1SHANTHIROAD
Bangalore, Karnataka – 2003:
1Shanthiroad is a studio/ gallery is an art space founded in 2003 that is located in the heart of Bengaluru. Designed by the architect Meeta Jain, the architecture of the space resonates with its vision- open and welcoming. 1Shanthiroad is an extension of its founder, artist and art historian Suresh Jayaram’s ancestral home. The contemporary architecture incorporates architectural elements of old Bengaluru and is a space that juxtaposes the private and public. The open-ended spaces are like a maze that encourages artists, students, creative practitioners, and the public to congregate without hierarchies. In this sense, 1Shanthiroad functions as a critique of the defunct state-run educational institutions and museums in the city and also acts as an alternative to the commercial gallery structure.
1Shanthiroad consists of four residency studios allowing artists to work together yet maintain their privacy. The presence of Suresh Jayaram, who also lives in the same building, and the many creative practitioners who drop into the open house, add energy to the residency experience. Working with international, national as well as other city-based artistic organizations, the residency has hosted artists from across the world thereby facilitating dialogue across cultures and practices. Notable partnerships and projects include the South Asian residencies with KHOJ, the “Sethusamudram” Project with Theertha, “Somberikatte” talks curated by N.Pushpamala on art history. It has initiated a reciprocal residency with Goethe Institut to send artists to Germany. The research and documentation-Bangalore Connect archive (with support from IFA) has led to research about the city and a publication on G.H.Krumbiegel, the German horticulturist who worked on Bengaluru.
Text Courtesy : Space118
Image Courtesy : World Wide Web