Vagamon Art Residency

In May 2015, the Palette People International Art Foundation, in collaboration with the Kochi Biennale Foundation, hosted a 10-day Post Graduate Artist Residency at the Palette People Residency space in Vagamon, Idukki. The initiative was designed to support recent graduates from five government art colleges in Kerala, providing them with a focused space to explore their artistic practice and prepare for the next phase of their journey.

Eight emerging artists were selected through an open call, and provided with materials, mentorship, accommodation, and travel support. The residency fostered a peer-led environment of collaboration and critical dialogue. The works created during the residency were later showcased at an exhibition in Kochi and featured on the Kochi Biennale Foundation’s online portal, helping introduce young talent to a wider audience.

 As part of the UN-designated International Year of Water Cooperation, and in alignment with the first edition of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale (2012), Palette People International Art Foundation curated and presented White Drops — the largest land art installation in India at the time. Executed on a hillside in Vagamon, Kerala, this monumental project was designed to raise awareness about water conservation and ecological sustainability in the Western Ghats, one of the most sensitive biodiversity hotspots in the world.

Using white-painted natural formations and strategic placement across the green landscape, the artwork evoked the symbolism of water drops, both as a celebration of life and a warning against its scarcity. White Drops was made in collaboration with local residents and artists.

In May 2020, Palette People International Art Foundation launched the COVID-19 relief iinitiative to support independent artists affected by the pandemic.  Through an open-call process, 40 practising artists, particularly those with no alternate income, were selected to receive a one-time grant of ₹5,000 each.

The initiative focused on aiding visual artists such as painters and sculptors who had been active in the art world but severely impacted by the lockdown. The selection was overseen by a committee of art professionals, and all communications and transfers were handled confidentially. It is Palette People’s mission to stand by the artist community in times of crisis.