I guess this is due to a combination of things. It’s winter so there lots of people spreading lots of germs. The smog at this time is sometimes unbearable especially in the morning. At any time of year in India there is the always the possibility of getting Delhi belly. We’ve just about all had it. There is the day in day out frustration with amenities not working properly like showers, lights etc. The internet is mostly down so it is very difficult to communicate with home at times. All this is mainly due to inadequate power systems that keep blacking out.
Art making facilities are archaic. Good art making materials especially canvasses, are hard to find
The really frustrating thing is that GAV does not have adequate backup and our internal system is run by a complete idiot.

Ashwin Aishwarya is the founder and owner of GAV and is at the top of the caste system so no-one argues with him.
The guy is a spoilt little brat who has never had to work a day in his life so he really doesn’t know shit from clay.

I warn any artist who is considering applying for a residency here to note this. There is so much bullshit on their website. All this is coming from the top of this idiot’s head. It has no foundation.
They claim to be a non-profit organization but they are making huge sums of money from most of the artists that attend. A few of us were able to negotiate but in the end it remains untenable. It has been so expensive for some. Most of the artists are told they pay $20US per day. Add to this a charge for internet use that never works and an exorbitant heating charge for a heater that never warms anything in winter. Also, non-artists use the facilities here and they make a lot of noise. This makes it very difficult for the artists to work most of the time.

Ashwin also makes a lot of promises that he can’t keep like the opportunities that he can organize for shows, excursions and meeting important contacts. It is all bullshit. On top of all this the guy is disorganized so you never know what is happening at any one time.
Even Indians think he’s a fake so any leads he may give you are wary. Because of this we are always needing to escape GAV regularly. The chaos outside seems more tolerable than that inside the GAV compound.
Add to this the constant barrage of people and traffic jams and delays that exist every time you go out anywhere outside and you have a very frustrated resident.

Having said that, the experience has been extraordinary and in some bizaar way enjoyable because you have to get use to going with flow of all this or pack up and go home. Most of the opportunities that we’ve been given have come from our own research

written by  Eric Broome on December 28, 2006 from Delhi, India
from the travel blog: Journey to the Arts End
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G'day Eric,
At last a moment of quiet.\
And I have come again to read your Bloga log.
We have had one day of bushfire smog! and we were all filled with trepidation.
We are well. At present enjoying one of my friend,s visit from New castle.
I haven't seen NOela-Jo in a little while. I must get back to do some more painting, and have a catch up.
We visited Alan and Judy in the Spreyton crematorium! for christmas swap of presents on new year's eve!
Rare lot we Wilsons.
All the best Helen

written by  Helen Wills on January 12, 2007

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