Press mentions
In the news. Current interviews and articles on Pro Helvetia New Delhi supported initiatives.
Delhi Photo Festival / Delhi / September 2013
Interview: Curator Urs Stahel talks to Blouin Artinfo
Rosalyn D'Mello, Editor ARTINFO caught up with the Swiss curator at the India Habitat Centre and got him to share his thoughts on the challenges faced by photographers in an increasingly image-saturated world. More
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Game Gazer / Goa and Bangalore / August & September 2013
The Hindu Business Line:
http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/features/weekend-life/game-design-and-the-future-in-play/article5119830.ece
Time Out, Magazine:
http://www.timeoutbengaluru.net/around-town/features/it%E2%80%99s-all-game
Deccan Herald:
http://www.deccanherald.com/content/355165/swiss-game-gazer-fair-has.html
DNA:
http://epaper.dnaindia.com/story.aspx?edorsup=Sup&queryed=860009&
querypage=6&boxid=29184&id=16621&eddate=2013-9-4&ed_date=2013-9-4&ed_code=860009&wintype=popup
The Real Thing - AUDITION CALL
For The Real Thing - a collaborative theatre piece between the Indian theatre director Zuleikha Chaudhari and Swiss theatre director Boris Nikitin.
For The Real Thing - a collaborative theatre piece between the Indian artist and theatre director Zuleikha Chaudhari and Swiss theatre director Boris Nikitin
Performance dates: 5-6 days in February, 2014 in New Delhi
AUDITION DETAILS:
FOR: Actors, dancers, magicians, politicians academics etc.
WHEN: 17, 18, 19, 24, 25, 26, 31 Oct and 1, 2 November - each day from 2 to 6 pm at
WHERE: 221A Sshahpurjat, 2nd floor, above R L Model school, and below Actor Factor
HOW: To book an audition slot: please write to therealthingaudition(at)gmail.com
Performance brief:
THE REAL THING researches the boundaries between fiction and reality by superimposing one on the other.THE REAL THING takes place in two highly codified places: the theatre and the library. Both as places of representation are carried to extremes and the fictional character of the real situation - architecture, politics of the gaze, codes of behaviour - are revealed. The rules, assumptions and un-discussed agreements - the framing becomes experiential /sensual.What is the tension between a fictional, highly constructed place/experience/ narrative/character and the 'real'?"THE REAL THING" establishes a look at "theatre" and "library" as remarkable cultural inventions, "social sculptures" and strange places. They become installations - pieces of art.
Performer Brief: Actors, dancers, magicians, politicians academics etc.
For the Audition:
If you are an actor you will be required to prepare a 7-10 min representation about yourself which could be fictional/real + a piece from a production
If you are a magician, politician, academic or anyone else interested in auditions - please prepare a 7-10 min representation about yourself which could be fictional/real + presentation of your ideas/thoughts (ie if you are a politician you could give a speech on your ideology etc.)
Audition Venue, Date and Time:
17, 18, 19, 24, 25, 26, 31 Oct and 1, 2 November - each day from 2 to 6 pm at 221A Sshahpurjat, 2nd floor, above R L Model school, and below Actor Factor
The exhibition Swiss Positions travels to Chandigarh and Delhi
Curated by Nathalie Herschdorfer, the Swiss Positions exhibition takes on sustainable architecture and is a collection of photographs of 33 key projects.
On occasion of the Year of Swiss architecture, design and engineering in India 2013 -14, the Embassy of Switzerland presents the travelling exhibition
Swiss positions - 33 takes on sustainable architecture
curated by Nathalie Herschdorfer
Brief on exhibition:
The travelling exhibition entitled "Swiss Positions: 33 takes on sustainable approaches to architecture" is a collection of photographs of 33 key projects from the Swiss construction sector over the past twenty years, which all have something to do with the theme of sustainable development. Swiss architecture and engineering enjoy an excellent reputation and high visibility not only on account of the quality of technical expertise and the inventiveness of their designers, but also on account of a far-reaching concern with sustainable development.
Exhibition schedule:
Chandigarh
Venue: Government Museum and Art Gallery, Sec. 10C, Chandigarh
Opening: 4 October 2013
On view from: 5 - 14 October 201310.00 am to 5.00 pm, Mondays closed
Guided walk of the exhibition with architect Snehal Shah 6th October 2013 / 2:30 pm to 3.15 pm
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New Delhi
Venue: Open Palm Court, India Habitat Center, Lodi Road, New Delhi
Opening: 24th October 2013 with an introductory speech by Christian Müller, Swiss architect
On view from: 25th to 31st October 2013 / 10.00 am to 8.00 pm, daily
Guided walk of the exhibition with architect Snehal Shah26th October 2013 / 10.30 am
To attend the inauguration and the guided walk write to ndh.events(at)eda.admin.ch
Antonio Bühler from DA MOTUS! to mentor participants of Gati Summer Dance Residency
Swiss choreographer Antonio Bühler from DA MOTUS! was in Delhi to mentor the residents of Gati Summer Dance Residency 2013.
All warmed up: New propositions in dance
After nine intense weeks, the residents of Gati Summer Dance Residency are set to present their choreographic creations. Swiss choreographer Antonio Bühler from DA MOTUS! was in Delhi to mentor the participants.
Showcase 1: 18th October, 2013 at 7 pm
Showcase 2: 19th October, 2013 at 7 pm
Venue: British Council Theatre, 17 Kasturba Gandhi Marg, New Delhi-01
Entry: Passes available at GATI
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Swiss choreographer, Antonio Bühler has been invited to mentor participants of Gati Summer Dance Residency 2013.
