HAT International Research Fellowships

cHAT Week

cHAT Week took place in Sanskriti, New Delhi from 25th to 30th March 2007. During that week regular updates were posted here. See Press Release.

CHAT WEEK

Posted by Johnny Magee on Monday, 18th June 2007 21:21

Upon completion of the residency programme all the HAT artists, together with representatives of the host organisations and the project managers, came together for a week-long collaborative conference/workshop.

cHAT WEEK was held in SANSKRITI India during the last weekof March 2007. The activities gave an opportunity for all those involved to:

Talk - pull together collective experiences
Discuss - examine the significance of dislocation
Look - explore intercultural learning
Listen - stimulate new perspectives and methodologies
Do - get involved and push ideas forward

The week also provided an important springboard from which to promote outcomes of the programme, especially through critical debate. The week allowed ample time for socialising, around meals and events, to enable an exchange of experiences and ideas. There were also occasions for a more public interaction with time is set aside for invited artists and curators to join in group discussion.

There was a formal element to the week, which was shaped around generic issues that international residencies address. A series of workshops were led by HAT artists (see below) and delegates had the opportunity to join these.

NOTE: the entries, below are in reverse date order, the sidebar (right) provides a useful menu.

Final Day - Final Farewell

Posted by Johnny Magee on Friday, 30th March 2007 15:11

image: Jeremy and Barney thank all the delegates for their participation, and close the conference.... AMAZING!!

image: Ramesh documented the conference through Wali Painting.

Final Day - HAT boxes

Posted by Johnny Magee on Friday, 30th March 2007 11:32

At the start of thew week, HAT delegates were asked to do something 'interesting' with their conference packs (HAT box). These were presented today.

image: The boxes at the beginning of the week, waiting to be collected by delegates

image: one of the completed boxes, displayed on the final day.

Final Day - Arts Council England

Posted by Johnny Magee on Friday, 30th March 2007 10:41

Erica Steer and Jill Hutton from Arts Council England address the conference.

image: Erica Steer and Jill Hutton

Final Day

Posted by Johnny Magee on Friday, 30th March 2007 07:45

The final day is set aside to gather in feedback and discuss outcomes and recommendations.

image: Delegates gather in the foyer for the final day

image: The first group (left) present thoughts around 'making do', and Peter Chatwin presents ideas around the senses, and prepares the group for a 'treasure hunt'.

image: Barney's '3 box theory' where he uses 'tin boxes' to illustrate his 'description' of contemporary craft, in relation to 'traditional' craft and how the HAT project sits across it.

DAY 5 - Workshops

Posted by Johnny Magee on Friday, 30th March 2007 06:18

A range of workshops are offered to the delegates to experience first hand, some traditional Indian craft techniques.

image: Ramesh runs the Wali Painting workshop

image: Sanjay runs the Kalamkari Painting workshop

image: Dayal demonstrates his weaving technique

image: Sharad runs the Papier-Mâché workshop

image: The ceramics workshop

DAY 5 - Hosts

Posted by Johnny Magee on Thursday, 29th March 2007 13:26

Day 5, and the conference is back in Sanskriti. It begins with three presentations from HOST organisations. The hosts gave an insight into their organisations and talked about their experiences with resident artists.

images from left, Tom Mirams from the JAM Factory, Adelaide. Lisa Gee from Harley Gallery, Nottinghamshire, UK and Tayeba Lipi ffrom Britto, Dhaka, Bangladesh

DAY 4 - HAT Exhibition Opens at British Council, Delhi

Posted by Johnny Magee on Thursday, 29th March 2007 07:10

The HAT exhibition opened at the Queen's Gallery, in the British Council, Delhi.

image: The courtyard of the British Council building in Delhi provides a magnificent stage for the artists having dinner following the private view (images below)

DAY 4 - Trip to Craft Museum Delhi

Posted by Johnny Magee on Thursday, 29th March 2007 07:03

The Crafts Museum in Delhi is a charming oasis in the midst of the hustle and bustle of Delhi. Mud huts with painted walls and thatched roofs, courtyards, terracotta horses recreating village shrines, craftsmen at work are some of the elements that add to the rural ambience of the place. Within the museum itself are examples of traditional Indian crafts, wooden carvings and images, metalware, especially ewe Perdue objects from Bastar, West Bengal and Bihar, clay and terracotta pots, toys and images, folk and tribal paintings, jewellery and textiles.

image: Terracotta Horse, and Wooden Elephant

DAY 4 - Trip to Pottery Village, Delhi

Posted by Johnny Magee on Thursday, 29th March 2007 05:59

Day 4 begins bright and early and offers the opportunity to leave Sanskriti for the day. A fleet of cars takes delegates to various locations around Delhi, including a Pottery Village, and the Crafts Museum

images: above left, the arrival of the HAT project attracted considerable interest from local residents. Above right, fleet of cars. Main image: Side street, showing the pots drying (before firing) in the hot delhi sun. These pots are to be used to carry and store water. Completed pots can be seen on the balcony (top of picture).

images: from top left, the clay is crushed by hand, kneaded by foot and shaped by hand.

