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.

For more information >>

Back from India

A beautiful insight into their travel to India and the varied experiences that they were subjected to - the exhibition 'Back from India' tells the stories of seven Swiss graphic novelists.

'Back from India' is an exhibition of work contributed by graphic novelists Andrea Caprez, Andreas Gefe, Christophe Badoux, Christoph Schuler, Kati Rickenbach, Michael Husmann Tschäni and Pascale Mira Tschäni on their return to Switzerland from India. The exhibition captures their impression of India and the experiences they had during their travels.

30 April - 17 May 2009
Exhibition at 14 Ecke Viadukt, Josefstrasse, 8005 Zurich

30 April at 1800 hrs
Book presentation -Kulbhushan Meets Stoeckli, a comic by Indian and Swiss graphic novelists

10 May - 1900 hrs
Christoph Schuler reads from his Indian diaries

16 May - 1900 to 0400 hrs
Bhangra Disco (DJ Andoine)

Opening Timings:
Thursday and Friday: 1700 - 2000 hrs
Saturday and Sunday: 1400 - 1800 hrs

To view details click here

Swiss Video Lounge

Bernhard Bischoff presents works of 8 Swiss video artists to a select audience at the Pro Helvetia New Delhi office on Monday 27 April at 7 pm.

Bernhard Bischoff presents works of 8 Swiss video artists to a select audience at the Pro Helvetia New Delhi office on Monday 27 April at 7 pm.
The presentation includes the works of:
Thomas Galler, Bernhard Huwiler, Reto Leibundgut, Andrea Loux, Laurent Schmid, Dominik Stauch, Margot Zanni and Com&Com

Details of the presentation by Bernhard Bischoff

Com&Com 
‹SIDE BY SIDE›, 2002, 4’30’’, 35mm, Loop Musik: 
Com&Com feat. Dieter Meier Courtesy Kunsthaus Zurich and Kunstmuseum Kt. Thurgau Com & Com is an artists duo, which does constantly fathom the borders of the „good“ taste in art. In perfectly elaborated parodies of genres the two artists question multilayered the system of art, resp. culture. Within the scope of their Swiss trilogy they stage the swift music video ‹Side by Side›, in which in cooperation with Dieter Meier (Yello) the alleged dream factory Formula One on one hand, on the other hand they appreciative pull its leg. (BB)

Thomas Galler 
‹Murder›, 2002, Video, Colour, Stereo sound, 2'27'', Loop Thomas G. is the master of appropriation. Often times he is working with ‹Found Footage› and generates with objects trouvés - be they medial or material - his own stories. For ‹Murder› he used clips from Stanley Kubricks ‹The Shining› and created from a know scene a new short story - brilliant.

Bernhard Huwiler 
‹0,4702›, 2001, 3'40", Loop In ‹0,4702› Huwiler is testing the capability of a video camera by letting her circle around him on a rope. 0,4702 amounts the slow motion coefficient, in such a way as to visualise for the first time the actually briskly dashing along landscapes. Insomuch it is an interesting side effect that the work becomes a self-portrait of the special class. Astonishing and fascinating, it is a masterpiece in assembly and motion.

Reto Leibundgut 
‹Wandstück›, 2007, 4’42’’, Loop Music: Dieter Seibt, Beat & Ernesto Feller, Cut: Diana Dodson Rhythmically tuned on the music a wall of wooden boards is growing. Reto Leibundgut, master in the use of garbage material has performance like nailed his ample collection of coloured wooden planks to the wall. Originated is a kind of an art collage, a “Work-in-Progress-Werk“ par excellence - and a wonderful, ephemeral wall structure / sculpture.

Andrea Loux 
‹Short Cuts: pilot (sublimation)›, 2008, 4’35’’, Loop Music: Dieter Seibt, Beat & Ernesto Feller, Cut: Diana Dodson A model aircraft pilot lets his aeroplane fly higher and higher. Indefatigable the aeroplane turns around, until it disappears in the continuum of space and time - just as the pilot does dissolve alike and gradually becomes a part of the sky.

