when kulbhushan met stockli

"when kulbhushan met stockli" is an experiment in telling short graphic tales, which, individually and together, create a local universe. [ dated March 2009]

Fumetto International Comix-Festival Lucerne An exhibition around the theme of the project will be held with hand drawn images from the experiences of the 19 artists, involved in the project. Glimpses of some pages from the book will also be on display.

Exhibition venue: Sic! Raum für Kunst , Baselstrasse 72, 6003 Lucerne. Opening / book launch - Saturday 28 March from 2 - 5 pm. Exhibition dates: March 29th - April 5th 2009 ( open daily from 12 - 8 pm )

Panel discussion Venue: Aula der Hochschule Luzern, Design & Kunst, Sentimatt1/Dammstrasse, 6003 Lucerne (Illustration School of Lucerne) Date: 31 March 2009 Time: 5 - 6 pm

Participants: Sekhar Mukherjee( NID Ahmedabad) Anindya Roy( Editor of the book) Kati Rickenbach (artist)

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

The project 
Thematically, the project explores hidden urban themes, opens the psychic core of cities in Switzerland and India and constructs a conversation channel between the two. Artefacts of the cities themselves give rise to the stories. The structure follows connections that are obvious, connections that are ephemeral and connections that don't exist.

The participants from both cities create stories and within stories, which either bear a relationship with the other or are set independent of each other, yet belong to a single meta-narrative. This way we explore the natural possibilities of the hypertext in comics, and fully use the non-linearity of the form.

Through the graphic lexis we simulate a natural conversation that could exist between urban centres, in India and Switzerland. We explore the idea that a city is essentially a jumble of associations. It is a spectacle of imaginary spaces and people, enmeshed with the real, expressed by text and image.

This project will generate interest in the graphic novel form in artists and readers in both countries, who in the future could use this project as an example to create further collaborations using the form.

It will create strong professional networks across two cultures, furthering creative practice on both sides. In India this is an emerging art form and the Swiss collaboration will be both enriching and enabling.