 19 - 20 December 2009, this will be a multi-stage festival featuring Indian and International artists. The festival will offer a perfect chance to see a cross section of Indian electronic artists as well as International artists

About MIMETIC
Jerome Soudan started music at the age of 5 years old in the Conservatory of Chambery France. He learned consequently orchestral percussions, clarinet and later on acoustic and electronic drums. He obtained a Master degree of Musicology of the 20th century at the University of Lyon France with congratulation of the jury in 1993. 

He then settled in Paris where he worked with numerous composers such as Kasper T.Toeplitz for the GRM (Maison de Radio France) or with rock bands such as LES TETINES NOIRES or Industrial bands such as VON MAGNET. In 1996 he moved to Berlin where he started to work as composer and percussion player with the experimental band COLUMN ONE. In 1998 he started his own solo project named MIMETIC. 

In 2000 he then settled in Geneva Switzerland and began to work with the contemporary rock and new music formation ART ZOYD in France. Since then, Jerome released numerous CD’s or vinyl’s with various bands on different labels such as ANT ZEN, HANDS, PARAMETRIC, MOLOKO+, PRIKOSNOVENIE, ORKHESTRA, SCULTURED SOUNDS, KK RDS, THISCO, SPECTRE, etc… and was participating to several concerts, live acts, dj sets or performances all over the world (Europe, USA, Mexico, Canada, Japan,…).

Since 2000 he is one of the official composer for the choreograph Carol Brown (coming from New Zealand but established in London UK) for whom he composed for dance performances as well as for video installations. Other choreographs with who Jerome have worked are Jan Linkens (Comic Opera of Berlin) and Lionel Hoche (Neerdeland Dans Theater 2 in Den Haag NL).

In 2005 he won the best design and artwork packaging for electronic music at the French QWARTZ awards for the cover box of MIMETIC DANCING “The Changing Room” released on HANDS in Germany and designed by Nicola Bork. In 2006 he released his first DVD with MIMETIC on the German label ANT ZEN. Today, he is still working with ART ZOYD for different special shows such as METROPOLIS (with the movie), THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER (with the movie), LE CHAMP DES LARMES, EYE CATCHER (with Cecile Babiole) or for a collaborative project for the American composer GLENN BRANCA. One of his newest projects is the danceable WAI PI WAI he founded together with Herman Klapholz from Ah Cama-sotz.

For more information on MIMETIC click here.
For more information on Global Groove click here.

MAPPING(THOUGHTS) (Switzerland, 2009)

Indian visual artist Baptist Coelho presents MAPPING(THOUGHTS) (Switzerland, 2009)at PROGR.

PROGR and Baptist Coelho invite you to the opening of the exhibition MAPPING(THOUGHTS) (Switzerland, 2009) by Baptist Coelho at PROGR on Friday, November 20, 1800 hrs.

Location: PROGR Guest Studio No. 162 (First floor), Waisenhausplatz 30, 3011 Bern, Switzerland.
Opening times: Friday, November 20, 18.00 - 21.00 / Saturday, November 21, 1600 - 1800 hrs.

MAPPING (THOUGHTS), is a multi-disciplinary project which explores the concept of random thought as part of the social and political commentary of the diverse people living in Switzerland.  Collaborations were sought from people all over Switzerland, who share a common thread through generations; practicing and creating similar vocations and experiences.  The thoughts collected are also a reflection for future generations. A part of this project was realised specifically in Bern and involved the participation of people using the trams there.  The work was exhibited in Grand Palais (an art space, which originally functioned as a waiting room and office for the Tram Company).

About the artist
Baptist Coelho, a practicing visual artist from India is at PROGR - Zentrum, Bern where he is on a Residency from 2 Sep to 29 Nov 2009. 

Coelho received his M.A. from BIAD, UK. His practice merges personal research with the collaboration from peo...ple of various cultures, geographies and histories. These interactions begin the process of investigation, questioning and interpretation. Baptist employs the use of atmospheric stimuli and residual work, such as found objects, to engage the participant into the story and allow them an interactive space to reflect on their own surroundings and predicaments. These works begin to take on the form of human-shaped media-landscapes and often contend with identity, space, history, culture and gender. Each project may incorporate various media such as: video, sound and architectural installation, photography, public-art, performance, found objects and site-specific work.

Paper Airplane Project

A workshop-based site-specific mixed-media installation and performance that engages children to explore their creativity, visualize New Media Art as way of expression and understand the role of the artist in the community.

