Indian Artist Vishal Kumaraswamy Awarded 2025 South Asian Video Art Grant

The Han Nefkens Foundation has awarded the South Asian Video Art Production Grant for 2025 to Vishal Kumaraswamy. This multidisciplinary artist-curator from Bengaluru will receive USD 15,000 to produce a new video artwork, which is set to be showcased at six international partner institutions beginning in late 2026. Kumaraswamy's work critically addresses India's caste system through various mediums, including film, sound, performance, text, and computational arts, influenced by his Dalit background. The jury praised his innovative use of technologies such as AI, motion capture, and surveillance to reveal entrenched hierarchies. He noted that this grant arrives at a crucial time for his inquiry into how video technologies can shape future Dalit narratives. The initiative, in collaboration with several art foundations, aims to support emerging visual artists in South Asia.