Programmes @ KHOJ

KHOJ conducts a series of diverse programs for artists and creative practitioners across a variety of media and disciplines.

International Workshops

An annual two week workshop based on the Triangle model was organised by KHOJ Delhi from 1997-2001. The workshop is a cooperative venture organized by artists for artists bringing over 20 artists from diverse cultures and backgrounds to work together to exchange ideas, encounter varied methods and approaches in art making and to strike out in new and experimental directions.

After five successful annual workshops in Modinagar, New Delhi, the KHOJ workshop metamorphosed into a nomad, moving to Mysore (2002), Bangalore (2003), Mumbai (2005) and Kolkata (2006) with working groups of artists in ach location.

 

International Residencies

The KHOJ International Residency Programme was initiated by KHOJ Delhi in 2000. International residencies are organised on a regular basis at the KHOJ Studio building in Delhi which was acquired in November 2002. The residencies function as art laboratories where 4-6 artists from diverse cultural back grounds work together for a period of 4-6 weeks.

 

Peers: The Student Residency

One of the most significant programs at KHOJ studios is PEERS, a 4-week residency programme for recent graduates + masters students from art colleges across India .

 

Associate Residencies

These are special project oriented programs that KHOJ studios, Delhi situates between its planned programs.

 

 

Community based Art Programme

KHOJ Delhi actively programs a series of community-based art projects through the year in and around Khirkee village where the Studios are situated.

 

KHOJ organises artists' presentations, film screenings and symposia on an ongoing basis.

Please see Funding details for the above.

KHOJ Studios, Delhi

KHOJ Delhi acquired a building in 2002, which has allowed it to provide high quality arts programming with local and international, emerging and established artists.

The KHOJ Studio building came into being in the anomaly of the urban/rural that is Khirkee village, anchoring an erstwhile tentative, fluid entity into brick and mortar. KHOJ sits on the edge of Khirkee Gaon an Urban village very close to Malviya Nagar situated in the south of Delhi, established in the 13th Century and known for its famous and stunningly beautiful Khirkee Masjid (mosque) built in 1380 AD.

About 600 years ago, this area began to take shape as a residential block as the Rajputs, (Sainis), Chauhans and Muslims began to settle in descendants of these early communities still inform the entrenched power structures in the village. The resident community is a disparate one: with low-level income groups on the one hand and upper-middle class (largely artists) on the other. There is a drama school, a professional photography studio, and professionals such as an architect and filmmakers residence in the neighborhood of KHOJ.

The KHOJ Studios host visiting curators and arts professionals from India and overseas and facilitates their access to Indian artists and arts practice. KHOJ Studios is fast becoming one of the first places people seek out to see exciting contemporary art, to meet local artists, and to measure the creative pulse of the city.

The studios double as a gallery and a viewing space for film screenings, artists presentations etc. The office supports a library of artists catalogues, books and CD's with a special focus on artists from India, South Asia (Nepal, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Bangladesh) and Asia.

 

KHOJ Studio Facilities

The KHOJ Residency provides 4-6 weeks access to Studio facilities and equipment, which include, 5 guest studios for artists, 4 on the first floor and 1 on the ground floor for artists of all mediums to work in. All guest studios are well ventilated with large windows to allow natural light. Each floor is provided with a washroom.

We are able to provide only basic tools as hammers, saws, cutters, drill machine, screwdrivers. These are to be shared by the artists.

Technical Equipment: Artists have access to:

• 1 In-House video-editing machine
• 1 In-house projector, 2 speakers, 1 six-channel mixer.
• Studios are wi-fi enabled.
• All other equipment i.e. sound, video etc may be hired at nominal rates.

 

Studio and Office address
KHOJ studios, S-17, (near Sai Baba Temple)
Khirkee Village
New Delhi - 110017
email: interact@khojworkshop.org
Telephone: 65655873 / 65655874

 

 

KHOJ Artist's Hostel

The KHOJ Hostel :
3 non air-conditioned rooms are provided with attached bathrooms for the artists to live in. Accommodation may be on a single or shared (two person, same sex) basis. There is a small kitchen equipped with a gas stove, toaster, refrigerator, electric kettle, basic utensils + water dispenser, which can be used by the artists. Basic facilties like internet, television and phoneline are used on a shared basis.