Baptist Coelho, an Indian visual artist took the opportunity of being on a Residency at PROGR to involve children of Realschule Bruggen, St Gallen, a school in Switzerland in his PAPER AIRPLANE PROJECT. The last session will be conducted on the 26th of November 2009.
The artist's note and concept

The PAPER AIRPLANE PROJECT, is a workshop-based site-specific mixed-media installation and performance that engages children to explore their creativity, visualize New Media Art as way of expression and understand the role of the artist in the community. I encourage children to delve into new ideas about creative play while exploring their dreams and aspirations.The PAPER AIRPLANE PROJECT, was inspired by my earlier site-specific installation entitled RE(WIND), 2006, where I used paper airplanes on a large scale.

The PAPER AIRPLANE PROJECT was expanded to involve children who would construct paper airplanes and incorporate their dreams and aspirations about adulthood. The children also constructed collaborative art works using their paper airplanes, selected objects to represent their dreams and explored New Art Media in the process. The experience culminated in a final performance with children flying their paper airplanes and attaching them to a large white cylindrical pole called the ‘Tower of Dreams’.

This experience of constructing deceptively simple paper airplanes became a communication tool for the children to creatively express themselves and visualize their own abilities and dreams. Through my practice of construction, installation and performance, the children understood that each person has a unique role to play within their community. From this collaboration, I explored his role as an artist and gave the children a better understanding about the function of art in the community.

The PAPER AIRPLANE PROJECT, became a voice for children’s dreams and will be the benchmark for ongoing collaborations with other children from various schools, located nationally and internationally. Listed here are collaborations which have been realized:
- Participation with children of Realschule Bruggen, St Gallen, Switzerland (November, 2009)
Please note the last session will be conducted on the 26th of November 2009.
- Participation with 30 children of Students' Educational and Cultural Movement of Ladakh (SECMOL), Ladakh, (August, 2008)
- Participation with 35 children of seven Non-Governmental Organisations, based in Mumbai, and facilitated by Mohile Parekh Center for the Visual Arts, Mumbai, (June, 2008)
- Participation with 80 children of École Mondiale World School, Mumbai, (February-March, 2008)

About the artist
Baptist Coelho, a practicing visual artist from India is at PROGR - Zentrum, Bern where he is on a Residency from 2 Sep to 29 Nov 2009. 

Coelho received his M.A. from BIAD, UK. His practice merges personal research with the collaboration from peo...ple of various cultures, geographies and histories. These interactions begin the process of investigation, questioning and interpretation. Baptist employs the use of atmospheric stimuli and residual work, such as found objects, to engage the participant into the story and allow them an interactive space to reflect on their own surroundings and predicaments. These works begin to take on the form of human-shaped media-landscapes and often contend with identity, space, history, culture and gender. Each project may incorporate various media such as: video, sound and architectural installation, photography, public-art, performance, found objects and site-specific work.

Residencies 2011/ 2012

Inviting applications from art practitioners from visual arts, performing arts and applied arts as well as from writers, curators, organisers and art mediators from South Asia.

The Swiss Arts Council supports studio and research residencies in the regions covered by the liaison offices it maintains in Egypt, India, Poland and South Africa. Swiss artists and cultural practitioners (e.g. curators, event organisers, promoters) in the areas of the visual arts, music, literature, theatre and dance are eligible to apply. Conversely, Pro Helvetia facilitates residencies in Switzerland for interested persons from the above-mentioned regions. Each year between four and six applications per region can be considered. 

Studio residencies (max. 6 months) and research stays (max. 4 weeks) are available.
Studio residency 
The residency (max. 6 months) gives artists and cultural practitioners the chance to get a broad insight into a different cultural environment. During this time they can find inspiration, establish networks and make their work known in a new context, without being under the pressure of production. In addition to a place to work and accommodation, Pro Helvetia provides a specialist from their field to support them. The Swiss Arts Council also pays the costs of travel, board and insurance.
Selection criteria:    
Convincing track record, personal motivation, adequate command of English or a relevant foreign language and eagerness to become involved in exchange with the local culture. The selection is made by a jury set up by the liaison office in conjunction with the specialist division in Zürich.
Applications:           
By 1 February, via myprohelvetia - Pro Helvetia's online portal for applications (under «Inter-/Multidisciplinary projects/Residencies»).
Research residency
The short residency (max. 4 weeks) enables artists and cultural practitioners to carry out research in the regions covered by the liaison offices, or conversely in Switzerland. The residency is an opportunity to get to know a different culture or to prepare a project. An expert in the relevant field will help to put together the programme for the visit and will be available to give support during the residency. Pro Helvetia pays the costs of travel, board and lodging and insurance.

Selection criteria:    
Convincing track record, outline of a project with sustainable impact and international resonance or another plausible motivation, adequate command of English or a relevant foreign language. The selection will be made by the liaison office.

