Anne Percoco recently completed a Research Fellowship in India, with the support from the Asian Cultural Council, from Sept 08 till March 09. During which she realized three public arts projects and one solo exhibition. As our first contributor to Residency Unlimited’s KIOSK section, she has submitted a recount on her experiences with the hosting institutions that supported her fellowship in India.
ASIAN CULTURAL COUNCIL
The ACC’s mission is to support “cultural exchange in the visual and performing arts between the United States and Asia, and between the countries of Asia.” I contacted these organizations and put together a proposal for seven months of artistic research in India, as described below, and the ACC chose to fund these activities.
FRIENDS OF VRINDAVAN, VRINDAVAN, INDIA
FOV is an environmental NGO working to improve the town of Vrindavan’s waste management systems. I was an artist-in-residence with this organization from September to December 2008. The staff introduced and educated me about various regional environmental problems, and, with their help, I created a public sculpture addressing some of these issues as well as the link between environmentalism and Hinduism. As a direct result of this project, a frequent tourist group to Vrindavan made changes to reduce their consumption of plastic bottles by approximately 3,000 per year. I also did some photography and graphic design work for the organization while I was there.
BANGALORE ARTISTS CENTRE, BANGALORE, INDIA
I was a resident artist at the BAC from January to March 2009. The BAC is a residential apartment with a good-sized studio and a small outdoor workspace. My hosts were always generous with their time and knowledge of the city and all its resources, taking care to show me interesting sites and helping me locate all manner of odd materials as well as services and student interns. They also made consistent efforts to introduce me to the art community. My stay culminated with a solo show at Bangalore’s main art college as well as a public performance.
The city itself is fascinating as well. As the IT capital of India, Bangalore is in a state of flux between tradition and modernity, with all the growing pains and contradictions that go along with this process.
For more information and to apply, e-mail the BAC at bangaloreartistscentre@gmail.com.
SANDARBH ARTISTS WORKSHOP, PARTAPUR, INDIA
http://www.sandarbhart.com/
http://www.blvs.blogspot.com/
The BAC arranged for me to attend this unique ten-day workshop in February 2009. First, the organizers introduced the artists to the small town, Partapur, and surrounding areas in the Rajasthan Province. We were taken to the town and nearby villages as well as other local sites; an irrigation dam, a marble quarry, a holy cave, ancient temples, and more. Then each artist was then given resources and support to make one site-specific work. The workshop concluded with an exhibition of works and documentation held in the local vegetable market. Hundreds of people attended, ncluding large groups of schoolchildren. Through this program, the residents of this small town have been repeatedly exposed to contemporary art practices, previously a completely foreign concept to them.
apartment with a good-sized studio and a small outdoor workspace. My hosts were
always generous with their time and knowledge of the city and all its resources, taking
care to show me interesting sites and helping me locate all manner of odd materials as
well as services and student interns. They also made consistent efforts to introduce me
to the art community. My stay culminated with a solo show at Bangalore’s main art
college as well as a public performance.
The city itself is fascinating as well. As the IT capital of India, Bangalore is in a state of
flux between tradition and modernity, with all the growing pains and contradictions
that go along with this process.
For more information and to apply, e-mail the BAC at
bangaloreartistscentre@gmail.com.