Physical Address :
A 74 / A
Second floor,
South Extension Part II,
New Delhi-110049
Telephone: 26263936
Email:khojinteract@gmail.com

KHOJ Kolkata

"Eastern India has, for a long time now, been in dire need of an active platform for alternative art practices that operate outside of the gallery sphere. While such practice has existed for decades internationally and also in other parts of India, Kolkata has, despite its historically long-standing tradition of pioneering art practices and a currently hyperactive art community, not been receptive to those practising "alternative" art. Installation, performance art, video, public and community art projects, etc. that are widely practised elsewhere, struggle to find a forum in Kolkata.

KHOJ Kolkata, a local chapter of the KHOJ International Artists Association, New Delhi, was launched roughly two years ago by five local artists and theoreticians themselves engaged in alternative practice with the belief that such a platform could be created in Kolkata. The KHOJ International Workshop Kolkata 2006, co-ordinated by the contemporary artist community from Kolkata and Santiniketan, comprised of 12 international and 12 Indian artists provided ample evidence of the interest, the participation, and the excitement that such practice can generate."

 

^{Dr. Paula Sengupta
Secretary, Khoj Kolkata
(Lecturer, Dept. of Graphics (Printmaking), Rabindra Bharati University, Kolkata)}

National Network

National Network

A significant marker of the success of KHOJ has been the interest expressed by artists in sites across India to develop the workshop project under the aegis of what is the KHOJ Project.

By facilitating workshops outside of Delhi i.e. in Mysore, Bangalore and Mumbai respectively, KHOJ has involved many artists at an all India level. The workshops have provided an impetus to the local scenario of the hosting city, spawning informal networks amongst the artists, throwing up new ideas about contemporary art practice and energising students and audiences alike.

What has also emerged out of activity across the country is the realisation of the possibility of facilitating and supporting a loosely structured network composed of discrete workshops/projects across the country on an ongoing basis. It is envisaged that each workshop/nodal point would further build capacity and develop its own locally engaged projects with the potential to be a catalytic point for artists in smaller cities in and around the larger city while spawning its own connections within south Asia and abroad.

These projects act as vehicles in the development of several autonomous , professional self organising groups within the country which will enliven and stimulate art practice in places that are ready for change. Intended to create a fluid alternative to the current entrenched establishment of government and the commercial institutions which today dominate the art scenario. Given the current frenzy of the art market, spaces for intellectual discourse and radical experimentation which are the strength of any culture have been even further reduced - and we believe, are therefore even more urgently required.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Desire Machine Collective @ KHOJ Guwahati

Mrignaka Madhukaillya and Sonal Jain participated in a month long residency in April 2005 at the KHOJ studio. Over several conversations and an active understanding of the way in which KHOJ functions, the idea of a project based forum in Gawahati was seeded.

The objective of the project is to create a temporary nomadic E- lab for creative practitioners on a ferry on the river Brahamaputra, the most important river in the region flowing through, China, Tibet, India, Bangladesh and into the Bay of Bengal. A site-specific event on and about the river and its network will be conceptualised.

A residency space will be created on the ferry for artists from South and Southeast Asian countries ( i.e. from Bangladesh, Nepal, Burma, South West China, Tibet, Bhutan, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia.) and Indian artists who have interpreted and interrogated the notion of borders in their artistic practice. It would also include artists from other countries having a special interest in the imagination of the river as it translocates between different nation states. Talks, symposia, colloquia and publications (research reports and creative publications) will be organised in the public realm to foster critical debate. The ferry space would function as a Tea bar and a gallery space for local artists.

CAMP + KHOJ ,Mumbai

Shaina Anand participated in an associate residency programme in April 2006 at the KHOJ studios.
The need for a truly alternative space within the commercialised art world in Mumbai was articulated and a lab for Critical Art and Media Practice ( CAMP) was suggested as a way forward.

