Nidhi Khurana

IAS Q&A

When you arrived at the Institute you probably had a concrete idea or plan of what you would like to achieve during your stay. Were you able to pursue these plans? Did there emerge new, unforeseen directions?

When I arrived at the Institute, I was feeling quite overwhelmed because I had a non-stop year in terms of work and exhibitions without a break. I was looking forward to some time for walking, thinking and reading and eventually creating new artwork. Very soon I felt compelled to respond to the richness of my surroundings in Budapest. The daily walks, visits to the Turkish baths, made me think of water, the Duna, its source and eventually to think about investigating the origin of water on this planet. There did emerge new unforeseen directions and I had not anticipated this at all.

More generally speaking, who or what influenced and inspired your career the most?

There is definitely more than one influence that has inspired my career as an artist. Books have been my constant companions and I have learnt a lot by reading all kinds of books since I had access to them. Traditional artforms have also inspired me a lot.

What would you say is the most particular about your art?

My work has evolved out of my curiosity about everything. It stems from my interest in nature and a growing disconnect from it. I like to use my hands to explore different kinds of natural materials. I am using prose, poetry, photography, drawing, natural dyes, textiles, gold and silver in my current body of work which responds to places I spend time investigating. I try to use traditional techniques in new ways to create my art and I like to work in collaboration with all kinds of people for my work.

How do you see the world of art today? How is it evolving?

I think the world of art is quite niche and operates within its own rhythms of exhibitions, biennales and events. Each region has its own workings and a self-created eco-system connecting to its counterparts in the world. It is constantly evolving, trying to keep up with the times.

What’s next for you after IAS CEU Budapest (if we may ask)?

I am coming back to Budapest in March 2025 to be a fellow for 2024-25 and to exhibit the artworks I created around Budapest, along with local artist Eszter Bornemisza. I am preparing for a solo show in Delhi in October this year and I have been invited for an artist residency program between May and October 2024 at Schloss Balmoral in Germany.

If there were one book or film you could recommend to the reader, what would be that and why?

Currently I am reading Cosmos, by Carl Sagan because I am fascinated with theories that describe or speculate about how the world came into being. This includes the scientific perspective as well as creation myths from different parts of the world.

(Photo credit: Ruchin Soni)