Sharing Experiences: Nikhil Vettukattil on Residency at Artica Svalbard
Nikhil Vettukattil in Svalbard, 2023.
In a recent interview with OCA, artist Nikhil Vettukattil reflects on his experience with us during the autumn of 2023, where he began a project exploring the Nordic diet, food systems, and the paradoxes of sustainability in extreme environments.
“During my three months in residence at Artica Svalbard, I began an art project around the ‘Nordic diet’, the food system in Norway and other northern countries, and the climate crisis, within the extreme context of Longyearbyen. I did not realise at the time that it would grow into an ongoing work that has preoccupied me ever since.”
Vettukattil’s work draws on conceptual art practices and personal experience to examine how food shapes our lives, identities, and ecological relationships. During his residency, he turned everyday consumption into part of his research, engaged in spontaneous conversations with the local community, and reflected on the ethical contradictions of life in the High North.
“Turning my everyday consumption into part of my research allowed me to extend the resources I had to do my work. It also changes my life, and so then informs my thinking and the work I make.”
The residency marked a turning point in Vettukattil’s wider practice, connecting him with new collaborators and perspectives across art, science, and activism. His reflections offer an inspiring glimpse into the kind of research and relationships the residency makes possible.
Read the full interview with Nikhil Vettukattil on the OCA website
Interested in applying?
Applications are now open for our 2026 residency programme, offered in collaboration with the Office for Contemporary Art Norway (OCA). The residency invites artists, writers, and researchers to live and work in the extraordinary Arctic environment of Svalbard.
The programme includes:
Return travel to and from Svalbard
Private accommodation in Longyearbyen
A stipend to support your work during the residency
We encourage anyone with a curious mind and an engaged practice to apply.
Whether you're working with climate, culture, community, or questions yet to be defined, Artica Svalbard offers time, space, and the inspiration of the Arctic to help your ideas take shape.
Deadline: 23 May 2025
Apply now for an OCA nominated residency at Artica Svalbard in 2026.