Laurent Schmid 
‹Buzz›, 2008, video animation, 3’30’’, Loop Laurent Schmid knows how to put different layers together. With his text animations he evocates on one hand stellar constellations, which bear witness to a generally romantic understand, on the other hand the “single stars” become letters, which form to words, as a realisation of dreams and wishes.

Dominik Stauch 
‹Radar Love›, 2004, DVD, 2’20’’, Loop (Drums performed by Tom Beck) A swift circle animation from Dominik Stauch. Indefatigably the drums make the rhythm, the concentric circles attract everyone. Almost hypnotic there’s nothing else to do, than stare in the middle and loose the relation between space an time.

Margot Zanni 
‹Grosses Solo for Ahmed›, 2007, video animation, 6 Min., Loop A wonderful animation in a lively square of Kairo/Egypt. She took out all cars an human beings, exept one single person – a utopy of a relaxed place. 
Total duration of the show 30 min 24 sec.   
For more information on Bernhard Bischoff visit www.videokunst.ch

Artist in Residence Om Soorya's work at Kunst Halle

Indian artist Om Soorya, currently in Switzerland on the artist in residence programme, exhibits his recent work at Kunst Halle, St. Gallen.

Kunst Halle St Gallen is pleased to present 
the work of the Indian artist Om Soorya in the lobby of the Kunst Halle St. Gallen. 

Within the artist in residence program of Pro Helvetia, Om Soorya spent the last two months in St. Gallen. Om Soorya’s series of watercolours, «Silence-Breathless», which deals with the slavery in his country and its impact on today’s India, will be exhibited until 31 May.
Presentation of work and bar: Wednesday, 6 May 2009, 6 – 8 p.m.
The artist will be present.

Om Soorya’s work (*1977, India) is concerned with the history of India and especially the urbanisation of the country. The artist interweaves these topics with his own past, creating dreamlike images. His latest exhibitions took place in Shanghai (2009), New Delhi, Mumbai (2008) and New York (2007).

Breathless silence; the forgotten folk lines…
Om Soorya, a young emerging artist from India, will be in Kunst Halle until 30 May 2009. A Kerela born artist, who now lives and works in Hyderabad, Om’s works are surreal dream-like landscapes that question what is real and what is perceived.

Born in 1977, the Kerala based artist’s works underline the fact that aesthetics are as important to him as content. Om Soorya is known for his surreal landscapes occupied by both positive and negative energies that he depicts in many fascinating forms. The artist’s usage of pigment is intuitive, albeit fluid. His rich tones coupled with lines varying from watery blurs seem much like a twilight zone.

"The project I am engaged with here is a kind of extension of works what I have been doing for a while. Inherently, this body of work will look to the certain rural aspects of my life. It’s a small autobiographical unwritten history of a certain locality where I was spent my childhood in north of Kerala/India.   It is in a miniature format, and the medium is water color on paper. Over here I travel through my past to locate myself, to reach to my route as an artist as well to search the serenity of the past where I was very close to the nature. When I look back to my childhood, I see a lot of visual possibilities. It’s not just nostalgic exercise, but I evolve myself to seek out the contradiction between my present urban life and the local memoir.

It is a combination of personal history, stories; folk elements and socio-political-cultural history of a particular time of a locality. It may be a very illustrative fictional way of representing intimate history.  For me there is no other way of beholding it. Ultimately, it shares an idea of local perceptiveness with the global perception. ( two images from this series are attached)"

Om Soorya - 2009 / St. Gallen, Switzerland
Image 1: A thin red line rooted in the history…., water color on paper, 32x24cm, 2009
Image 2: The men; they all took bath together in the same canal, water color on paper, 32x24cm,2009

Swiss artist Nina Weber

Swiss artist Nina Weber, currently on a residency shares work that she has done at Vyom Centre in Jaipur. [dated April 2009]

Pro Helvetia and Vyom Arts Centre cordially invite you to an exhibition of work by Nina Weber, artist-in-residence from Switzerland

Smt. Kiran Soni Gupta (IAS) Divisional Commissioner, Jaipur will inaugurate the exhibition at 6:30 pm on Wednesday 29 April 2009 at Sudarshan Art Gallery, Jawahar Kala Kendra, J.L.N. Marg, Jaipur

The exhibition will remain open to the public till 5 May 2009 between 11:00 am and 7:00 pm daily.

