Building Bridges: Creating Cultural Exchange Through Residency Programs
Saturday 24 January, 2:00 pm
Artists Atul Bhalla and Robert Zhao will be joined by Meera Curam, Director of Hampi Art Labs (HAL), to share their experiences at this recently-launched initiative. Comprising an arts centre and residency programme located near the UNESCO World Heritage site in South India, Hampi Art Labs was founded on an ethos of building an interdisciplinary institution to cultivate cultural links globally, inspired by the unique confluence of art, heritage and nature in its environs. This conversation will discuss the potential for this landmark residency programme — a partnership between JSW Foundation (India) and The Institutum (Singapore) — and how collaborative models can chart new pathways in the global art ecosystem.
Speakers:
Atul Bhalla – Artist, India
Robert Zhao – Artist, Singapore
Meera Curam – Residency Director, Hampi Art Labs, India
Moderated by:
Alessio Antoniolli – Director, Triangle Network
Atul Bhalla | Artist, India
An internationally exhibited conceptual artist, Professor for visual art at the Department of Art Media and Performance at Shiv Nadar Institute of Eminence, NCR, India. Bhalla works on environment urgencies, exploring water’s physical, historical, and political significance in the urban and non-urban environments of several global cities and regions across the world. His artworks incorporate photography, installation, sculpture, video and performance. Bhalla’s recent engagements include a project Auscultation – False Clouds and Real Deluges a solo show at Vadehra Art Gallery which engages with climate change along the 28th North Parallel, partnering with World Weather Network and KHOJ New Delhi.
Robert Zhao | Artist, Singapore
A Singaporean visual artist whose practice primarily centers on photography but often employs a 5multi-disciplinary approach. His work blends images with documents and objects, frequently incorporating textual and media analysis, video, and photography projects. Zhao’s art investigates humanity’s relationship with nature, crafting convincing narratives that prompt audiences to question the concept and portrayal of truth. His work has been widely exhibited internationally, including solo exhibitions in the U.S.A., Italy, Australia, Japan, China, and Singapore, in addition to participation in various photo festivals and biennales.
Meera Curam | Residency Director, Hampi Art Labs, India
A visual artist, textile designer, and curator whose interdisciplinary practice engages with material histories, memory, and living cultural knowledge systems. Trained in Visual Arts and Textile Design, she is a PhD scholar at De Montfort University, UK, working at the intersection of material culture and contemporary practice. As Residency Director at Hampi Art Labs, she shapes research-led, interdisciplinary residencies. In this role, she is committed to fostering an inclusive and exploratory space where creative practitioners engage in critical conversations around ecology, collective community, and local craft practices, working closely with regional knowledge systems and ecologies.
Alessio Antoniolli | Director, Triangle Network
Director of Gasworks, London, where he leads a programme of exhibitions, international residencies and participatory events. He is also the Director of Triangle Network, a world-wide network of visual art organisations that work together to create artists’ exchanges projects and to share knowledge with each other. He is also curator at Fondazione Memmo, Italy, where he programmes one international exhibition each year. He lectures widely and has been part of many juries including the UK’s Turner Prize in 2019.