Sunday, October 28, 2007

Sandarbh U.S.


Sandarbh U.S.

International Artist Residency Program.

Moultrie, Georgia

March 28th to April 6th 2008

Sandarbh: The Concept

Sandarbh, a rural participatory workshop was started in India six years ago (originally envisaged by noted artist Chintan Upadhyay) with a single goal in mind to bring artists together in a rural place and create a bridge between the urban and rural populace. Especially in the context of India where there is a stark contrast in exposure and education between the rural and urban population. Can Art work as a bridge? Can participation and collaboration by local population with the artists create some sort of opportunity, through which both artists and local populace learn something new? With Art acting only in the circles of white cube and limited circle of gallery goers, Sandarbh aimed at making art a part of the everyday life of people and bring it to their neighborhood.


There have been several attempts by artists in the past to pull Art out of the realm of only art galleries or museums, and Sandarbh is making an effort to bring all these ideas to life. Sandarbh intends at understanding the local systems of knowledge and production of aesthetics vis-vis the life style of the local populace.


Sandarbh is seeking artists to break out of the clutches of conventional thinking and to adopt a spontaneous approach; by coming to the workshop/residency without any pre-conceived project. And to undertake public art works within the local environment and use available local material.


In the past six years artists have come together every year at the Sandarbh Workshop in India and have created several works with or without the participation of local people. But in each attempt it has created a genuine interest and curiousness about art; and how society and art can come together?


There was an initial resistance and indifference towards such an attempt by the Artist Community and local population of Banswara (where the India workshop is held every year), but over the years the workshop has created tremendous interest , to the extent that local schools have included Art in their curriculum, where earlier there was none! Many local artisans and craftsmen have participated in the workshop as collaborators or individual artists and branched out to make their own works of Art.


Sandarbh attempts to address the question of what is Art in one fundamental way – Can we learn/create something new by being together? In this modern world of high pace technology where virtual and real seem to be converging, of extreme social and economic disparities and degradation of global environment with our ways of living, can we be together and learn something new?


Sandarbh in Hindi means 'situation' and 'context'; and by being together at one given place for a period of time itself creates such a situation/context, and therefore Sandarbh is where the artists are!


Sandarbh U.S. Another Beginning


After six years, Sandarbh has grown to become an International workshop/residency where artists from all over the world participate every year. It was therefore only natural that other such attempts be started around the world, because each Country/Place has its own unique dynamics and ecosystem; and from each of these places one can learn something new.


We have chosen the City of Moultrie, a small town in southwest Georgia in the United States, as the extension of Sandarbh and it would be known as Sandarbh U.S. The town of Moultrie in many ways reflects the beginnings of Sandarbh in a small village in India. Moultrie is primarily agriculture and animal farm based economy. It is a mix of various races, concerted in one small place; thus providing an even greater opportunity to bring together several different viewpoints and create new spheres of interaction. The town is surrounded by large fields and is packed with typical American chain of convenience stores with some dying local mom and pop stores. The city has a fairly large number of resident artisans and craftsmen. The city annually organizes several large fairs which attract a great number of people from different cities to Moultrie.


The history of the Southern States, their struggle of equal rights and earlier settlement wars in many ways provide the historical context of bridging the gaps and learning something new by being together; to be inclusive rather than be exclusive.


About the Residency

Sandarbh U.S. residency will allow artists to participate in creating public art works with the help of local residents and material, available or visible on site. The final artwork might have ephemeral material that would transform with time. The artist will have the freedom of choosing the material and site. The works that will incorporate durable/permanent material would be installed in the town with the help of the respective town authorities. The workshop also hopes to generate sanguine interest amongst the local residents and the official authorities.

Sandarbh U.S. is an interactive workshop. Artists can use locally available materials and execute their work in context to the conditions and environment that they find themselves placed in. If an artist intends to make video/sound installation during the workshop, she/he is requested to bring along the necessary equipment.

The artists would reside at Colquitt Arts Centre, Moultrie during the Residency. The art centre has various facilities which will be at the disposal of the artists for their use. The centre houses a large studio with ample sunlight, ceramic studio, hand weaving looms, photography darkroom, dance studio, an auditorium and large open spaces.

Sandarbh U.S. Exhibition

As part of the residency we plan to organize an exhibition of the actual works and documentation in case of site and time specific works.


More about Moultrie, Georgia

A small town with a population of approximately 45,000 people. The town was established sometime in the early 19th Century for mainly trading and tax collection purposes. The town is surrounded by fields of cotton and other cash crops. It is also in close vicinity of some of the bigger cities such as Valdosta, Thomasville, Atlanta, Tallahassee and Jaksonville. One can read more about the town of Moultrie at:

Who is eligible to Apply for the Workshop/Residency?

The workshop/residency is open to all artists of North America and abroad.

How to Apply?

There is no formal application form but instead please send in an email to sandarbhus@gmail.com if you are interested in participating. Please state why you are interested and also send in some work samples via email, if you have any.

The Workshop/Residency Dates

March 28th to April 6th.

Saturday, October 27, 2007

Moultrie Picture Album



City Water Tank


One of the House near South Main Street



Mamas Kitchen at South side of the City



This Photograph was taken at the Colquitt County history museum



The City of Moultrie on a Sunday Afternoon



Abondoned Factory


Carriages for Cotton, the city is surrounded by cotton fields and is also
known as the salad bowl of America.



Mural on one of the City Walls



Abondoned Gas Station



One of the many homes on South Side of the City.