An on-site residency networking gathering of local artists and international artists, curators, and performers currently in residency or research trip in Switzerland at Amerbach Studios, Basel, kick-started my fourth week in Switzerland. Greetings were exchanged and introductions made over a delicious meal prepared by Luzia Schuler, followed by a lecture performance by Golschan Ahmad Haschemi, where she spoke about meme culture. This was followed by a discussion and a series of presentations where everyone shared stories of their creative practice. It was a day full of laughter, the kinship of artistic communities, and embracing humour as a form of resistance in an increasingly divisive world.
Group photograph of the onsite residency networking gathering, Pro Helvetia at Amerbach Studios, Basel
Continuing my research on photographic archives, my research coach and I made a visit to Photobastei. We, seasonal workers…”: Zurich 1931–2026 | An exhibition about visible work and invisible lives shed light on the marginalised and overlooked lives of seasonal workers, men and women who left their homes and families to work, making significant contributions to the Swiss post-war economic boom. Having previously worked on a collaborative project online archive of migration narratives in East India, I was quite intrigued by the parallels in the ways photographs can relay personal histories and lived experiences of people often reduced to labouring bodies and statistical figures. Drawn from a smorgasbord of archival material, including photographs, newspapers, documents, and interview recordings, the project by Histoire Publique was also the perfect prelude to the May Day celebration that gripped Zurich the next day.
Installation view of a series of photographs and letters from We, seasonal workers…: Zurich 1931–2026 | An exhibition about visible work and invisible lives at Photobastei
On the weekend, I found myself on a trek to a historical copper mining site called Mürtschen in the Murg Valley with my coach. While our expedition was somewhat of a failure as the way to the mine was completely covered under snow, the mountain-obsessed adventurer in me was delighted to see the cascading waterfall, moss-covered forests, and the rocky trail. Amidst the breathtaking scenery, I was reminded of the accounts of Western travellers who compared the Himalayas to the Alps. In a way, I was also doing the same thing, except the other way round.
The hiking trail to Mürtschen Mine, Murg Valley
After the slightly strenuous hike, we ended the day with a visit to the open-stage event “Chaostage” at the historical Cabaret Voltaire, the birthplace of the Dada art movement. From the solitude of remote mountain vistas to the frenetic experimental show, the sensorially contrasting experiences marked the end of my first month of residency in Switzerland.