Nina Weber, the young artist from Zurich has a degree in Arts from the ZHdK (Zurich University of Arts). She is known for her ink drawings, installations, sculptures and paintings. Her multifaceted talent is infused with sensitivity that merges the man-made world and the world of nature. Her imagery is taken from both these worlds and as she merges the two worlds, she evokes a symbolic world that is real as well has a dreamlike quality. Nevertheless it is a commentary on the state of things.

As an artist-in-residence since December 2008 at the Vyom Arts Centre, Jaipur, she has been painting images that have a different cultural context. These images have been taken from life in the Pink City as seen through her eyes. She is fascinated by the temples at crossroads, the images of Shiva and Kali, the easy pace of life with monkeys, dogs, cows, camels and elephants interwoven into daily life. The simplistic images of Hanuman or Balaji look like an abstract sculpture to her. She is fascinated by the spontaneous nature of the city where the world of animals coexists peacefully with humans. Religion is still another aspect of life that surprises Nina with its animated presence in the life of the people here. God is not a distant entity for an Indian. He is now and here, as a part of life, invoked easily like an approachable friend.

These observations have inspired her vibrant paintings and black ink drawings. The homogeneous nature of Indian life is expressed in her drawings that are populated with people, plants, flowers, animals and gods. Back at home, her vocabulary symbolised a world, where perfection had taken over beauty of nature. Here in India, and in Jaipur, the living and inclusive nature of life expresses itself as a positive comment.

Mridul Bhasin Jaipur, April 09 

Martin Dean to visit Delhi and Pune

Martin Dean, writer of Meine Väter (My Father) will read excerpts from his book and talk about his work to students in Delhi and Pune.

Martin Dean, writer of Meine Väter (My Father) will read excerpts from his book and talk about his work to students in Delhi and Pune. The work and the novel of Martin Dean will be introduced by Prof. Alexander Honold, well-known expert in German literature.  

Programme:

Monday, 2 March 2009   Department of Germanic and Romance Studies Arts Faculty, Delhi University

Martin Dean reading in German from his novel Meine Väter.

Introduction and moderation by Prof. Honold.

Time: 1430 - 1600 hrs

Tuesday, 3 March 2009  

Centre of German Studies, School of Lanugages, Literature and Culture Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi

Martin Dean reading in German from his novel Meine Väter.

Introduction and moderation by Prof. Honold.

Time: 1400 - 1600 hrs

Wednesday, 4 March 2009   Committee Room, School of Lanugages, Literature and Culture Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi   Lecture by Prof. Honold in Englsh: Music as Site and Tool in Edward Said's Postcolonial Critique" Time: 1100 - 1300 hrs 

Thursday, 5 March 2009 Department of Germanic and Romance Studies Arts Faculty, Delhi University  International Conference on “Imagined Horizons” – moderation by Prof. HonoldTime: 1415 hrs 
Friday, 6 March 2009   Goethe Institute Max Mueller Bhavan Goethe Insitute, Boat Club Road, Pune Martin Dean Reading in German from his novel Meine VäterIntroduction and moderation by Prof. Honold. Time: 1130 - 1300 hrs Teachers training workshop by Martin Dean and Prof Honold Time: 1830 - 1930 hrs 
Saturday, 7 March 2009 Ranade Institute, University of Pune Fergusson Road, Near Deccan Gymkhana, Pune Teachers training workshop for teachers of German as a Foreign Language Time: 1000 - 1300 hrs
Dean lives and works as a free writer and publicist in Basel. In 1976, he obtained his university entrance diploma at grammar school in Aarau. In 1977, he began studying German, philosophy, and ethnology at Universität Basel. In 1986, he finished his studies with a licentiate work about Hans Henny Jahnn’s novel "Perrudja", and graduated summa cum laude.  

