International Painters’ Camp: Negotiating Space, Memory, and Material

In the shifting terrain of contemporary art practices, artist camps have increasingly emerged as sites of critical exchange—spaces where artistic production extends beyond the solitude of the studio into a shared, discursive environment. The International Painters’ Camp 2026, hosted by the Krishna Setty Foundation, Bengaluru, from March 28 to April 1 at Nature Knots, exemplified such a convergence. Bringing together eighteen artists across diverse geographies, the camp unfolded within a temporally bound yet conceptually expansive framework.

Jatin Das

Set amidst the serene and verdant surroundings of Nature Knots, the venue itself became a vital collaborator. Its natural beauty offered a befitting context, enabling artists to engage deeply with space, materials, and the environment, transforming the camp into an evolving creative ecosystem.

Artistic Dialogue and Participation

At the core of this constellation was Jatin Das, the Padma Bhushan awardee, whose presence functioned as both anchor and axis. His engagement extended beyond the creation of significant works to a form of embodied knowledge transmission, where process, discipline, and intuition intersected.

Krishna Shetty, Jatin Das, Mamta Bora, Ganapathi S. Hegde and other artists

Equally significant was the participation of veteran artist Krishna Setty C.S., who, in addition to being an active artist in the camp, played a pivotal role as the organiser. His vision and professional approach ensured that the camp unfolded seamlessly, fostering both artistic freedom and structural coherence.

The international dimension of the camp was articulated through artists such as Clemens B. Sou (Austria), Julia Chubutkina (Kazakhstan), Achala Gunawardhana, Sudath Abeysekara (SriLanka), and P. Gnana (Singapore). Alongside them, artists including Kariyappa Hanchinamani, Basuki Dasgupta, Rama Suresh, Vijay Dhore, K.K. Gandhi, Praveen Kumar, Mintu Deka, Prabhu Harasur, Madan Lal, Kandan G., G. Subramanian and Krishna Setty contributed to a diverse and dynamic field of practices. Together, they engaged with questions of memory, materiality, identity, and spatial negotiation.

Chitra Parishe and Public Engagement

The convergence expanded further during the one-day Art Mela, Chitra Parishe, held on March 29 and inaugurated by Jatin Das. With the participation of over 120 artists from Karnataka and other states, the event dissolved boundaries between the camp and the public, creating a vibrant and inclusive space for artistic exchange.

Live art interventions by Dimple B. Shah, Jeetin Ranger, Monica Nanjunda, Shivaprasad K.T., Smitha Cariappa, and Sridhara T. Gangolli activated the landscape through performative gestures. An added attraction was the graceful dance performance by Roopa Ravindran, which inspired spontaneous sketching sessions by artists at the camp site, creating a dynamic interplay between movement and visual expression.

Interdisciplinary Evenings and Exhibition

The evenings further enriched the camp’s interdisciplinary spirit. The world fusion music performance Svara, led by Martin Dubois from France and his ensemble, offered an immersive sonic experience, complemented by contemporary fusion dance performances by Shweta Vinyas and Niranjan.

The works created during the camp were later exhibited at Dwija Art Gallery, Bengaluru, from April 17 to 26, extending the dialogue into a public exhibition format and attracting significant engagement from visitors.

Closing Ceremony and Acknowledgements

The camp concluded with a closing ceremony on April 1, where all participating artists were felicitated and presented with a beautifully crafted bronze memento, marking the culmination of an enriching artistic journey.

The successful coordination of the camp was ensured by Ganapathi S. Hegde, Ganesh Doddamani, and Mamta Bora, whose dedicated efforts facilitated the smooth execution of the event.

In its totality, the International Painters’ Camp 2026 resisted closure. It remained open-ended—an accumulation of encounters, negotiations, and transformations—proposing not unity, but coexistence as its central ethos: a field where difference is not resolved, but sustained. ---

Mamta Bora