Date:
Residency and workshops: 5 - 20 October 2013Performance: 19 October 2013Venue: tbc (visit www.prohelvetia.in closer to the date)For more information on the residency visit: www.gatidance.com/residency.html
Synopsis
Swiss choreographer and dancer Antonio Bühler has been invited to Delhi for the Gati Summer Dance Residency. Antonio will be mentoring the dancers / choreographers and will also hold workshops while in Delhi. Antonio Bühler has visited India twice earlier with the support of Pro Helvetia - Swiss Arts Council. In 2008 Antonio and his dance company DA MOTUS! presented en vie ... en ville (French for 'in life...in a city') in Delhi, Jaipur and Chandigarh in partnership with Chandigarh Tourism, Khoj International Artists' Association, Jaipur Virasat Foundation and Rajasthan Tourism. Khoj International Artists' Association invited DA MOTUS! once again in 2008 to participate at the 48°C Public Art Ecology International Festival.
About Antonio Bühler
After a degree in law at the University of Fribourg, Antonio decided to devote himself exclusively to movement art and contemporary dance. He got initiated into choreography in New York in the early 80's by discovering improvisation and composition taught by Alwin Nikolaïs, Simone Forti and by different release techniques as well. His first choreography won the 2nd Prize at the International Choreography Contest in Nyon. In 1987 he founded with Brigitte Meuwly the company DA MOTUS! Antonio is a certified teacher of Yoga by the Swiss Yoga Association. He has an instinctive and sensitive approach to movement.
About DA MOTUS!
DA MOTUS!, is a contemporary dance performance company from Switzerland. DA MOTUS! (da!=give, offer! / motus=movement) cannot be defined as theatre, neither as dance, nor as any conventional form of body art. They are different and constantly surprise their audiences. Their performances are eclectic and stand out for their vivid creativity and are known for their constant search of artistic renewal, enriched by a subtle ability to play with the circumstances, on stage as well as out-door. More: info(at)damotus.ch
Partner:
GATI Dance Forum, New Delhi / www.gatidance.com/index.html
Swiss participation at 4th Anime Convention in Delhi
Mario von Rickenbach, game designer from Switzerland to participate in the 4th Animation Convention.
Mario Von Rickenbach from Switzerland to deliver a master-class at the 4th Anime Convention, New Delhi
Dates: 27 - 29 September 2013
Venue: Marwah Studios, Film City, NOIDA
Entry: As per convention rules
Synopsis: Pro Helvetia - Swiss Arts Council in partnership with Cinedarbaar is delighted to invite Mario Von Rickenbach from Switzerland to participate in the 4th Animation Convention in New Delhi.
Mario von Rickenbach
>Will conduct a session on the Myriad world of Mario Von Rickenbach- a session exploring his ideas of game design, art and interaction in the digital age. Followed by Q&A session.
>As well as be part of a panel discussion
The objective of the Animation Convention is to create a culture and intellectual inquiry, exchange and collaboration in the field of Animation, Gaming, Design, Comics/ graphic novels and Cinema. In its fourth year the convention will feature professionals like, Film Producers, Video Game Developers, Designers, Animators, Historians and Artists from India and abroad. The aim is to have a strong content base with innovative and interesting topics for discussions and master-classes. The convention will also see screenings of animation films and competitions on all three days.
About Mario von Rickenbach
Mario von Rickenbach is an independent game designer and artist based in Zurich, Switzerland. He studied game design at the Zurich University of the Arts, where he received a bachelors degree in 2010. His award-winning works include Mirage, a quirky game about a surreal creature, Krautscape, a generative racing game, and Rakete, an experimental cooperative multiplayer game. Mario was awarded the Cultural Advancement Award by the Alexander Clavel Foundation in 2013 and the Atelier für Zentralschweizer Kunstschaffende, New York.
Other awards include:
Grand Prize – European Indie Game Days, 2012, Marseille, FR – Mirage
Originality Award – European Indie Game Days, 2012, Marseille, FR – Mirage
Game Developers Conference – Best in Play, 2013, San Francisco, USA – Krautscape
Swiss Game Selection – Swiss Arts Council Pro Helvetia / NIFFF, Neuchâtel, 2013 – Mirage
Swiss Game Selection – Swiss Arts Council Pro Helvetia / NIFFF, Neuchâtel, 2013 – Drei
Swiss Games Selection – Swiss Arts Council Pro Helvetia / Fantoche, Baden, CH – Krautscape
Jury & Audience Award – Experimentalgameplay.com / Stattmedia Contest, 2012, Berlin, DE – Rakete
More: www,mariov.ch
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Organisers and Partner:
Cinedarbaar: http://www.cinedarbaar.com
Urs Stahel invited by Delhi Photo Festival to give inaugural talk
Swiss curator, editor and author Urs Stahel invited by the festival directorate of the Delhi Photo Festival 2013.
Swiss curator, editor and author Urs Stahel has been invited by Delhi Photo Festival 2013 to give the inaugural talk of the Festival at the India Habitat Centre, Delhi. The festival directorate has also requested Urs to review portfolios and have an open interactive session with participants of the Festival. The Embassy of Switzerland will host an interactive lunch for Urs Stahel with select gallerists and curators.
Dates: 27 - 29 September 2013
Venue: India Habitat Centre, Delhi
Entry: As per festival rules
Urs Stahel's visit has been supported by Pro Helvetia - Swiss Arts Council.
About Urs Stahel:
Well known Swiss curator, editor and author of numerous exhibitions and publications, Urs Stahel was born in 1953 in Zurich. Until recently he was the Director of the Fotomuseum Winterthur. He holds a Masters degree in German Linguistics and Literature, general History and Philosophy. From 1982 to 1992 Urs was a freelance curator and art critic, and editor of the art magazine Du and lecturer in history of art and photography at the School of Art and Design in Zurich.