He travelled extensively and lived abroad for many years, in places such as South America, Portugal, France, Greece and Italy. From 1990 to 1998, he taught at the Schule für Gestaltung (School for Design) in Basel. In 1999, he started teaching German and philosophy at the grammar school in Muttenz.    

Awards 1983 "Rauriser Literaturpreis" for Die verborgenen Gärten 1988/89 Stipend at "Istituto Svizzero" in Rome 1994 Complete work price of the Swiss Schiller Foundation 1997 Guest lecturer as "Poet in residence" at the “Gesamthochschule Essen”2003 Single work price of the Swiss Schiller Foundation  

Works Die verborgenen Gärten, novel, 1982 Die gefiederte Frau. Fünf Variationen über die Liebe, 1984 Der Mann ohne Licht, novel, 1988 Außer mir. Ein Journal, 1990 Der Guayanaknoten, novel, 1994 Die Ballade von Billie und Joe, novel, 1997 Monsieur Fume oder Das Glück der Vergeßlichkeit, 1998 Meine Väter, novel, 2003

Zwischen Fichtenbaum und Palme. Kommentierte Textsammlung für den interkulturellen Deutschunterricht an Mittelschulen, 2005  

For more information on Martin Dean visit: www.mrdean.ch  

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.

No Signal

NO SIGNAL, a video by Swiss artists Manuel Nicolas Schmalstieg, Boris Kish and Chloe Cramer as part of Video Wednesday at Gallery Espace. [dated February 2009]

Pro Helvetia - Swiss Arts Council and Gallery Espace present NO SIGNAL a video by Swiss artists Manuel Nicolas Schmalstieg, Boris Kish and Chloe Cramer as part of Video Wednesday on 25 February at Gallery Espace16 Community Centre, New Friends Colony, New Delhi from 3:00pm - 7:00pm

NO SIGNAL is a series of short videos created for the electronic billboard of the main railway station in Geneva. The basic material was gathered from the surveillance cameras installed at various locations inside the station. This footage is mixed with short excerpts from fictional hollywood movies touching the subject of control through technology. The videos were screened inbetween the usual advertisements for more than a month, during July and August 2006, in the frame of the festival 50 JPG (50 jours pour la photographie).

Manuel Schmalstieg Born in 1976, Manuel Schmalstieg operates on the borderline between video, performance and software art. After experimentation in the fields of graphic novel, animation film and audio production that he carried out during his studies in Geneva (ESBA/atelier zero1) and Krakow (Academy of fine arts/animated film department), he turns at the end of the nineties towards realtime video. Through his performances and installations, he explores issues of surveillance, control and censorship, confronting the viewer with uncomfortable truths and concealed motivations. Since 2001, he operates as an undercover agent for the N3KROZOFT Ltd media group, an art collective mimicking the style and rhetorics of IT corporations and military think tanks.

Recent works: Aether9 (networked video performance, 2007-2009), BLACKBOX:GVA (video performance, Switzerland, 2006), BABEL PROJECT (new media workshop, in the frame of the 2nd Bucharest Biennale, Romania, 2006). NO SIGNAL (video surveillance piece for public screen, Geneva central station, 2006). LOL – laughing out loud (media performance, developed for the swiss digital arts foundation «sitemapping.ch». Presented in Paris (Galerie Les Voûtes), Belgrade (Galerie SKC), Basel (Plug.In), St-Gallen (Neue Kunst Halle). ).

N3krozoft Ltd N3krozoft is a collective of artists working in the field of electronic media and performance, in collaboration with researchers in cognitive sciences and artificial intelligences. The Geneva-based administrative headquarter links the autonomous cells which have been established in several emerging regions.
The website www.n3krozoft.com offers an overview of N3krozoft's activity in the domains of stage performance, artistic software, mixed media environments, film, video and audio production.