States » SouthPosted at: Oct 30 2026 12:05PM


StoneX brings French artists to Rajasthan to explore stone heritage

Bengaluru, Oct 30 (UNI) In a significant cultural collaboration seeking to place Rajasthan’s centuries-old stone and craft traditions in conversation with contemporary international art, StoneX Global has joined hands with the French Institute in India (IFI) and Villa Swagatam to launch a three-year artist residency programme in Kishangarh.
The initiative will bring French artists to the heart of Rajasthan’s stone industry, offering them an opportunity to engage with its landscape, geological heritage, traditional craftsmanship and artisan communities, while exploring how local materials and knowledge can inspire contemporary artistic expression.
French sculptor and multidisciplinary artist Vincent Voillat and artist-designer Sophia Taillet have been selected for the inaugural 42-day residency, running from October 25 to December 5.
Their works will subsequently be showcased at the India Art, Architecture and Design Biennale (IAADB) 2026, organised by the Ministry of Culture, at the historic Red Fort from December 4.
The collaboration goes beyond a conventional artist residency, seeking to establish Kishangarh as a meeting point for international creative practices and indigenous material knowledge. By bringing visiting artists into direct interaction with local artisans, the programme aims to explore the relationship between craftsmanship, cultural memory, geography and contemporary design.
Voillat's artistic practice centres on geological formations, rock samples and archaeological layers, examining the relationship between territory, its inhabitants and collective memory. His engagement with Kishangarh's stone landscape offers an opportunity to explore the material beyond its industrial and commercial applications.
Taillet, whose work lies at the intersection of art, design and craft, explores how movement and gestures can be translated into material forms. She works closely with artisans, workshops, dancers and composers, and has exhibited at Palais de Tokyo, Fondation Pernod Ricard and Musée de la Chasse et de la Nature.
Grégor Trumel, Director of the French Institute in India, said the partnership brought a distinctive dimension to the Villa Swagatam network by placing material, craftsmanship and geographical identity at the centre of cultural exchange.
He said Kishangarh offered an extraordinary setting for French artists to encounter Rajasthan through its landscapes, artisans and living traditions, while contributing their own artistic perspectives.
StoneX Global Group CMO Sushant Pathak said the residency extended the philosophy of The Guild in Kishangarh, which represents the company's engagement with stone, craftsmanship, knowledge and mastery.
He said the initiative would allow artists to experience Kishangarh as a living ecosystem of material knowledge, craft and culture rather than merely a place associated with stone.
Princess Vaishnavi Kumari of Kishangarh, who is associated with the initiative as a selection panel member and patron of community and artisanship, said the programme would bring regional artistic traditions into dialogue with contemporary practices from another cultural setting.
She said such exchanges would enrich artists and artisans while drawing renewed attention to Kishangarh's artistic heritage and living traditions.
The selection panel also included Sweta Agrawal, Director, StoneX Art; sculptor Shanthamani Muddaiah; Darren Watson, Creative Director, StoneX Global; and former French Cultural Attachée Amandine Roggeman.
Villa Swagatam, launched in March 2023 by the French Institute in India and the Embassy of France, operates a network of around 30 residency partners across France and South Asia, facilitating collaborations among artists, writers and cultural practitioners.
Established in 2003, StoneX Global operates in the natural stone sector, with The Guild in Kishangarh serving as its centre for research, refinement and craftsmanship.
UNI BDN
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