About the Festival:
The biennial Delhi Photo Festival is an initiative of the India Habitat Centre & Nazar Foundation to bring photography into the public space, thereby creating awareness of photographic arts and initiating dialogue amongst its many practitioners and lovers. Learning, sharing, showing new work, giving voice to young collectives, interaction between photo practitioners and enthusiasts as well as popularizing the art of photography are some of the aims of the Delhi Photo Festival.
More: http://www.delhiphotofestival.com/delhi_photo_festival_2013/about.html
Partners:
Nazar Foundation: http://nazarfoundation.org/nazarfoundation/nf_home.html
India Habitat Centre: www.indiahabitat.org/
Game Gazer India - list of games
As part of the Year of Swiss Architecture, Design and Engineering in India, Pro Helvetia and swissnex India bring Game Gazer to India.
Game Gazer - showcasing excellence in Swiss Game Design.
As part of the Year of Swiss Architecture, Design and Engineering in India, Pro Helvetia - Swiss Arts Council and swissnex India bring the Game Gazer exhibition to India.
Come and explore the latest innovations in gaming and interaction from Switzerland:
OKO (iPad) / Nadezda Suvorova
FOXX KEEDZ (iPad) / Yulia Garcia-Skrebneva
EMPREINTES (iPad) / Empreintes Benjamin Ben Kemoun, Camille Morizot, Marine Sergent
MAGNETICS (iPad) / Fabien Duperrex
HOLLOW GROUNDS (iPad) / Jeremy Spillmann
JOURNEY OF A ROACH (iMac) / Binan Woll and Mischa Geiser
NED & TED (iMac) / Ned & Ted
BINARY LAND "Hello World!!!" (iPhone) / Baptiste Milési
LADYBUG (iPod touch) / Nanaui Amoros Silva and Marion Tamé
USURES (series of artefacts) / Marine Sergent
For more details on the game click here.
Supported by swissnex San Francisco, Game Culture, Pro Helvetia Zurich, Geneva University of Art and Design and the Zurich University of the Arts
Article in SICC Bulletin Dec 2013 (page 20)
Game Gazer, showcasing excellence in Swiss game design.
Game Gazer will showcase the work of students from Geneva University of Art and Design and the Zurich University of the Arts in Goa and Bangalore.
As part of the Year of Swiss Architecture, Design and Engineering in India, Pro Helvetia – Swiss Arts Council and swissnex India bring the Game Gazer exhibition which showcases games and apps that offer a peek into the play of tomorrow.
Nadezda Suvorova and Marine Sergent from Geneva University of Art and Design (HEAD – Genève) and Mischa Geiser and Simon Kovatsch from Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK) will be visiting India to be part of Game Gazer India and to present the games to Indian game enthusiasts.
Come in, come play, and come explore the latest innovations in gaming and interaction, dive into space with puzzle app, OKO, follow the crazy adventures of Ned and Ted and many more!
This exhibition will showcase games for mobile and desktop platforms at the Kyoorius Design Yatra in Goa from 29 – 31 August, 2013 and later travel to Bangalore where a "Gaming Jam" has also been planned. The Gaming Jam will be a creative - face to face and hands-on event where people of various backgrounds (primarily game players, game developers and game designers) will come together and work on a shared theme. The participants will work together to derive and design new storyboards for games, new user experiences and new game themes/designs, learn new skills and attitudes, and meet new collaborators from India and Switzerland.
Game Gazer is an excellent example of how combined forces create a unique exposure for Swiss games in museums, education, and the industry all at once and create networking opportunities for creators and exhibitors alike.
To view details and list of games that are going to be part of Game Gazer click here.
To view details on game developers visiting India click here.
Game Gazer was previously shown at swissnex San Francisco during the Game Developers Conference (GDC) supported by the Pro Helvetia – Swiss Arts Council, swissnex San Francisco, Geneva University of Art and Design (HEAD) and the Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK).
Game Gazer in India is part of the larger initiative: Year of Swiss Architecture, Design and Engineering in India 2013. (YSADE)
Swiss List – new books published
Swiss List – Max Frisch’s Drafts for a third Sketchbook and Friedrich Durrenmatt’s Selected Essays translated and published by Seagull Books
With the latest addition to the Swiss List published by Seagull Books, the number of books in English by Swiss writers now on the stands is eleven.
Swiss List – Max Frisch’s Drafts for a third Sketchbook and Friedrich Durrenmatt’s Selected Essays translated and published by Seagull Books
The publication of the Swiss List in partnership with Seagull Books is an effort to bring Swiss literature to readers around the world. An extension of the initiative «Moving Words», the Swiss List has had demonstrable impact. Audiences across the globe now have access to Swiss Literature and literary translators from varying nationalities have had the opportunity to network and engage with Swiss writers. The number of translations of Swiss literature will continue to increase, with Seagull Books looking at publishing another few titles by year end. Pro Helvetia - Swiss Arts Council supports translation.
The Swiss List comprises of the following titles:
‘On Life, Death, and This and That of the Rest’ by Urs Widmer
Translated by Donal McLaughlin
'Death in Persia' by Annemarie Schwarzenbach
Translated by Lucy Renner Jones
Noah by Hugo Loetscher
Translated by Samuel P. Willcocks. Synopsis
My Mother's Lover by Urs Widmer
Translated by Donal Mc Laughlin
My Father's Book by Urs Widmer
Translated by Donal Mc Laughlin
Correspondence by Frisch/Dürrenmatt’s
Translated by Birgit Schreyer Duarte
Invitation to the Bold of Heart by Dorothee Elmiger
Translated by Cathy Derbyshire
Lyric Novella by Annemarie Schwarzenbach
Translated by Lucy Renner Jones
All the Roads are Open by Annemarie Schwarzenbach
Translated by Isabel Fargo Cole
Links www: www.seagullindia.com/books/defaultnew.asp
Partner: Seagull India - www.seagullindia.com
Swiss artists invited to participate at the United Art Fair 2013, New Delhi
Swiss artists, Valentina Pini, Augustin Rebetez and Catherine Leutenegger have been invited to India to show their work at the United Art Fair in New Delhi.