The initiative proposes to

1. Analyse the slippery ground between art/ media and public culture, towards seeding a range of 'critical art and media practices' in the city. This is through seminars/ colloquiums, hands-on workshops and informal discussions about practical, technical, economic and on-the-ground strategies for this kind of practice.
2. Generate actual prototypes, engagements, 'public works' in the city that embody some of the ideas that are central to our definition of criticality: autonomy from the market, awareness of social/physical location, public participation, awareness of technological contexts, technical experimentation, peer learning.
3. Documents and quickly disseminates information from the above, such that it acts as a feedback loop that can enrich the ongoing experiment.
The above order is not always followed. That is, the actual engagements may precede the analysis, for example, to provide a more grounded understanding of the issues in question.

1 Shanti Road + KHOJ , Bangalore :

Two workshops were held in 2002 and 2003 in Mysore and Bangalore respectively with working groups of artists in Bangalore and Mysore. For a variety of reasons including lack of funding and human resource, continuity was not maintained.

However the members are keen to enliven Khoj once again. The studio space 1 Shanti Road which already runs as an alternative public space hosting visiting international artists and other exhibitions is keen to institute an international residency programme focussing on interaction with south Asia/Asia. Despite the proximity to Sri Lanka and /or Indonesia their connections with artists from the region in minimal . Over three years, KHOJ , Delhi will facilitate 2 six week long residencies in Bangalore with 3 artists each ( one south Asian, one Indian and one International) thereby developing independent networks within the region.

Key to the residencies will be outreach and interaction with students of the various art colleges in Bangalore and Mysore as also the research and inclusion of artists from adjoining States. 1 shanti road will organise a series of lectures, artists talks and presentations for a wider audience A thrust towards pubic art projects and a forum for an exchange of ideas will be taken forward.

All the 3 projects of the Khoj National Network is supported by NRTT ( Navajbai Ratan Tata Trust ).
Desire Machine Collective @ KHOJ Guwahati
is also supported by ANA (Arts Network Asia)

South Asian Network for the Arts (SANA)

Since its inception in 1997, KHOJ has worked consistently at building relationships with artists' communities within South Asia. Artists from the region have been invited to participate in the KHOJ workshops each year and have visited international workshops through out the world through the Triangle Network. Several of them were energized by the experience who together with expertise provided by KHOJ and Triangle Arts Trust set up similar initiatives in their own countries.

An integral part of our programme at KHOJ is committed towards creating partnerships with artists in South Asia/Asia. Since 2000, we have worked with Triangle arts Trust (A network of Workshops under the umbrella of the Triangle Arts Trust, which was set up by Robert Loder, and Sir Anthony Caro in 1982) to develop workshops and residencies in the region.

Our partners in South Asia are:

* VASL International Artists Workshop, Pakistan

Vasl is an artist-led initiative, which brings together local and international artists for a period of intensive exchange of ideas and art practice, based in the cities of Lahore and Karachi.


* BRITTO Arts Trust, Bangladesh

Britto International Artist's Workshop is an artist-led, not for profit trust committed towards promoting exchange and dialogue between artistic communities internationally and within the region.


* THEERTHA International Artists Collective, Sri Lanka

Theertha International Artists Workshop is an autonomous, artist led initiative based in Colombo. We are committed to promoting intercultural understanding by providing an environment conducive to artistic exploration and experimentation through networkng with contemporary visual artist communities in South Asia, Africa, the Asia - Pacific rim , Europe, the Americas and other countries.


* SUTRA, Arts Centre, Nepal

SUTRA is an art group based in Kathmandu. Sutra encourages artistic expressions through performing arts, fine art, music, films, writing and other mediums to create an impulse to bring about better changes in the society through creative arts.

---
Read Further about Khoj's role in South Asia ..>>
_

International workshops and residency programmes have been organized by the various groups in which core invitees are from the region. This has facilitated the circulation of visual artists within the region. It has helped develop an understanding of the art of the region where little or none existed before.