Applications:           
May be submitted at any time via myprohelvetia - Pro Helvetia's online portal for applications (under «Knowledge sharing»), but in any case at least two months before the start of the trip.
The online application system is the preferred application system. 
However incase you are unable to access myprohelvetia kindly fill the form below.

Pro Helvetia Residencies Application Form (DOC)

Pro Helvetia Residencies Application Form (RTF)
Frequently asked Questions (FAQs)

IMPORTANT: 
The last date for submission of application forms for the year 2011/ 2012 is 1 February 2010.
The application process for the year 2009 and 2010 stands closed.
Click here to view a list of artists who have already been on the residency.

Denis Maillefer invited by National School of Drama

'one billion one hundred thirty-nine million nine hundred sixty-four thousand nine hundred thirty-two and me' - an improvised multilingual play presented by Swiss theatre director Denis Maillefer and students of NSD.

'one billion one hundred thirty-nine million nine hundred sixty-four thousand nine hundred thirty-two and me' - an improvised multilingual play about “Here & Now”' presented by Swiss theatre director Denis Maillefer and third year students of NSD. 

After the very successful presentation of the theatre production For the First Time – ‘La Premiere Fois’ by Théâtre en Flammes,as part of the 11th  Bharat Rang Mahotsav in January 2009, the Director Denis Maillefer was invited to conduct a workshop with the final year students of the National School of Drama, New Delhi. The premier of the production that Denis Maillefer is working on with the NSD final year students is on 20 November, 2009 at Bahumukh, the black box theatre of the school.   

The production
one billion one hundred thirty-nine million nine hundred sixty-four thousand nine hundred thirty-two and me - an improvised multilingual play about “Here & Now” 
Direction:  Denis Maillefer
The performances are scheduled from 20th to 25th November 2009 at 6.30 pm daily with two additional shows on 21st & 22nd November 2009 at 3.00 pm. at Bahumukh, Bahawalpur House, Bhagwandas Road, New Delhi.  

Entry cards can be collected for the performance from the NSD reception on first come first served basis between 11.00 am & 1.00 pm and 2.00 pm & 4.00 pm. 
Seats are limited in Bahumukh Studio Theatre. 
Please note that children below 8 years will not be allowed into the show. 
For more information please contact 23073236.
To view poster click here

Director's note:
This project is an interrogation into the place that everyone has and shares in the world. This world could be the world at large or a country like India with its many different languages, traditions and ways of being. This project also seeks to display the opposition between collectivity and intimacy. It explores the multiple personal histories of all students on stage, perennially placed within the context of a larger collective history.
We principally devised the show through a series of exercises and improvisations. The students brought unscripted stories to the floor (some true, some not!) that were tiny, yet big and extremely funny yet tragic in their own ways. Their banality belonged to the everyday, yet their telling made them very special. They dealt with insightful details about life and the drama that surrounds us in our lives today. The process of rehearsals sought to build a microcosmic world of this collection of students, and by consequence leads us to feel the pulse of the country they live in. However small this part may be, we hope it rings true for you as it did for us. Following these simple ideas in rehearsals, we took ourselves back to the beginnings of theatre – storytelling.

The preparatory work has primarily been based on solo improvisations and its juxtaposition with a collective symphony. We also took the help of interviews and testimonies found in daily newspapers and magazines published during the time of our rehearsals. The attempt was to find a way to be on stage ‘here and now’. I believe this is the most important aspect for an actor. To be (or not to be) here and now, is the biggest and most difficult question for an actor. The students learnt to be aware of themselves, while discovering how to connect with the audience in a deep and personal way and further, how to sustain such a relationship through the performance. Scenes from the European repertoire (a familiar world for me amongst mostly unfamiliar all else!) were inserted to discover a similar and simple way of playing and performing great plays of the past. It proved to be just another way for the actor to expose more (although in a different way) about him/herself. Through all this, a sincere and intense connection with the audience has been emphasized while providing enough space for the audience’s associations to freely occur through the show.   

The show we present to you largely consists of live and spontaneous improvisations. 

1001 cups - a contemporary ceramic exhibition

1001 cups - a contemporary ceramics exhibition that will travel to India, China, Korea, France and Switzerland.

The National Handicrafts and Handlooms Museum and Pro Helvetia - Swiss Arts Council present a contemporary ceramics exhibition 1001 cups. The exhibition will travel to India, China, Korea, France and Switzerland.

