In an effort to promote global exchange of culture, the India – International Artist in Residence Program 2026, was recently held at an art gallery. The initiative marks the start of a month-long residency for two international artists: Jakob V Sigurdsson from Vienna and John B McGarity from New York. The inauguration was attended by artists, educators, and art enthusiasts, including Jaikrishna Agarwal, former Dean of the College of Arts and P Rajivanayan, Dean of Fine Arts, Dr Shakuntala Misra National Rehabilitation University, who interacted with the resident artists.
(L) Jai Krishna Agarwal (R) P Rajivanayan
(L) Twinkle Nanda (R) Alok Vishwakarma
Jakob, who has over a decade of artistic practice behind him, shared, “One cue I have already taken from this beautiful city is that even amidst this bustling place, there is a breezy sense of peace in the air.”John, who has previously spent time in Varanasi as part of his research, is focusing on the region’s rich craft traditions. “The idea is to take visual inspiration from the Indian diaspora and combine it with contemporary art practices.g,” he explained.
(L) Anju Maurya (R) Himanshu Prakash
Anju Maurya, heading the initiative, says, “The program is rooted in the idea of India to strengthen international cultural exchange while remaining grounded in local practices and knowledge systems,’’ she says.— Amina Ashraf