Dates: 14 - 17 September 2013
Venue: ITPO, Pragati Maidan, New Delhi
Entry: As per fair rules
Swiss artists, Valentina Pini, Augustin Rebetez and Catherine Leutenegger have been invited to the United Art Fair in New Delhi. Scheduled to be held from 14-17 September 2013, the United Art Fair will show the work of nearly 300 artists from India and abroad.
The work of Valentina, Augustin and Catherine has been selected by the curator, Dr Alka Pande. The fair will display three works each of the three Swiss artists. Pro Helvetia will arrange for a professional programme for them while they are in Delhi.
United Art Fair is an artist driven event, which is expected to draw 1,50,000 footfalls during the four days of the fair. This event will bring together museum directors, foundations, curators, critics, artists and art professionals from around the world.
Partners and organiser:
United Art Fair: www.unitedartfair.com
Swiss graphic novelists invited to Mountain Echoes in Bhutan
Swiss graphic novelists Christoph Schuler and Andrea Caprez to participate in the literary and cultural festival in Bhutan.
Swiss graphic novelists Christoph Schuler and Andrea Caprez have been invited to participate in the literary and cultural festival in Bhutan called Mountain Echoes.
Following their participation at Mountain Echoes, the duo will present their recent works in New Delhi to a select audience.
Session: Speaking Graphics
Date: 11 August 2013
Venue: Tarayana Centre, Thimphu
Time: 12:30 pm - 01:10 pm
Speakers: Christoph Schuler and Andrea Caprez in conversation with Amruta Patil, one of India's popular Graphic Novelist for the session.
About the Swiss graphic novelists:
Christoph Schuler - Born 1954 in Zurich, Switzerland, 1970-73 apprenticeship as bookseller, 1973-77 odd jobs as theatre actor, painter, carpenter, house cleaner, removal worker, construction worker, archivist, extra in films, graphic designer. 1976-78 F+F School of Art and Media Design. 1978-87 co-founder and editor of several underground and alternative papers and magazines ("Stilett", Strapazin, "Nizza").Since 1985 editor at Strapazin Comic Magazine, comics scriptwriter; author of short stories and children's books. Teacher at the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts.
Andrea Caprez - Born 1954 in Chur, Switzerland. Apprenticeship as draftsman. 1977 move to Zurich. 1983-88 F+F School of Art and Media Design. Singer and composer of rock band The Jellyfish Kiss. Since 1988 illustrator and cartoonist for Swiss and international papers and magazines, designer of books and cd's, children's books, animated movies etc. Teacher at the Zurich University of the Arts.
About the festival
Mountain Echoes is a unique literary and cultural festival set in the serene surroundings of Bhutan. The festival is an initiative by the India-Bhutan Foundation in association with Siyahi, a literary consultancy, to share the rich culture and the many myths, legends and folklore of the Himalayan region. The focus of the festival is to explore and celebrate the literary traditions and cultural nuances of India and Bhutan.
Festival dates: 9 to 12 August 2013
Partners:
India- Bhutan Foundation http://mountainechoes.org/
Siyahi http://siyahi.in/
Mountain Echoes Festival http://mountainechoes.org/
Surjit Nongmeikapam invited to perform at Theater Spektakel
Indian choreographer and contemporary dancer, Surjit Nongmeikapam invited to perform at the Zürcher Theater Spektakel.
Sandro Lunin, Festival Director and Artistic Director, Zürcher Theater Spektakel (Theater Spektakel, Zurich) is pleased to invite Indian chreographer and contemporary dancer, Surjit Nongmeikapam to perform at the 34th edition of the Zürcher Theater Spektakel.
Date: 22 / 23/ 24 August 2013
Time: 7:00 - 7:45 pm
Venue: Rote Fabrik, Zürich
Surjit's participation at the festival is being supported by Pro Helvetia New Delhi. Surjit Nongmeikapam will present One Voice / Black Pottery Dance & Video | 45 mins The dancer and choreographer Surjit Nongmeikapam comes from the Indian province of Manipur near the border of Myanmar. He masters Kathak, a classical Indian dance, as well as contemporary dance forms. His dense, expressive solo is a reflection on torture and on the trauma that can lead to a lifelong bond between victim and torturer.
Surjit Nongmeikapam has also been nominated for the Zürcher Kantonalbank Acknowledgement Prize. The list of nominations include:
Surjit Nongmeikapam / India : One Voice
Sung-Im Her & Su-Mi Jang / South Korea: Philia
Venuri Perera / Sri Lanka : Thalattu
Moe Satt Myanmar : Face and Fingers
Chuma Sopotela / South Africa: Inkukhu ibeke iqanda
Mamela Nyamza / South Africa: Isingqala
Ali Moini / Iran : My Paradoxical Knives
Eisa Jocson / Philippines : Macho Dancer
Sonya Levin / Russia : The Day Before
A clip from Surjit Nongmeikapam performance One Voice can be viewed at:
www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=AsDEEb7x00w
Surjit has on a previous occasion worked with Swiss artist Frédéric Lombard as part of the The Yellow Line Project (YLP) residency organized by GATI, that brought together dancers and media artists to make 5 films in different public sites around New Delhi in 2011.