India
Venue: Crafts Museum, New Delhi
Opening: 30 November 2009
On view from 1 December - 31 December 2009

The exhibition pays tribute to a traditional little tea cup from India and aims to demonstrate the rich diversity that exists in present-day ceramics and thus share with the general public a wide variety of approaches to the use of ceramic materials.
Exhibition flyer
List of 100 participating ceramists
Curator, Claude Presset's note 

The following Indian potters and ceramists were invited to contribute for the exhibition:

Aarti Vir, Hyderabad - salt glazed stoneware 
Ira Chaudhuri, New Delhi - glazed stoneware 
Jayanti Naik, Ahmedabad - terra cotta wood fired.  
Jugal Kishore Sankhyan, Andretta - smoked blackware 
Kristine Michael, New Delhi - stoneware 
Saraben Kumbhar, Kutch - terra cotta.  
Laxmi Narayan Prajapati, Orchha - terracotta.  
Lekha Bhagat, New Delhi - smoked inlaid blackware  
Pandurangiah Daroz, New Delhi - glazed terracotta 
Shampa Shah, Bhopal - glazed stoneware
Yogesh Mahida, Baroda - glazed stoneware  

The workshops
A series of workshops are being organised in Delhi and Bhopal.
Traditional craftspeople and studio potters have been invited to participate in the workshop being conducted by Swiss ceramist and curator Claude Presset, Anja Seiler-Kopmann, Lise Cassani and Hughes de Crousaz. 
1 – 4 December 2009 at and in collaboration with the Crafts Museum, New Delhi.
7 – 9 December 2009 at and in collaboration with the Bharat Bhavan, Bhopal.
The Exhibition tour
China
Venue: Guangdong Museum of Art, Guangzhou
On view from 5 March - 11 April 2010
Korea
Venue: Icheon World Ceramic Center
On view from 1 June - 15 July 2009
France
Venue: Musée de la Ville de Biot
On view from 1 - 30 September 2010
Venue: Viaduc des Arts, Paris
On view from 7 October - 12 November 2010
Venue: Musée la Piscine a Roubaix
On view from 1 December - 28 February 2011
Switzerland
Venue: Musèe Ariana, Geneva
On view from April - July 2011
Venue: Musèe des Beaux-arts
On view from 25 September - 13 November 2011

Launch of the book ‘When Kulbhushan Met Stockli’

H E Mr Philippe Welti, Ambassador of Switzerland to India will be releasing the book ‘When Kulbhushan Met Stockli’, a comics collaboration between India and Switzerland on Monday 12 October.

H E Mr Philippe Welti, Ambassador of Switzerland to India will be releasing the book 
‘When Kulbhushan Met Stockli’, a comics collaboration between India and Switzerland.

Editor: Anindya Roy 
Publisher: HarperCollins India

Andreas Gefe, Andrea Caprez, Anindya Roy, Ashish Padlekar, Christoph Badoux, Christoph Schuler, Esther Banz, Fahad Faizal, Harsho Mohan Chattoraj, Kati Rickenbach, Orijit sen, Pascale Mira Tschäni & Michael Husmann Tschäni, Rajiv Eipe, Samit Basu, Samrat Choudhury, Sekhar Mukherjee, Sunaina Coelho
Vishwajyoti Ghosh

The book launch is scheduled to be held on Monday 12 October 2009 at 7.00 p.m. at The Embassy of Switzerland.

Attendance is by invitation only.

Livemint Review:
www.livemint.com/20<wbr></wbr>09/09/25230429/Bhangra-in-<wbr></wbr>the-Swiss-Alps.html<//a>

MAPPING(THOUGHTS) at Grand Palais in Bern

Indian Artist-in-Residence, Baptist Coelho currently at PROGR, Bern, will be exhibiting MAPPING(THOUGHTS), a multi-disciplinary project that explores random thought as part of the social and political commentary of the people of Switzerland.

Indian Artist-in-Residence, Baptist Coelho currently at PROGR, Bern, will be exhibiting MAPPING(THOUGHTS), a multi-disciplinary project that explores random thought as part of the social and political commentary of the people of Switzerland. 

MAPPING(THOUGHTS), an exhibition by  
Indian Artist-in-Residence, Baptist Coelho 

at Grand Palais in Bern 
Opening on 2 October at 6.30 pm
On exhibit from 2 October to 16 October 2009

"Since early September, I have been the Artist-in-Residence (AiR) at PROGR, Bern. I will be exhibiting MAPPING(THOUGHTS), a multi-disciplinary project that explores random thought as part of the social and political commentary of the people of Switzerland. This work-in-progress is Bern-specific, which is part of a vast national project, and has been realised specifically for the Grand Palais (an art space, which originally functioned as a waiting room and office for the Tram Company) This work has involved the participation of people using trams in Bern. The AiR has been supported by Pro Helvetia New Delhi."

www.grandpalais.ch
www.progr.ch

When Astad Deboo met Thomas Mettler

Pro Helvetia New Delhi facilitated a meeting between the two dance legends Astad Deboo and Thomas Mettler in the village of Intranga in Camedo, Switzerland and the outcome was sheer magic.

