An Indo-French cultural exchange

A ceramist, a novelist, a poet, a writer-performer, a dancer, an abstractionist… an eclectic mix of cultural practitioners from diverse disciplines is coming together at the third edition of Villa Swagatam’s residency programme. Offered by the French Institute in India, the upcoming cycle will run from August 2025 to August 2026. This initiative nurtures cross-cultural dialogue and creative exchange between French and South Asian artists and writers, each of whom will spend one to three months at one of the partner residencies across India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and France.

Villa Swagatam brings together some of the most distinguished organisations committed to artistic and literary excellence and meaningful cultural exchange. In its third edition, the programme welcomes new partners that deepen the thematic, geographic and creative diversity. The literary strand of the programme now includes the Lakmahal Community Library in Colombo, marking the entry of Sri Lanka in the programme, and Chalet Mauriac in France, which introduces translation as one of Villa Swagatam’s literary disciplines. In the realm of arts and crafts, new partners include the Kochi-Muziris Biennale, aequo gallery in Mumbai, and the Centre international de recherche sur le verre et les arts plastiques (Cirva) in Marseille. This edition features a bespoke month-long itinerant residency for acclaimed French playwright and director Pauline Bayle, hosted by Villa Swagatam partners across Delhi, Varanasi, Tamil Nadu, and Bengaluru, to support the final development of her ‘Mahabharata’ adaptation, premiering in September 2026 at the Théâtre Public de Montreuil.

The selected residents represent a vibrant mix of emerging talents and established professionals. Those visiting India include Maylis de Kerangal, a leading French novelist, known for her documentary precision, poetic intensity and deep attention to the real. “Coming for a literary residency to Sangam offers the chance to bring together two opposing intensities: the immersion in a fascinating and unfamiliar Indian megacity, and the solitary intimacy of the writing process,” says Kerangal, who will be spending time at Sangam House, Bengaluru.

There is Johanna de Clisson (Nila House, Jaipur), a renowned French ceramist, designer and artistic director whose work explores the interplay between minimalism, architecture and sensuous materiality. “Trained in a European context where minimalism, sober lines and the predominance of white occupy a central place in my work, I wish to initiate a dialogue between these two aesthetic universes. My project at Nila House will focus on blending cultures and know-how. Earth meets textiles while ceramics and weaving become one,” she says.

Monia Ben Romdan, who would be visiting the Alice Boner Institute in Varanasi, is a Franco-Tunisian writer and performer who explores identity and spiritual dissonance in contemporary life. “I wish for the banks of the Ganges to inspire a strong poem, one that speaks of acceptance, clarity and the grace of enlightenment,” she says.

Among those visiting France are Gayatri Shetty, a Bangalore-based contemporary dancer and choreographer whose improvisation-led practice explores fragility, repetition and intimacy through embodied presence and choreographic inquiry. Poet, novelist and activist from Chennai, Meena Kandaswamy is headed to Maison de la Poésie de Nantes. Abstract artist Manish Pushkale is keen to understand and explore the possibilities of the ignition between the old and new aspects of glassmaking during his residency at Centre International de Recherche sur le Verre et les Arts Plastiques (CIRVA) in Marseille. Among others are author and poet Jacinta Kerketta, author and illustrator Parismita Singh, visual artist Sajid Wajid Shaikh, art critic and curator Sukanya Deb, author and journalist Ruchir Joshi and literary translator Subhashree Beeman.

Commenting on the success of the two previous batches, Thierry Mathou, Ambassador of France to India, says: “Since its very inception, Villa Swagatam has been envisioned as a flagship initiative of our cultural cooperation with India, fostering a vibrant network of creative talents from both countries, with arts and crafts, and literature as key areas of exchange.”

Arts