The programme of this year's festival can be downloaded at www.theaterspektakel.ch/fileadmin/user_upload/2013/Pocket_PDF/ZTS_2013_Pocket_engl.pdf
Photo credit: Soumita & Soumit Bhattacharya
'Curatorial Work between Action and Reflection'
A presentation by curator Oliver Kielmayer, who is the director and curator of Kunsthalle Winterthur and the founder of WeAreTheArtists.
Pro Helvetia - Swiss Arts Council and Foundation for Indian Contemporary Art (FICA) invite you to 'Curatorial Work between Action and Reflection,'
a presentation by curator Oliver Kielmayer
Date: Monday, 29 July 2013
Time: 6:00 pm
Venue: FICA Reading Room, D-42 Defence Colony, New Delhi 110024
In this presentation Kielmayer, who is the director and curator of Kunsthalle Winterthur and the founder of WeAreTheArtists, focuses on the backstage perspective of projects instead of their conceptual and theoretical aspects. He explores the creative potential activated by problematic and unsatisfactory contexts and shows how problem-solving is a source of innovation.
About Oliver Kielmayer:
Oliver Kielmayer teaches art history at F+F School of Art and Media Design in Zurich. He is the director of the Kunstalle Winterthur, a centre for contemporary art in Zurich. In 2004, Kielmayer founded WeAreTheArtists, a network project that focuses on open discourse and authentic communication about art by means of a homepage and a free newspaper.
Image courtesy: Couch Curator, photostory published in WeAreTheArtists, No. 16, 2012. The complete photostory is also available online on www.wearetheartists.net
Experimenter Curator's Hub invites Oliver Kielmayer
Swiss curator Oliver Kielmayer, Director Kunsthalle Winterthur will be in India this July to participate in the Experimenter Curator's Hub 2013.
In continuation with their interest in critical curatorial practice, Experimenter Kolkata has announced the third edition of the Experimenter Curators' Hub that will take place at Experimenter in Kolkata on Friday, 26th & Saturday, 27th July 2013.
Pro Helvetia New Delhi is delighted to associate with ECH for the third consecutive year and has invited Swiss curator Oliver Kielmayer, Director of Kunsthalle Winterthur to participate in the Experimenter Curators' Hub 2013.
The hub is a crucial platform to discuss the most contemporary thought behind curating through the presentations of the ten participating curators.
Participating Curators:
Alessandro Vincentelli / UK
Che Kyongfa / Japan
Daniel Muzyczuk / Poland
Girish Shahane / India
Kathrin Rhomberg / Austria
Nancy Adajania / India
Natasha Ginwala / India
Oliver Kielmayer / India
Pooja Sood / India
Sandhini Poddar / India
Attendance to Experimenter Curators’ Hub is free but on prior registration only on a first come first serve basis. Please email admin@experimenter.in to register.
Swiss Curator Oliver Kielmayer
Oliver Kielmayer is the Director of Kunsthalle Winterthur and lives in Zurich, Switzerland. Kielmayer’s career includes numerous positions as curator of major art galleries, including the world-renowned Kunsthalle Winterthur in Winterthur, Switzerland, where he is currently its director and the Kleines Helmhaus in Zurich, where he held the position of curator from 2000 through 2002. From 2001 to 2004, he was the Manager of international artist in residence programme of the foundation Kunstlerhaus Boswil and 2005 co-curator at the IBCA - International Biennale of Contemporary Art in Prague. He is also the publisher of the free artist newspaper WeAreTheArtists and member of the art committee of the canton of Zurich. In addition, Oliver Kielmayer’s work has been featured in many exhibits over the past decade, most notably: Begehren & Eroberung - Filmstills, Russ Meyer Vintage Prints, Celebrity Nudes, Pornophotographica; Aggression; Downloads from Future; and Homecoming. He also has a long list of publications to his credit, including artificialities; Umelec 2/2006; and Christian Vetter – History Park. He has extensive expertise as a lecturer and jurist, most recently as juror of res publica, art project for Stadthaus Zurich; lecturer at Brazier's International, Braziers; and juror Dezemberausstellung, Kunstmuseum, Winterthur.
Swiss Embassy building in Delhi celebrates golden jubilee
Designed by Swiss architect Hans Hofmann, the architectural masterwork was inaugurated by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru on July 04, 1963
To commemorate the golden jubilee of the building of the Swiss Embassy in New Delhi, the Embassy of Switzerland has announced the forthcoming year as the Year of Swiss Architecture, Design and Engineering in India.
The building of the Swiss Embassy in New Delhi completes 50 years today - July 04, 2013
Designed by Swiss architect Hans Hofmann and realized posthumously by his young collaborator Walter Ruegg, the edifice was inaugurated in presence of the then Prime Minister of India Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru on July 04, 1963.
This Swiss Embassy is recognized as a significant architectural landmark in New Delhi.... It symbolizes and stands for the strong bond that India and Switzerland have shared through these years. Like the relationship between the two countries this building has emerged stronger with time, and like the friendship between the two countries, it has become timeless.
Heartiest congratulations to all those who have been associated with it at some point or other!
'Two leads to dialogue' a video presentation at Experimenter
Compiled by Avijna Bhattacharya and Rikimi Madhukaillya who have been mentored by the Swiss curator, Mirjam Varadinis.
Pro Helvetia - Swiss Arts Council in partnership with Experimenter Kolkata
presents
Two leads to dialogue
a video presentation curated by Avijna Bhattacharya and Rikimi Madhukaillya from India who have been mentored by the Swiss curator, Mirjam Varadinis.
at Experimenter, Kolkata
Dates: 23, 24, and 25 July 2013
Single screening: 4pm-7pm
Participating artists: Alexander Hahn, Paribartana Mohanty, Ingo Giezendanner, Christoph Büchel's, San Keller, Anne Rochat, Katja Schenker, Zilla Leutenegger, Mithu Sen, Roman Signer, Nils Nova, Elodie Pong, Sujit Malik, Srijata Roy & Mrijtunjay Chatterjee, Prateek Sagar and Gian-Reto Gredig & Goran Galic.