Day 3 - Evaluation

Posted by Johnny Magee on Thursday, 29th March 2007 05:51

images: David Kay presents discussion questions for the evaluation of the HAT project.

DAY 3 - Discussion Groups

Posted by Johnny Magee on Tuesday, 27th March 2007 06:51

DAY 3 - The conference breaks into three discussion groups to focus on different topics and issues. The groups meet in various parts of Sanskriti's beautiful grounds. Each group is asked to 'make' something to represent the issues raised in discussion.

image: The Ethics group.... what are they in relation to residency exchange?

image: The 'in the field' group, discuss issues about working in the field

image: The 'Make Do' group: Is making do a contemporary craft?

DAY 2 -Traditional craft progress during the day

Posted by Johnny Magee on Monday, 26th March 2007 11:18

image: Ramesh begins his wali painting

images: Ramesh discusses his work with Sejal

image: Sanjay drawing

image: Sanjay drawing

image: Dayal's loom

DAY 2 - Speaker: Mrs Ritu Sethi

Posted by Johnny Magee on Monday, 26th March 2007 06:39

image: Mrs Ritu Sethi from Crafts Revival Trust speaks about working with the crafts from India

DAY 2 Begins

Posted by Johnny Magee on Monday, 26th March 2007 05:59

2nd Day and Ramesh, Sanjay and Dayal set up their workspaces to begin making traditional Indian craft under the Banyan Tree at the entrance to Sanskriti.

image: The spectacular Banyan Tee provides shade on a hot day at Sanskriti. The entrance gate to Sanskriti can be seen behind on the right.

image: Traditional weaver, Dayal, sets up his loom

image: Kalamkari painter, Sanjay, prepares to begin a painting

image: Wali Painter, Ramesh, lays out his prepared canvases to begin a painting

Day 1 ends with performance

Posted by Johnny Magee on Monday, 26th March 2007 05:53

Day 1 ends with spectacular dance performance outside in Sanskriti Grounds

image: Dancer Priya Venkataraman performs a 3000 year old form of classical dance: Bharatanatyam, which originated in the temples of South India

image: The 1st day finally ended with dinner on the lawn

5pm and on time!!

Posted by Johnny Magee on Sunday, 25th March 2007 13:39

Lively discussion took place at the end of the 1st day, and despite several power cuts throughout the day, the conference is on time.

image: Dr. Jyotindra Jain, Barney, Jeremy and Varun lead a discussion on the position of India Craft in Contemporary visual practices

Performance

Posted by Johnny Magee on Sunday, 25th March 2007 11:25

image: Sanskriti prepare for the evening meal

image: ...and preparations for the evening dance performance

1st Day

Posted by Johnny Magee on Sunday, 25th March 2007 11:20

At last, the conference gets under way at 10 am with a welcome to Sanskriti by Varun Jain.

image: Varun Jain

image: Conference delegates in-between speakers

image: David Kay introduces the evaluation of the HAT project, which he will uundertake during cHAT week

image: Main Sanskriti building housing the conference room

Conference Gather for Registration

Posted by Johnny Magee on Sunday, 25th March 2007 05:48

image: The cHAT conference packs come in specially made aluminum cases, each with the delegates name on an individually designed sticker

Delegates at the cHAT conference gather for an evening meal at Sanskriti, Delhi. The conference begins Sunday at 10am, and goes through to Friday.

Artists, Hosts, & Delegates Arrive

Posted by Johnny Magee on Saturday, 24th March 2007 11:12

cHAT attendees are arriving into Delhi, from the UK, Australia, Sri Lanka, Pakistan Bangladesh and India.

Installation nears completion

Posted by Johnny Magee on Friday, 23rd March 2007 10:25

Friday 23rd, British Council, Delhi.... Installation of work for the HAT exhibition continues, pictures taken below give a sense of the gallery space

image: Entrance to Queen's Gallery, at the British Council Delhi

image: Barney discusses the position of Sumedh's 'tin box' specially made to house his exhibit.

image: Sharad discusses technical matters regarding the hanging of his 'samosas' from the gallery ceiling

image: David Kay discusses project evaluation with Jeremy. The computer (background) will show the HAT website live in the gallery space throughout the show.

Work starts arriving at the Queen's Gallery, British Council, Delhi

Posted by Johnny Magee on Wednesday, 21st March 2007 16:07

Report from Barney in Delhi: Exhibition Work from India has begun to arrive in Delhi. The boxes have been placed in situ, and it's looking good. Art work from the UK however, is still awaiting clearance by customs and delivery to the gallery is not expected until Saturday. All will be in place for the Private View on Wednesday 28th March.

image: British Council Building, New Delhi completed in 1992 by Architect, Charles Correa. The mural done in black and white marble on the front facade is supposed to represent a 'banyan' tree.

The Project Team, Artists, Speakers and cHAT attendees begin to arrive in Delhi

Posted by Johnny Magee on Tuesday, 20th March 2007 17:02

Image: 'Ship Stamped', Steve Dixon,

Anupa, Barney and Jeremy are already in Delhi, putting the finishing touches to cHAT week and preparing the Gallery space at the British Council for the HAT exhibition.