Pro Helvetia New Delhi facilitated a meeting between the two dance legends Astad Deboo and Thomas Mettler and the outcome was sheer magic.  

Astad Deboo travelled to Switzerland and spent time with Thomas Meddler from 16 June to 1 July 2009.
The rehearsals were in the village of Intranga in Camedo, Switzerland.

In the words of Astad Deboo:
"The purpose of this residency was to spend time exploring our dance vocabulary. Thomas comes from a Physical Theatre and a mime background. My dance vocabulary has a lot of Indian elements along with contemporary dance. We rehearsed with our different styles and explored ways to see how our styles can blend in presenting a new language.

Besides the actual physical work, there were lots of time spent on discussion of what dance meant, what was the present scenario and how our works stood in todays context. Many evenings were spent in seeing each other's work on the video. Thomas also shared works of other European dancers who he had worked with."

Artist in Residence Mohammad Salam Abdus at the Villa Sträuli

Works of Artist in Residence Mohammad Salam Abdus from Dhaka, Bangladesh on exhibit at the Kunstraum Winterthur.

Artist in Residence, Mohammad Salam Abdus from Dhaka, Bangladesh is currently at the Villa Sträuli on a residency. This residency was possible thru the support of the Pro Helvetia office in New Delhi.

The Bangladeshi artist works with print making, painting, installation, conceptual print, and new media. He uses footpaths, broken pediments or walls as his plates - the pediments or plates that have a history irrespective of being debatable or non-debatable.    

About my work        
I have been observing my time and ambient situation sharply wherein I get to see things and especially, society, politics, life-style are synonymous to cruel, vulgar, titillating and fantasised commercial ‘Bangla Cinema’ - which I comprehend as the height of today’s culture. We tend to forget our authenticity…our cultural heritage, day to day happenings, history, our heroes, their devotion because of the ever-increasing satellite culture that’s been reinforcing to change or at least grab the share of our culture for quite some time now. Single-centric heroism compels us to produce narcissism in the society we live in…inspires us to turn-off from the motherland…making us to be robotic! In the name of Globalisation capitalists, Medias, media men keep on creating   

Mohammad Salam Abdus 
Villa Sträuli  

Pro Helvetia New Delhi relocating to new premises

With effect from 4 September 2009, Pro Helvetia New Delhi is moving to its new premises at A-69 Nizamuddin East, Second Floor, New Delhi

With effect from 4 September 2009, Pro Helvetia New Delhi is moving to its new premises at:
Pro Helvetia New Delhi
Swiss Arts Council
A-69 Nizamuddin East
Second Floor
New Delhi 110013 India
The telephone numbers and email addresses remain unchanged and are as under:
Tel. +91 11 41825636 
Fax +91 11 41825637
newdelhi(at)prohelvetia.in


Head of Pro Helvetia 
New Delhi
Chandrika Grover Ralleigh
cgrover(at)prohelvetia.in

Communication
Sangeeta Rana
srana(at)prohelvetia.in

Projects
Pooja Varma
pvarma(at)prohelvetia.in

Projects
Chandrima Nandi
cnandi(at)prohelvetia.in


Opening hours: 
Monday through Friday 1000hrs – 1800hrs

Piano recital by Swiss pianist Gilles Vonsattel

Winner of the Walter W. Naumburg Foundation's 2002 International Piano Competition and the 2008 Avery Fisher Career Grant, Gilles Vonsattel to tour Bangalore, Delhi and Pune.
Pro Helvetia – Swiss Arts Council presents a piano recital by the Swiss pianist   Gilles Vonsattel   

Bangalore Alliance Française de Bangalore on Sunday 20 September 2009 at 7:00 pm in collaboration with Bangalore School of Music    

Delhi India International Centre on Tuesday 22 September 2009 at 6:30 pm in collaboration with India International Centre and Delhi Music Society
Pune Mazda Hall, Dastur Primary School on Friday 25 September 2009 at 7:00 pm in collaboration with Poona Music Society      

ProgrammeJ. S. Bach: 3 Countrapuncti  L. van Beethoven: Bagatelles Op. 126 L. van Beethoven: Sonate Op. 110 Intermission   F. Liszt: Les Jeux d'Eau à la Villa d'Este A. Honegger: Hommage à Ravel (Swiss work) M. Ravel: Gaspard de la nuit      