The idea behind curating a programme of videos with works of Swiss and Indian artists generated from interactions between our mentor Mirjam Varadinis (Curator, Kunsthaus Zurich), Rikimi Madhukaillya and me when Pro Helvetia brought us together in New Delhi in 2011. Two years since then, with the support of Pro Helvetia, we are pleased to announce that a programme has been realised, one we aspired to produce.
A cultural dialogue is best carried out through effective communication, perhaps more responsively through two dimensional images in motion. The practice of substantiating opinions and ideas in visual arts through moving images has been evolving worldwide since the last few decades (with the advent of the camcorder and digital revolution), and in India through the 90s, owing to a culture that is dominantly shaped by information circulated by telecastings, cyber-spatial interactions, audio-visual publications (DVDs), video transmissions through mobile phone and so forth. This has apparently changed our cultural perceptions towards image making. Efforts to identify such changes are aspiring and absorbing at the same time, therefore our attempt to bring together a collection of video-works of Swiss and Indian artists both young and established, to initiate a dialogue and explore artistic productions of video art in both the countries, with analogous contexts, orientations and concerns.
A liquescent state of ideas from the artists of both countries, the compilation of video can largely be placed into four categories. There are videos which are interactive and performance based, videos/short animation films, then there are the videos that have a strong documentary self and the ones which very playfully have erased the borders of drawing individual images and those of moving ones.
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Mirjam Varadinis Mirjam Varadinis is an art historian, curator and writer based in Zürich, Switzerland. She has been a curator at Kunsthaus Zürich for the past ten years. Responsible for contemporary art at the Kunsthaus, Mirjam has curated many exhibitions including Aleksandra Mir: Switzerland and Other Islands (2006), Shifting Identities (2008), and Motion Picture(s) (2010). Mirjam has also co-curated the exhibition Broken Lines as a part of the annual art festival 'Printemps de Septembre' (2006) in Toulouse, France. She has edited 'Parkett: 20 Years of Artists' Collaborations'. As a curator she has many solo exhibitions to her credit, such as those of Rosa Barba, Adrian Paci, Mircea Cantor, Runa Islam, Tino Sehgal, Erik van Lieshout, Aleksandra Mir, Nedko Solakov, Urs Fischer, David Shrigley to name a few. In 2012, she co-curated 'TRACK' in Ghent (Belgium), together with Philippe Van Cauteren. In 2005 she launched the internet-platform www.azple.com in collaboration with Annie Wu.
Mirjam Varadinis was in India as the international jury member of the SKODA PRIZE 2012.
Oliver Kielmayer to visit India in July
Swiss curator Oliver Kielmayer, Director Kunsthalle Winterthur will be in India this July on the invitation of Experimenter, Kolkata and FICA, New Delhi.
Swiss curator Oliver Kielmayer, Director Kunsthalle Winterthur, Switzerland
will deliver a talk at FICA, Delhi on
'Curatorial work between action and reflection'
Date: Monday 29 July 2013
Venue: FICA (Foundation for Indian Contemporary Art) Reading Room, D42, Defence Colony, New Delhi 110024 Time: 6:00 pm (tbc)
His presentation on 'Curatorial work between action and reflection' at FICA will look at how practical aspects of problem solving can create interesting new formats of intermediation.
Oliver Kielmayer will also be part of the Experimenter Curator's Hub in Kolkatta from 25 - 27 July 2013.
About the curator:
Oliver Kielmayer (*1970 in Baden, lives and works in Zürich) was curator of the Kleines Helmhaus in Zurich from 2000 - 2002 and managed an international artist in residence programme from 2001 - 2004. From 2004 - 2012 he was member of the art commission of the canton of Zurich, and he is publisher of the free artist newspaper WeAreTheArtists. Since 2006 Oliver Kielmayer is director of the Kunsthalle Winterthur; some of his recent books include The Telephone Book Special Edition(2010), Who Am I Anyway - Three Interviews with Köken Ergun (2011) and Martin Soto Climent - The Equation of Desire (2012).
To get more information on works curated by him visit the Kunsthalle Winterthur site at: www.kunsthallewinterthur.ch/home/page.aspx where he is the director and curator.
Valentin Carron to represent Switzerland at the Venice Biennale
Valentin Carron will represent Switzerland at the 55th International Art Exhibition – la Biennale di Venezia in the Swiss Pavilion in the Giardini.
Pavilion of Switzerland at the 55th International Art Exhibition - la Biennale di Venezia
Valentin Carron
Curator: Giovanni Carmine
Valentin Carron has been nominated by the Swiss Arts Council Pro Helvetia to represent Switzerland at the 55th International Art Exhibition - la Biennale di Venezia from 1 June to 24 November 2013 in the Swiss Pavilion in the Giardini. His exhibition is complemented by an accompanying talks and events programme entitled "Salon Suisse" at the Palazzo Trevisan degli Ulivi.
For Valentin Carron, sculpture is central to his work. The formal vocabulary of his pieces is inspired by the imagery of the Canton of Valais where he has spent almost all his life, borrowing and adapting the internationally renowned vocabulary of the style of his alpine home region and making it peculiarly his own. Through stylistic and material tensions, his art casts doubt as to the authenticity of the vernacular, whilst developing a highly personal artistic discourse.