The impact of the South Asian Network to some extent derives from artists groups working together for a common aim. They share experience and draw strength from each other and this contributes to holding the Network together. The energy that comes from this sharing results in educational workshops and exhibitions of work that might not otherwise happen - very often with very limited financial resources.

Now that the Network is established in the region it is possible to see some Ripples of the benefits of setting up a system of informal learning by exchange that runs alongside the formal institutions and creates a means of communication between artists both within countries and within the South Asia region.

_

In 2001 KHOJ organised 'Chaos or Congruence', the first ever symposium on contemporary art with critics and curators from south Asia/Asia. On the same occasion, KHOJ invited art historian Virgina Whiles to curate Manoevering Miniatures , the first exhibition of contemporary miniature painting from Pakistan in New Delhi.

KHOJ has lead the development of a digital network between the above mentioned artist led initiatives in the region with a view to increasing accessibility both between artists and between the general public.

:-

Khoj's role in South Asia
Ripples
'Chaos or Congruence'
Manoevering Miniatures
Digital network

People @ KHOJ

KHOJ sees itself as an organic being, a network organization in continuous flux built and sustained by the passion, vision and experience of many individuals. KHOJ takes this opportunity to thank all the people who over the past 10 years have helped steer its course.

FAQ'S

1.WHO ARE WE?

Established in 1997, KHOJ is an artist-led initiative. KHOJ sees its role as an incubator for experimental art and ideas, artistic exchange and dialogue. KHOJ is part of the global Triangle Arts Trust.

2. WHERE ARE WE?

• KHOJ studios, Delhi

KHOJ sits on the edge of Khirkee Village very close to Malviya Nagar situated in the south of Delhi, The 5 KHOJ Studios serve as gallery spaces and artists studios.

• KHOJ Kolkata

A working group of artists who came together in October 2005 after detailed discussion with members of KHOJ Delhi with a view to energize and extend the available inputs from within the local artistic scene.

3. WHAT ARE OUR AREAS OF INTEREST?

We are most interested in work that engages new approaches to subject matter and media. Our current areas of interest are new & multi media, installation, performance art, sound and sonic art, public and community based art projects and experimental theatre.

4. WHAT DO WE DO?

KHOJ actively assists, develops and promotes new investigative and experimental art practices in all media through programs that include:

• International Residencies
• International Workshops
• Peers: KHOJ Student Residency
• Associate Residencies
• Exhibitions
• Film Screenings
• Talks/Presentations
• Symposia
• Internships

5. HOW CAN YOU BE A PART OF OUR PROGRAMS/ACTIVITIES?

KHOJ welcomes participation in our events and programs. Please check the relevant programs for details.

Our website also provides additional opportunities for online interaction via:

• Groups
• Blogs
• KHOJ Wiki
• Mailing lists/newsletters

6. ARE WE OPEN TO INDEPENDENT APPLICATIONS AND WHAT ARE THE APPLICATION PROCEDURES?

KHOJ welcomes applications/proposals from creative practitioners, particularly those interested in interdisciplinary / experimental practice. Artists working in all media are invited to send in proposals. Since we have limited resources all applications cannot be realized. Short listed proposals will be reviewed by KHOJ.

7. WHAT FACILITIES/SUPPORT DO WE OFFER?

• Studios

The KHOJ Residency provides six weeks access to Studio facilities and restricted equipment, which include, 5 guest studios for artists, 4 on the first floor and 1 on the ground floor for artists of all mediums to work in.

• Accommodation

KHOJ provides accommodation for out of station artists at the KHOJ guesthouse, which is a 3 bedroom flat with attached bath and a small self-catered kitchenette, which is 5 kms away from the studio building.

• Outreach:

KHOJ facilitates outreach activities during the course of the residency that may take the form of workshops and talks with students and other artists.

• Costs & Funding:

Artists are encouraged to raise funding to cover their residency in New Delhi, KHOJ is committed to helping raise funds for artists from South Asia and from those countries that lack funding structures.