About Gilles Vonsattel

Winner of the Walter W. Naumburg Foundation's 2002 International Piano Competition and the 2008 Avery Fisher Career Grant, Swiss-born American pianist Gilles Vonsattel is an artist of uncommon breadth. With repertoire that ranges from Bach's Art of the Fugue to Xenakis, Vonsattel displays a musical curiosity and sense of adventure has gained him many admirers around the world.   Vonsattel began touring after winning the prestigious 2002 Naumburg International Piano Competition. He made his Alice Tully Hall debut that same year and has since performed with the Warsaw Philharmonic, at Zürich's Tonhalle, Warsaw's Chopin Festival, and Tokyo's Opera City Hall; and in the U.S. with the Utah, Santa Fe, Nashville, and Grand Rapids symphonies, and the Boston Pops Orchestra. Vonsattel is also a member of the Lincoln Centre’s prestigious Chamber Music Society Two with whom he performs extensively both at Lincoln Centre and on tour.   

Vonsattel regularly participates in New York's Wordless Music Series and was featured in the spring 2008 issue of Esquire magazine as one of several groundbreaking classical musicians.  He continues to be deeply involved in classical music outreach in the United States, giving master classes at universities and schools.    

Jumpstart workshops 2009 – 2010

As part of the Jumpstart series of workshops, the German Book Office in India has invited Swiss illustrator Pierre Thomé to participate in the Illustrating Children’s Books Master Class.

As part of the Jumpstart series of workshops organised by the German Book Office in India, Swiss illustrator Pierre Thomé, has been invited to participate in the Illustrating Children’s Books Master Class to be organised at the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad. Pierre Thomé will conduct a workshop exclusively for students of the NID on 4 – 5 September.  

 

Pierre Thomé will also make a presentation to a select audience of Indian illustrators at the Delhi Book Fair on 2 September together with two other illustrators from Norway and India. The presentation will be followed by portfolio assessments where the three experts will give their feedback on portfolios presented by the participating Indian illustrators.

 

This initiative of the German Book Office has been supported by Pro Helvetia New Delhi.

Zürcher Theater Spektakel 13 - 30 August 2009

Zürcher Theater Spektakel has invited Zuleikha Chaudhari, noted Indian theatre director, to participate as a member of the jury.

Each year the festival directors invite from around the world 25 to 30 individuals and companies whose creations are marked by formal independence, innovative character and artistic ambition. Outstanding artistic personalities and new off-theatre talents whose unusual works are making ripples in the world of international theatre, dance and performance mark the history of the Zuercher Theater Spektakel. The programmes feature various forms of artistic expression.

Most recently it has been productions on the cutting edge of various artistic art forms – new music, theatre, opera, video, dance and performance – which have been the highlights of the programme: New forms of music theatre and in addition, the video, performance and fine arts creations of Marina Abramovic, Richard Forman, Michael Laub, Guillermo Gomez-Peña, Matthew Barney and the Australian Museum of Modern Oddities have demonstrated the versatility of the contemporary arts scene.

The patronage prize
Since 1986 the Zürcher Kantonalbank has awarded the ZKB-Patronage Prize of CHF 30,000 and the ZKB-Acknowledment Prize of CHF 5,000 to artists and companies featured at the festival. Each year the festival board nominates five productions which are judged by a panel of experts. 

The festival directors
Sandro Lunin is in charge of the artistic direction, together with Cornelia Howald and Werner Hegglin.

Jury members
Zuleikha Chaudhari, India
Mahmoud Aboudoma, Egypt
Enrique Diaz, Brazil
Klaus Hersche, Switzerland
Simone Anne von Büren, Switzerland

Swiss Carnival and Indian Rituals

Under the title “Performing Masks”, two mask collections are now being exhibited at the Museum Rietberg : ritual masks from southern India and carnival masks from Switzerland.

A presentation of two mask collections that could not be more different 

The Museum Rietberg is famous for its collection of rare and valuable masks from all over the world. Under the title “Performing Masks”, two mask collections are now being exhibited: ritual masks from southern India and Carnival masks from Switzerland. 

The latter are part of one of the oldest collections in the museum. It is more than forty years since all the Swiss masks were exhibited together and now this important part of the museum’s permanent collection is on display again. The Indian ritual masks, on the other hand, have only been acquired recently. In a special exhibition they are being shown to the public for the first time.

When masks dance
Novartis Gallery / 17 May until 18 October 2009 

In Tulunadu, a rural coastal region in southern India which encompasses parts of the states of Karnataka and Kerala, people have been worshipping Butas, local gods, protective spirits and heroes for many centuries. 

