French Foreign Minister inaugurates artist residency network in India

The residency will allow French artists to collaborate and work in different parts of India

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar with French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna at a meeting in New Delhi, on March 3, 2023. | Photo Credit: PTI

The French government on Friday inaugurated Villa Swagatam, a cultural residency for artists from India and France. The pan-India network of residencies was opened here at the French Institute by the country’s Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Catherine Colonna.

“Cultural policy is in the DNA of our diplomacy and at the very core of our bilateral relationship with India. We are keen on engaging with artists and academicians,” Ms. Colonna said, announcing the residency. She added, “You are the true backbone of our relationship.”

The first edition of the network will focus on “the fields of literature, performing arts, and arts & craft,” the French Institute said in its announcement. “Villa Swagatam will enable a constant presence of French artists and writers on Indian territory throughout the year,” it added. The network of residencies includes bookshops and cultural institutes across the country.

Ms. Colonna hinted at an upcoming strategic announcement in India-France relations. “As we are about to celebrate this year the 25th anniversary of the strategic partnership between India and France, now is the time to show greater ambition,” she said. “You will see soon what I mean by that. I leave it to others to make you understand what it is. It will be quite visible,” she said.