Artists in Residence (AIR) is a space dedicated to creativity and culture since 2002. It acts as a hub for international artists to live, meet, work and to discover India, its artists and craftsmen. AIR is much more than a link between east and west, it encourages artists to experiment with different mediums, move from brush to shovel, from paint to stone....


You will see here the room design of Brigitte Nahon, the beach front door from the designer NoArt and much more....


The Residence is open to any ideas, art and nationalities. Project are open to artists who want to create on site to participate for the development of this unique open space. We encourage the use of local ressources and the work with local craftsmen.
Residence are available for 1 to 3 months twice in the year in december, january and february and from june to august.
It is a non profit activity. For informations or to submit a project, please contact Emilie Klein.





Some of the residence projects and the artists are:

2000
March / April
Pascal Arnold (Author and director) & Jean Marc Barr (Actor, author and codirector)
Writing of the screenplay “Being light” and location of the set. August : shooting of the film “Being light”
(starring Romain Duris, Elodie Bouchez and Jean-Marc Barr) the third and last film of a trilogy Dogma on liberty.


2001
February / March
Jérôme Mesnager (Painter)
Leads a 15 day workshop to create a wall painting on the subject of the galaxy. Prepare a private study on the subject of “Ganesh”.

March
Jean-Louis Dulaard (Painter)
Private studies about colour and paper and interaction with local artists.

July / August
Dhin Thi Tien (Photographer and videoartist)
Leads a 15 day workshop on the subject “How to make a film”. Makes 3 short films with 15 participants.


2002
February
Jérôme Mesnager (Painter)
Continues his studies on “Ganesh”.

July / August
Mariane Guyader (Sculptor)
Leads a 15 day workshop on sculpture with terracotta / baked clay with the students of the Art School of Auroville on the subject of “The Poet’s House”. Training in sculpture on bronze (lost wax) within the workshop “Raja” at Swamimalai.

August
Emma Foreman (Painter and sculptor)
Creates a sculpture on granite. Training in sculpture on bronze (lost wax) within the workshop “Raja” at Swamimalai.

July / August
Tim Laser (Musician and flute player)
Creates a first long feature movie in DV. Creates the sound track with Indian instruments.


2003
January
Jean-Lionel Breuil (Illumination artist)
Leads a 15 day workshop on light creation.
Sets up illumination for the restaurant and the gardens of “The Dune Beach Village”.

January / March
François Weil (Sculptor)
Private studies in the quarry and the atelier of Mr. Ramalingam. Creates a granite fountain for the Hotel Le Dupleix in Pondichéry with Mr. Ramalingam’s team.

January / March
André Cervera (painter)
Leads a workshop on the subject “Painting in Music” in collaboration with the group “Medicis” who composed the sound track of the performance. Private studies on Indian deities.

February
Jérôme Mesnager (Painter)
Exposition of 50 pictures on the subject of “Ganesh” at the Alliance Française in Pondicherry.

July / August
Caroline Lejeune (Painter)
Leads a 15 day workshop on the subject “How to proceed from photo to canvas”.

July / August
Marie-Claude Beck (Painter)
Leads a 15 day workshop on the subject of Paper. Private studies on the subject of Memory.


2004
January / February
William Wilson (Painter)
Creates a “Zen Garden” on the site of the residence. (destroyed by the tsunami). Prepares the book Aglaé en Inde, éd Jalan.

January / June
André Cervera (Painter)
He came to complete his studies on Indian deities, exposition in April of these studies at the Aurodham gallery in Pondicherry.

February
Jérôme Mesnager (Painter)
Creates a blue wall on the site (400 m long, destroyed by the tsunami).

February / March
NoART (Designer)
Together with local ironworkers and carpenters, he creates a gate that leads on to the beach (Miracle .... It survived the tsunami !).


2004
2005
December
Emmanuelle Renard et Frederic Kleinberg (ACT 2). (Painter).
Project of giant etching with road roller not finished because of Tsunami disaster on the site of the Residence. Creation of two paper frescos (2 rolls of 18 m) on the subject of the Tsunami.

February
Leopold Koussikas (Painter)
20 paintings on the subject of memory.


2006
2007
December / January
Sylvie de la Dure (French Architect and Artist)
Ephemeral Intervention on the beach “A toutes les âmes qui peuplent le ciel”, a reminder of the tsunami affected victims.

February
Danasegar (Pondicherry Tamil Painter)
Starting of a sculpture on a tree trunk deposited by the Tsunami.

March / April
Keïty Anjoure (Contemporary Dancer)
She explores, with classic dancers, yogi masters, and Indian contemporary artists some of the symbolic, energetic and emotional values, the “Mudras”, the hand gestures in Indian dance.
11th & 14th March: Performance at the Alliance Française of Pondicherry and Chennai.

July / September
Brigitte Nahon (Artist)
Brigitte Nahon spends 3 months creating Sculptures, installations, and drawings.
Balance and imbalance, solidity and fragility, heaviness and lightness, ephemeral and eternity are the essential meaning of her daily commitment of her Art. NAHON is one of the emerging Artist on the international scene, as shown by the ever present interest for her work from museums, institutions, galleries and collectors worldwide. The Garden room N°6 has been fully painted by her. Check it out, it’s surprising...

December / February
The Crossroads concert series #1 and #2.
Susheela Raman, Internationally renowed Tamil born London based singer, Paul Jacob, Tamil producer and musician from Chennai and The Dune produce 2 concerts at The Dune.

The CrossRoads Concert Series aims to unite people hailing from diverse cultures to create new and dynamic musical experiences. Artists are chosen for their ability to communicate directly with their audiences and are deeply committed to the crossing of boundaries. Individually, the artists have unique and interesting musical trajectories.

Tamil Voodoo on 26th january was a musical journey into the intensity and vitality of the Tamil Bhakti and Trance drumming traditions, working with some leading urban talents. It was a musical collaboration featuring Bhakti singing legend Kovai Kamala, Tamil Londoner Susheela Raman and her guitarist-producer, Sam Mills. Chennai’s own Funky Bodhi, along with drummers representing the Tattapam and Tudumbattam traditions of Tanjore and Mettupalayam.

Songs Of The Madmen on 24th february was another musical journey into the devotional music in collaboration with the Bauls singers from Bengal, Vincent Segal from France, Susheela Raman, Sam Mills and Bonnie Chakraborty from Chennai. The Bauls are free spirited, anti-orthodox musical mystics, strong individuals who defy the conventions of both the householder and the renouncer. The Baul tradition upholds the body as the arena of self-realisation...
With their intense musicality, earthy passion and mystical riddles their music is fierce, poignant, unpretentious and full of love; Bengal’s gift to the world.

Both concerts where attended by around 600 persons.