For the Swiss Pavilion the artist has teamed up with Giovanni Carmine, director of Kunst Halle Sankt Gallen. Carron's exhibition is conceived as a specific, autonomous whole, encompassing wall and floor-based sculptural pieces, installation and readymade artwork. Greeting the visitor at the door of the pavilion will be a wrought iron snake whose form (over 80 metres long) winds through the architecture like a drawn line. Carron's serpent is a two-headed beast that becomes a decorative element in the modernist architecture of the Swiss Pavilion, designed in 1952 by Bruno Giacometti. The intervention defines a path through the pavilion, treating its architecture respectfully whilst also querying the status of works of art and function of sculpture. The gesture is typical of Carron's practice which fearlessly employs archaic symbols, archetypal forms and references to art history.
Further works in the exhibition include "windows" - wall-based artworks inspired by the public and religious architecture of the 1950s which recall modernist abstract paintings but are in fact made out of fibre-glass; a collection of flattened musical instruments cast in bronze, hung so as to punctuate the space; and a Piaggio Ciao scooter transformed by its context into a pop ready-made. These apparently nonsequitous elements create a 2/3 disconcerting and ambivalent effect in which nothing is quite what it seems and all is thrown into question, amounting, in the words of the curator, Giovanni Carmine, to "an elegant discussion on the complexity of defining sculpture".
"Salon Suisse": platform for lively international exchange
This year the Swiss Arts Council Pro Helvetia presents the first "Salon Suisse" to take place as an official collateral event to the 55th International Art Exhibition - la Biennale di Venezia. An accompanying talks and event programme, the "Salon Suisse" was initiated at last year's architectural biennale. It takes place at the Palazzo Trevisan degli Ulivi in the heart of Venice's old town, offering a platform for exchange on contemporary art and thought in a relaxed atmosphere. Inspired by the tradition of art and literary salons in past centuries, "Salon Suisse" aims to encourage an international dialogue among artists, specialists, scholars, students and other interested visitors from all over the world. The "Salon Suisse" 2013 is curated by Berne-based art historian Jörg Scheller who put together a challenging programme of events focusing on the legacy of Enlightenment in the globalized art world and looking at the history of the Biennale. Five series of events will take place over the entire duration of the biennale with leading academics and arts practitioners. All events are free of admission and open to everyone. Partner of "Salon Suisse" is Laufen Bathrooms AG.
For further information please visit: www.biennials.ch
The artist, Valentin Carron
Valentin Carron (b. 1977 in Martigny, Switzerland) is one of the most compelling Swiss artists of his generation. He has had recent solo exhibitions at Palais de Tokyo, Paris, France, 2010; La Conservera, Murcia, Spain, 2009; Kunsthalle Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland, 2007 and at the Swiss Institute, New York, USA, 2006. A solo exhibition at Kunsthalle Bern, Switzerland, is planned for 2014.
The curator, Giovanni Carmine
The curator of Valentin Carron's exhibition at the Swiss Pavilion is Giovanni Carmine (b. 1975 in Bellinzona, Switzerland), who has been director of Kunst Halle Sankt Gallen since 2007. Before joining the Kunst Halle, he worked as an 3/3 independent curator and art critic and in 2011 he was artistic coordinator of ILLUMInations, the 54th edition of the Biennale di Venezia, and co-editor of the Biennale catalogue.
Lighting Design workshop by Jonathan O’Hear
Swiss Lighting Designer Jonathan O’ Hear is in India on the invitation of Attakkalari Center for Movement Arts, Bangalore and Gati Dance Forum in Delhi to conduct workshops on 'Light as an artistic medium.
Swiss Lighting Designer Jonathan O' Hear is in India on the invitation of Attakkalari Center for Movement Arts, Bangalore and Gati Dance Forum in Delhi to conduct workshops on 'Light as an artistic medium.
Pro Helvetia - Swiss Arts Council in collaboration with Attakkalari Center for Movement Arts, Bangalore presents an advanced workshop in Lighting Design by Swiss Lighting Designer Jonathan O'Hear.
Date: 25 & 26 May 2013
Time: 10:00 am to 6:00 pm
Venue: Attakkalari Center for Movement Arts, 24-04, 1st Cross, Wilson Garden, Bangalore 560 027, India.
Entry: by registration only. For more details call 7406865628 / 08022122684
or contact Vijay Saravanan C R, Production Coordinator at vijay(at)attakkalari.org
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After the workshops in Bangalore, Swiss lighting designer Jonathan O’ Hear will be Delhi at the invitation of Gati Dance Forum to conduct workshops on ‘Light as an Artistic Medium.’
Date: Sat & Sun, 8 & 9 June 2013
Entry: By registration only
To register for the workshop please email gatidance@gmail.com with your name, phone number and email address.
This is a non-technical lighting design workshop for choreographers, aspiring lighting designers or anyone who is curious about understanding light. The discussion will include light in nature and in art focusing on its emotional and psychological effects on human beings. This workshop is an attempt to understand how one can use light as an artistic medium for stage performances, as objects, and in life. In concordance with the multifaceted nature of light, the workshop will be a mix of theory, observation and sensing.
For more information please contact: www.gatidance.com
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Jonathan O'Hear trained as a film-maker in Vancouver in the 80's where he acquired a taste for manipulating light, sound and video in various contexts. After receiving his diploma in Video and Film Production, from the Vancouver Film School and Columbia Academy, Vancouver, Jonathan O'Hear returned to Geneva and worked as a sound and lights operator, and then as lighting and video designer. He then moved to Brussels where he continued lighting design and consequently worked as an independent multimedia designer. Jonathan now lives in Geneva and has worked for choreographers such as Foofwa D'Imobilité (Neopost Ahrrrt), Rebecca Spinetti (Cobalt) and director, Georges Guereiro (Baraka cie) on all their productions. Jonathan has been the lighting and video designer for over a hundred productions in New York, Geneva, Paris and Brussels in venues such as Baryshnikov Arts Center, Dance New Amsterdam, Association de la Danse Contemporaine, Bercy, Le théâtre des Amandiers, Palexpo, La Comédie de Genève, le Botanique, le Théâtre Varia and many others. He has also been the director of photography for a dozen short movies and music and sports video clips.
