Francesca Bertolotti-Bailey, Acting Head of Programme of Kettle’s Yard, says: ‘The idea for the series was inspired by Jim and Helen Ede, the founders of Kettle’s Yard. They hosted, commissioned and collected artists all of their life. Most of their friends were artists, and artists were undoubtedly the people they respected and trusted the most. So in this moment of uncertainty, it only makes sense for us to turn to artists and their worldviews to help make sense of our new normal. I am asking artists who have worked at Kettle’s Yard to answer to three questions with a short video. Enjoy!’
Watch artist Nikhil Chopra’s response, filmed in his home in Goa, India.
About Nikhil Chopra
Nikhil Chopra (Calcutta, 1974) works between live art, theatre, painting, photography, sculpture and installations. His performances, in large part improvised, dwell on issues such as identity, the pose and self-portraiture, while they reflect on the process of transformation ignited by the duration of performance. Taking autobiographical elements as his starting point, he combines everyday life and collective history; daily acts such as eating, resting, washing and dressing, but also making large format drawings, acquire the value of ritual, becoming an essential part of the show.
Nikhil Chopra was part of ‘Homelands: Art from Bangladesh, India and Pakistan’, a group exhibition curated by Devika Singh that took place at Kettle’s Yard between November 2019 and February 2020. The artists in ‘Homelands’ told stories of migration and resettlement in South Asia and beyond, exploring intimate and political histories, often contesting borders, questioning common pasts and imagining new futures.
Instagram: @nikhilchopra74