Bengaluru Artist Residency One

Bengaluru Artist Residency One (BAR1) is a non-profit artist exchange programme set up and run by a collective of visual artists from Bangalore. In 2008, IFA supported BAR1’s first multidisciplinary India-India residency programme, hosting seven artists for six weeks each at the BAR1 studio space in Bangalore. Following the success of this programme, this IFA Extending Arts Practice grant enables BAR1 to host the 2^nd edition of the India-India residency programme.

Beginning on July 1, 2009, four artists––one from Bangalore and three from other parts of the country––concerned with pursuing experiments that extend the boundaries of their practice and that of the field, will be selected to be artists in residence for a period of three months in Bangalore. In order to foster a deeper engagement with the city, its spaces and people, the residency programme will host a smaller group of artists for a full three-month term.

Also, the collective feels quite strongly that rather than trying to be fully representative, as happened the previous year, the aim for the 2009 residency should be to nurture rigorous practice amongst a small group of artists. Therefore, artists will be equipped to live, work and collaborate with others, and  those who can engage in a level of debate that will open up significant discussions about interdisciplinary art practice will be selected.

The collective has decided to hold two tightly formatted, and discursive salons––one at the beginning to help the residents meet other practitioners in the city, and another at the end for the residents to share and receive feedback on their work-in-progress. The primary intention of these gatherings will be to encourage conversations, debate and artistic exchange between the residents and the artist community of Bangalore.