In 2007 the Museum Rietberg received a gift of more than fifty Buta masks and sculptures from Heidi and Hans Kaufmann. Thanks to this gift a special exhibition can be dedicated to the underexplored theme of “folk art“. The artefacts which represent Butas are produced to this day and still used in rituals. None of those on display are more than a hundred years old. 

These Buta masks belong to the Hindu folk religion which differs from Brahmin Hinduism in its gods and practices. Particularly spectacular are the large Buta animal masks such as the mask of the buffalo demon Maisandaye, the tiger Pillichamundi or the wild boar Panjurli. The exhibition also shows the complete "costume" of a performer: the huge, elaborate headgear, often several metres in height, attached to the performer’s back, the symbols of the god such as a bell or sword, and the beautiful decorations on the head and arms. Fascinating field photos and a documentary film trace the production and use of the masks and convey a powerful impression of this ritual theatre tradition which has remained alive in southern India to this day.

Carnival masks from Switzerland
Villa Wesendonck /  from 17 May 2009 

The Museum Rietberg possesses the most important collection of old Swiss masks in the world. All of the masks here have been much used and they thus provide a valuable testimony to Swiss folk traditions. Part of the museum’s permanent collection, but not on display for some time, the masks are now being exhibited again. Among the most important places in Switzerland for carnivals are Sarganserland in the Canton of St Gallen, Central Switzerland, and the Lötsch Valley in the Canton of Wallis. They all have their own mask traditions. 

This extraordinary collection of masks has not been on display in its entirety for more than 40 years. Now it is an integral part of the permanent collection.  

Château de Lavigny International Writers' Residence

Usha Rajagopalan was invited to The Château de Lavigny International Writers' Residence. Usha used the residency to translate a selection of Tamil poems by Subramania Bharati into English.

The Château de Lavigny International Writers' Residence was founded by the late Jane Rowohlt in memory of her husband, the German publisher, Heinrich Maria Ledig-Rowohlt. After a long successful career as a leading publisher of several renowned twentieth century writers, Ledig-Rowohlt and his wife settled in their newly acquired Château at Lavigny, a small village between Geneva and Lausanne. It was their home from 1972 till their demise. The International Writers’ Residence was set up in 1996 to honour her wish to bequeath their home, the Château de Lavigny, to foster “a spirit of international community and creativity.”  

As one of the five writers invited to attend the first session from 2nd to 22nd June 2009, Usha Rajagopalan was a part of a truly international community for the other writers were from South Africa, Russia, Spain and the U.S.A.  Rachelle Greeff wrote in Afrikaans, Alan Cherchersov in Russian and Ossetian, José Luis de Juan in Spanish and Catalan while Allen Hibbard from US was translating from Arabic to English. Usha was there in the capacity of a translator from Tamil to English. She used this residency to finalize her manuscript, Selected Poems of Subramania Bharati, translations from Tamil to English during the three weeks.  

For the public reading Usha Rajagopalan had written a short biographical note on the Mahakavi. She read a short poem “False? Or True?” Subramania Bharati had set many of his poems to music so, instead of reciting, she chose to sing the Tamil original.  

"I am delighted that the public presentation of my work at the Chateau de Lavigny went off extremely well. It was well attended. I used this residency to translate a selection of Tamil poems by the national poet, Subramania Bharati. Therefore, at the public presentation, I read out my translation of a short poem and, instead of reading the original, sang the Tamil song. It was for the first time that the audience were hearing Tamil and I had to take an encore bow!! I truly appreciated the opportunity I got to introduce Subramani Bharati to the Swiss audience."
-- Usha Rajagopalan    

A show by Nanaiah Chettira and Rahel Hegnauer

Indian artist Nanaiah Chettira and Swiss artist Rahel Hegnauer, both supported by Pro Helvetia New Delhi present a joint show at Forum Schlossplatz , Aarau

Indian artist Nanaiah Chettira from Bangalore presents work (installations), which he compiled during his six month's residency in the guest studio at Aarau. Nanaiah's residency has been supported by Pro Helvetia New Delhi. He has been on the residency since January 2009. The show marks the conclusion of his six month's residency.  The developed installations are in the form of lock rubber strips.

 Work of Swiss artist Rahel Hegnauer is exhibited opposite the installations by Chettiras. The artist from Zürich visited and worked in Nanaiha Chettiras' hometown Bangalore.
Rahel Hegnauer from Zurich shows documentations of her site specific work, which she created during her stay in India as an artist-in-residence at BAR1 and Khoj (Bangalore and Delhi) in 2008/09. Rahel's residency too was supported by Pro Helvetia. 

