1 Shanthiroad

Since 2002, 1 Shanthiroad has emerged as a destination for the alternative, thinking artist, however , the seeds for this studio-gallery were sown in the late 1990s. During that period, individual artists from the city as well as country were engaged in the process of re-examining and refiguring their notions of art practice.

At times, 1 Shanthiroad is a space that facilitates creative endeavours. At other times it morphs into a social space for artists from the city’s thriving art scene to dialogue, discuss and develop the conversations around visual culture. This studio-gallery has become a catalyst for the arts, supporting a new crop of artists, and has steadily built a platform for experimental work that stems from a process of dialogue, debate and nurturing. Such innovative approaches are important and necessary in challenging and pushing the boundaries of academic art practice, as well as for being a junction for visual culture in Bangalore and India at large.

1 Shanthiroad through its art residencies provides a space to incubate as well as providing intellectual and infrastructural support. Focusing as it does on the visual and new media art of our times, it is open to new systems of conceptual and experimental practice. Over the years, talks and presentations that focus on contemporary art theory and practice have become part of the regular activities at 1 Shanthiroad.

Given its aspiration to build a sturdy network of art practitioners and scholars not only within India but also outside the country, 1 Shanthiroad aims at forging strong links with South Asian countries and the global South and is focused on stimulating and encouraging international exchange. These notches are special to us because they tell of new friendships and projects which create an energy that is nurtured only through collaborative work. This is the fuel that fires 1 Shanthiroad.

Through its many initiatives, 1 Shanthiroad has supported artists of all accomplishments, providing scholarships to young artists and grants for others to work on their projects while recognising professionals who have captivated and changed the world with their work. 1 Shanthiroad was intended to be, and has grown into a common ground for the emerging and the established artist to come together to learn from, inspire and support one another.

In the stories of other alternative art spaces of the city, 1 Shanthiroad has been a fulcrum, an adda - with a meals ready sign. It was birthed by the vision of students and contemporaries who were charting new directions in transient terrains, socially engaging and cultivating new audiences in some of the most critical and difficult circumstances. Bangalore’s alternative spaces have been, and continue to be, open to change, all while showcasing emerging artists that challenge the establishment and art institutions.

1 Shanthiroad has opened dialogues between artists, architects, photographers, scientists, writers and social-workers, art students and curious non-artists. Over the decades, 1 Shanthiroad has allowed for artists to assert their stances through new media, material, technology and interactive public art. The space has also been sensitive to class, gender and sexuality. In all these years we have hosted more than 100 artist residencies and exhibitions while creating newer audiences for the arts in Bangalore.

We don’t have a manifesto but fortunately have other points of reference like Khoj International Artists’ Association which we share a similar vision and aspiration. To quote Anita Dubey who envisioned the future of Khoj, “Our aim was to function as an experimental art laboratory that will bring artist together from different parts of the country, from the subcontinent and from around the globe. Setting up a cooperative, non-hierarchical situation where dialogue, exchange and transfer of information, energy and skills to take place as an intensely, lived experience.” This book acknowledges a timeline of an artist-led alternative space and its achievements as well as shortcomings. Each passing year is special and marks the surge of living in an eclectic city.

We have already begun looking forward to the coming years and beyond.