Twenty visual artists from ASEAN Member States and India gathered in Udaipur, Rajasthan, in 2022 to participate in the second ASEAN-India Artists’ Camp, centring on the theme “Oceans of Connectivity.” The camp was supported by the ASEAN-India Fund and implemented with the assistance of the SEHER Foundation, a nonprofit organisation dedicated to promoting music, dance, visual arts, theatre, and cinema.
In an interview with The ASEAN, SEHER’s Founding Director Sanjeev Bhargava noted that the theme surfaces the element that binds the two regions: “India and ASEAN both border oceans; water is something we have in common.”
During the 10-day event, the artists attended workshops on visual art techniques, watched artistic performances and demonstrations, and participated in educational visits. It culminated in creating original artworks based on the artists’ interpretation of the theme and showcasing their distinct styles.
The paintings were first unveiled in Phnom Penh in November 2022 during the ASEAN-India Summit and in celebration of the 30 years of ASEAN and India dialogue relations. The entire collection has since made its way to other Southeast Asian cities. Its first stop was in Bangkok where it was displayed at the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre from 31 January to 5 February 2023.
This year, the entire collection journeyed to Jakarta, with the first exhibit held at the Emiria Soenassa Gallery in Taman Ismail Marzuki, Jakarta, from 1 to 14 July. The collection was then moved to the ASEAN Secretariat on 2 August, coinciding with another ASEAN-India initiative, the Interface Meeting on Feasibility in the Development of the ASEAN Cultural Heritage List.
Bhargava said it is important to organise and hold travelling exhibits in public spaces. “If the ordinary public is allowed to come and see the paintings, I think the message of ASEAN and India’s friendship will reach ordinary people, the students, the youth. That is very critical.”
The Permanent Representative of India to ASEAN, Ambassador Jayant Khobragade, said that the ASEAN-India Artists’ Camp embodies India’s Act East Policy. He explained that putting the different artists together to create art is a “symbol of people-to-people connectivity, a symbol of friendship, and a symbol of shared culture and art.”
Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, opened the exhibit at the ASEAN Secretariat. Dr. Kao said in his remarks, “Through the ASEAN-India Artists’ Camp, we witnessed artists from diverse backgrounds coming together, transcending borders, boundaries, and languages with their shared passion for creation and mutual understanding.”
The Secretary-General concluded by thanking everyone who made the exhibit possible: “Let the colors and textures, styles and forms, stories, perspectives, and narratives at this exhibition continue to inspire and unite all of us as we work to build and strengthen ASEAN-India comprehensive strategic partnership.”