From 6 - 21 June 2009

Wed / Fri / Sat 12.00-17.00 
Thurs  12.00-20.00 
Sun 11.00-17.00   

Lokalität  Forum Schlossplatz Laurenzenvorstadt 3 5000 Aarau    
Organised by: Forum Schlossplatz   
More information: www.forumschlossplatz.ch    

Marc Lee presents '18 pairs and 4questions'

Bar1 presents a show by Marc Lee, developed and realised during his 6 months residency in Bengaluru.

Bar1 presents 
18 pairs and 4 questions
a show by Marc Lee, developed and realised during his 6 months residency in Bengaluru.

On Saturday, 13th June at 7 PM at Samuha
Ada Ranga Mandira, Opposite Ravindra Kalashetra, J C Road, Bangalore
18 pairs & 4 questions

Born in 1969, Marc Lee is a Swiss artist experienced in the field of new technologies who discusses in his works the impact of media and technological instruments on the vision of every day life.

Since his beginnings in 1999, he took part in major new media exhibitions including: ZKM, Karlsruhe, New Museum, New York, Media Art Biennale, Seoul, Transmediale ‘02 and ‘04, Berlin, Viper ‘01, ‘03, ‘04 and ‘05, Basel, Ars Electronica, Linz, Read_Me Festival, Moscow and ICC, Tokyo. 
He was awarded a grant by the Swiss Arts Council pro Helvetia to take part in the Artist Residency Program Bar1 in Bangalore for a period of six months. His first months in the city led to the construction of a pyramid dedicated to meditation and resting. This structure made of recycled material was erected near Banaswadi Railway Station. http://www.1go1.net/index.php/Main/Pyramid

The actual show composed of a 10 minute video, titled “4 Questions” and a photomontage, called “18 Pairs” represents a synthesis of his experiences in Bangalore and of his recent travel to the Himalayas.

“4 Questions” is a montage of interviews whereby 68 people from unprivileged areas of Bangalore are asked to answer four simple questions in front of their house. The three first ones  - “What is your name?” “How old are you?” and “ What is your mother tongue?” - lead the subjects to ‘define’ themselves through parameters they have ‘inherited’ by birth. The last question, however, “What is important in your life?” – is more introspective and addresses the notions of choice and values.
It brings to light the aspirations of the younger generation to get a better live through education.

“18 Pairs”, on the other hand, is an album made of pairs of photographs of the same scene shot at a few seconds of interval. The images are cropped randomly by a software the artist wrote for this project and only five percent of these high-resolution photographs are shown each time. Every viewing being different, it draws the attention of the viewer to a different detail of the same photograph.

The random framing allows to break away from the usual boundaries of the memory set by photography. By deliberately recording a moment with a camera, one associates a fixed image to the moment and usually sticks to it in a definite way. Marc Lee allows himself to rediscover some forgotten or unnoticed parts of his souvenirs. Thus, he re-opens the crystallization mechanism of memory and even creates a stimulus for the outside viewer, who is invited to associate with these “impressions” to rediscover other facets of his own memories. 

Through this album, the artist suppresses the chosen aesthetic value given by contemporary society to photography by reclaiming and extending its function of aide-memoire. At the same time, he changes the power that images have on our minds by using them as partial sources of information, which allows a subjective reconstruction of a souvenir. 

Marc Lee delivers an unstructured and multifaceted vision of India and of his own experience here.

-Sophie Hamel

SAUTE 09 Conference

Internationally recognised Indian English author, Amit Chaudhuri to participate in SAUTE 09 Conference.

Pro Helvetia New Delhi is supporting the participation of Prof. Amit Chaudhuri at the conference being organised by SAUTE (Swiss Association of University Teachers of English) on 8 – 9 May 2009 at the University of Fribourg. The conference - "Performing the Self: the Construction of Pre-Modern and Modern Identities in Language and Literature" is being organised by the Faculty of Arts, Department of English.

Amit Chaudhuri is an internationally recognised Indian English author. He has written numerous novels, short stories, poems and critical essays in English, but is probably best known for his book Freedom Song. He attended University College London, Balliol College, Oxford and has also been a writer-in-residence at Wolfson College. His novels have won several major awards and he has received international critical acclaim. His latest book is a collection of poems entitled St. Cyril Road and Other Poems, and in 2001 he edited The Picador Book of Modern Indian Literature.

Amit Chaudhuri is also an acclaimed Indian classical musician. He is currently a creative writing tutor at the University of East Anglia. On March 18, 2008, he was included in the panel for the Man Booker International Prize 2009, alongside writer Jane Smiley and essayist Andrey Kurkov.

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