Off late, Jonathan has been working on Design and production of interactive video for live performances and development of a video compression system for low bandwidth. He has been experimenting with the use of new technologies and human interference such as generating an organic form of light movement and using a track pad to move and reshape it live during the performance.
Today he lives in Switzerland and works primarily as a lighting designer for the performing arts.
Announcing awardees of Studio Residency 2014
Pro Helvetia New Delhi announces the names of the artists who have been awarded Studio Residencies for 2014 / 2015.
Announcing recipients of Studio Residencies in 2013/2014 Pro Helvetia - Swiss Arts Council announces the names of Indian and Swiss artists who have been selected by the jury to avail of the Studio Residency it offers.
South Asian artists:
Ehsan Ul Haq (visual art) / Pakistan
Sujit Mallik (visual art) / India
Taran Khan (literature) / India
Swiss artists:
Christoph Draeger (visual art)
Christophe Polese (music)
Michael Pelzel (music)
The applications received from the above artists were in concurrence with Pro Helvetia - Swiss Art Council's current mandate. The jury made its decision depending on the application's individual merit as well as on being able to find an appropriate host in Switzerland. Besides, preference is given to artists who are able to demonstrate the possibility of generating follow-up projects.
The selection in India was made by a jury comprising Girish Shahane, an art historian, curator and columnist; Zuleikha Chaudhari, theatre director, artist and light designer; S Kalidas, art critic and columnist from Delhi, and Chandrika Grover Ralleigh, Head Pro Helvetia New Delhi.
The selection has been corroborated by Pro Helvetia's Specialist Departments in Zurich. For more information on Residencies offered by Pro Helvetia click here
Performance: a male ant has straight antennae
A collaborative performance by Indian choreographer Mandeep Raikhy, Swiss light designer Jonathan O'Hear and Japanese musician Yasuhiro Morinaga.
A collaborative performance by Indian choreographer Mandeep Raikhy, Swiss light designer Jonathan O'Hear and Japanese musician Yasuhiro Morinaga.
Date: 13 June 2013
Time: 7:30 pm
Venue: Kamani Auditorium, Copernicus Marg, Mandi House, New Delhi
Entry: Tickets available on Book My Show or
at the venue on 12 & 13 June 2013
Synopsis:
a male ant has straight antennae - exploring notions of masculanity Choreography: Mandeep Raikhy / IndiaLighting Design: Jonathan O'Hear / SwitzerlandSound Score: Yasuhiro Morinaga / Japan a male ant has straight antennae is an ensemble piece that investigates physicality of the body that resides within the wide spectrum of masculinities- ranging from hyper-masculinity to effeminacy. The piece will look at the notion of masculinity through the lenses of movement, relationships, games and touch.
Mandeep Raikhy is a Delhi-based dance artist. After finishing a BA (Hons) Degree in Dance Theatre at Laban, London, in 2002, Mandeep worked with Shobana Jeyasingh Dance Company as a company dancer for many years. In 2010-11, he toured with his first full-length work, Inhabited Geometry, to various cities across the country.
Jonathan O'Hear After receiving his diploma in Video and Film Production, from the Vancouver Film School and Columbia Academy, Vancouver, Jonathan O'Hear returned to Geneva and worked as a sound and lights operator, and then as lighting and video designer. He then moved to Brussels where he continued lighting design and consequently worked as an independent multimedia designer. Jonathan now lives in Geneva and has worked for choreographers such as Foofwa D'Imobilité (Neopost Ahrrrt), Rebecca Spinetti (Cobalt) and director, Georges Guereiro (Baraka cie) on all their productions. Jonathan has been the lighting and video designer for over a hundred productions in New York, Geneva, Paris and Brussels in venues such as Baryshnikov Arts Center, Dance New Amsterdam, Association de la Danse Contemporaine, Bercy, Le théâtre des Amandiers, Palexpo, La Comédie de Genève, le Botanique, le Théâtre Varia and many others. He has also been the director of photography for a dozen short movies and music and sports video clips.
Of late, Jonathan has been working on design and production of interactive video for live performances and the development of a video compression system for low bandwidth. He has been experimenting with the use of new technologies and human interference such as generating an organic form of light movement and using a track pad to move and reshape it live during performance. Today he lives in Switzerland and works primarily as a lighting designer for the performing arts.
Yasuhiro Morinaga is a Japanese sound designer and music director and is known in the Asian independent cinema field. He is also a field recording artist specialising in outland ethnic music, oral communication, and wildlife and environmental sounds. Morinaga's eclectic approach to sound design for film has been presented in film festivals in Cannes, Venice, Berlin and Toronto. He also designed and produced sound in a project for SONY's monolithic design exhibition at Milano Salone 2010.
For more information please contact +91 9971406113 or visit www.gatidance.com
Organiser and Partners:
The production of "a male ant has straight antennae " is supported by Pro Helvetia - Swiss Arts Council, Goethe-Institut, Max Mueller Bhavan & Japan Foundation.
Gati Dance Forum, New Delhi - www.gatidance.com
Pro Helvetia - Swiss Arts Council - www.prohelvetia.in
Japan Foundation - www.jfindia.org.in
Goethe-Institut, Max Mueller Bhavan - www.goethe.de/Ins/in/ned/enindex.htm
