Serendipity Arts Residency 2023-24 welcomes residents from across the country and beyond

Panaji, July 2023:  Serendipity Arts today announces the selected residents for the 6^thSerendipity Arts Residency programme for 2023-24. The annual three-month artists’ residency programme has acted as a launch pad for many emerging and mid-career artists over the past six years, across its forms, and providing opportunity for the residents to network, learn, unlearn and showcase their work to a larger audience at the Serendipity Arts Festival in Panjim, Goa and other outreach initiatives by Serendipity Arts. 

The open call for applications was launched in April, inviting artists from various disciplines, including music, dance, theatre, visual practices, movement-based practices, and new-media practices; owing to the widening of the scope of the residency, to scale up the support given to the artists, across disciplines and creative practices. The residency aims to provide artists with a conducive environment and resources to develop their practice, work on new projects, and engage with the wider art community in New Delhi.

The residents for the programme were selected and interviewed by an external jury panel, consisting of esteemed experts, the jury members included:

1. Vikram Iyengar – An arts leader, dancer-choreographer, arts writer, and curator-presenter who initiated the Pickle Factory Dance Foundation in Calcutta, India.
2. Sanchayan Ghosh – Associate Professor at the Department of Painting, Kala Bhavan, Visva Bharati University, Santiniketan, with a focus on site-specific art and collaborative practices.
3. Sumangala Damodaran – Academician, musician, and Visiting Professor at Ashoka University, the University of Cape Town, and the Institute for Human Development, Delhi, known for her research in economics, development studies, and popular music studies.
4. Sandeep Sangaru – Multidisciplinary designer, educator, and founder of Sangaru Design Studio, known for his work in furniture design and collaborations with crafts communities.
5. Sahej Rahal – Storyteller and artist who weaves fact and fiction to create counter-mythologies, exploring sculpture, performance, film, painting, installation, and AI programs.

The jury will guide the practices of the shortlisted residents at various stages in the residency programme. In addition to the six Indian residents, this edition of the residency programme includes a French artist as part of the Villa Swagatam Initiative, in partnership with the French Institute in India. Through the collaboration the Serendipity Arts aims to strengthen cultural ties between India and France by fostering meaningful cultural exchanges and creative connections between the artistic communities of both countries. 

The selected residents for the Serendipity Arts Residency Programme 2023-24 are:

• Dileep Chilanka: A versatile artist from Kerala, Dileep is an actor, contemporary dancer, choreographer, and theatre director. He explores new movement vocabulary inspired by his surroundings and experiences. Founder of Chilanka Theatre Lab, Dileep has collaborated with renowned theatre practitioners in India and abroad.
• Richa Arya: A sculptor from Haryana, Richa has exhibited her work across India and received recognition for her artistic endeavours. With a focus on sculpture, she has showcased her pieces in solo and group exhibitions, demonstrating her talent and dedication.
• Salman B. Baba: A visual practitioner from Srinagar, Salman’s work delves into themes of Kashmiri subjecthood and landscapes, exploring violence, memory, and space. Through a transmedial approach, he blurs the lines between reality and imagination, inviting viewers to engage with his thought-provoking creations.
• Sewali Deka: Hailing from lower Assam, Sewali’s art reflects rural life, indigenous food culture, and traditional farming practices. She combines indigenous techniques with experimental mediums like film and photography, creating captivating works that celebrate the collective spirit of farmers and craftsmen.
• Pale Blue Dotter A.K.A. Surbhi Mittal: Surbhi merges music and art in her creative practice. Drawing inspiration from Pauline Oliveros and modular synth design, she creates unique sound pieces and installations, interweaving melody, spoken word, and field recordings.
• Massandje Sanogo (Villa Swagatam initiative): A multidisciplinary artist based in Montreuil, France, Massandje’s creative repertoire spans acting, writing, directing, photography, and video. Her work explores themes of identity and discrimination, with a focus on Afro-descendant and queer bodies. 
• Shivani Kasumra, Curator-in-residence: A researcher and writer based in New Delhi, Shivani specialises in the history of art and visual culture. Her work combines criticism, intellectual history, and visual studies, with a particular focus on speculative practices in contemporary art.

The residency will commence on July 3, 2023, and conclude with an open studio in the first week of October. The curator-in-residence will contextualise the residency and curate the Open Studio at the end of the residency. The artists-in-residence and the curator-in-residence will have the opportunity to regularly engage with each other, discuss their practice, conceptualise ideas and details about their works for the residency. Throughout the residency, the selected residents will participate in a diverse range of activities, including peer-to-peer conversations, critique sessions, gallery and studio visits, performances, masterclasses, workshops, artist talks, and presentations. The programme aims to foster connections, build networks, and provide a platform for artistic growth and exploration.

“We are thrilled to announce the selected residents for the Serendipity Arts Residency programme 2023-24. These artists represent a diverse range of disciplines, and their work promises to be a captivating exploration of creativity. Serendipity Arts is committed to encouraging emerging artists and creating platforms, to help develop their practice. We look forward to witnessing the growth and innovation that will emerge from this residency and the meaningful connections that the residents will cultivate within the art community. Congratulations to the selected residents, and we eagerly anticipate the exciting journey that lies ahead for each of them.” said, Ms Smriti Rajgarhia, Director, Serendipity Arts Foundation and Festival

Serendipity Arts Residency will offer furnished accommodation, studio space, a monthly per diem for meals, and a production grant to cover materials and additional technical support. The residency will also provide assistance in project implementation, technical infrastructure, publicity, and networking opportunities with curators, critics, and gallerists.

To know more about the selected residents please visit www.serendipityarts.org 

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