South Asian Artists on Residency in Switzerland: Art Encounters at Rote Fabrik and Gleis 70
In the second week of their residency in Switzerland with Pro Helvetia, a South Asian artist explored both Zurich and Winterthur, engaging in artist discussions and museum visits. During this time, the artist formed a friendship with fellow South Asian creatives, Pulak and Madhukar. Together, they explored Rote Fabrik, an art center in Zurich that was once a factory and is famous for its graffiti. The artist also marked the Bengali New Year by visiting the Black Madonna at Einsiedeln Abbey, a 15th-century Benedictine monastery. A standout moment was an open studio session with Madhukar, a visual artist from Hyderabad, whose anti-caste experimental art employs leather as a means of resistance, challenging traditional views on pollution and purity.
Key facts
- The artist was on a residency with Pro Helvetia in Switzerland.
- The artist visited Rote Fabrik, a former factory turned art centre in Zurich.
- The artist visited Einsiedeln Abbey, a fifteenth-century Benedictine Monastery housing the Black Madonna.
- The artist attended an open studio of Hyderabad-based visual artist Madhukar at Gleis 70.
- Madhukar's work uses leather as a tool of resistance and subverts notions of pollution and purity.
- The artist befriended two other South Asian artists, Pulak and Madhukar.
- The second week brought conversations, new connections, and inspirations.
- The artist traveled by train between Winterthur and Zurich.
Entities
Artists
- Madhukar
- Pulak
Institutions
- Pro Helvetia
- Rote Fabrik
- Einsiedeln Abbey
- Gleis 70
- Take Art Magazine
Locations
- Switzerland
- Zurich
- Winterthur
- Hyderabad
- Toss River
- Lake Zurich