Masters in Scenography
2015 - 2018
Academy of Performing Arts, Prague, Czechia
Nitish Jain’s artistic practice crosses the mediums of performance art, architecture, storytelling and making objects. Interested in exploring non-visual aesthetics, he invites audiences to sense rather than see art by incorporating touch, taste, smell, listening and vision in different ways. His approach with the senses draws from phenomenology and the Indian rasa aesthetics (denoting essence, flavor or evocative phenomena). Nitish makes multi-sensory experiences with his artistic company Studio MoreThanThat. His works have been featured at various international festivals, regions and communities across Czechia, Germany, Norway, the UK, UAE and India; serving as a sensory antidote to politics of hate, race and gender.
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Education
Masters in Scenography
2015 - 2018
Academy of Performing Arts,
Prague, Czechia
Masters in Scenography
2007 - 2012
Indraprastha University, New Delhi, India
Architectural Licence: CA/2013/ 62158
Council of Architecture, Ministry of Education, India
Education
Masters in Scenography
2007 - 2012
Indraprastha University, New Delhi, India
Architectural Licence: CA/2013/ 62158 Council of Architecture, Ministry of Education, India
Awards & Grants
2024
Fellowship at the International Forum of Theatertreffen, Berliner Festspiele
2020
Selected artist for New Blood on Stage -Young Artists Program, Berliner Festspiele
2017
Forprosjekt Scenekunst Grant, project “Stories [from], [to], [by] faraway lands” ,Directorate of Culture, Arts Council, Norway
2013
SSAA Gold Medal in Architecture, Sushant School of Art and Architecture, Gurgaon, India
2012
National Thesis Award for “Ground Zero, India: a non-building as a tool of conflict resolution”, National Institute of Advanced Studies in Architecture (NIASA) and Council of Architecture (COA), India
Exhibitions & Presentations
2024
Shahi-Tukra one-to-one multisensory art therapy sessions, Lions Club International, Lucknow, India
2023
First-Hand as part of LAPER’s event ‘Presence’ November 4, One Hundred Years Gallery, London,
UK
In All Its Glory [premiere] as part of Emergency
Dances IV: Space Womb, November 13-14, Palac Akropolis, Prague, CZ
Cartography of the Disappeared Cosmos and The Forest Indoors as part of Itinerant Geographies,
April 6-10, Oyoun,
Berlin, DE
2022
Ticklish Fruits Universum: Exhibition of Art
Pedagogues, group show, November 7, 2022- August 30, 2023, SVČ Jednička & Municipal House Prague
1, Prague, CZ
Spoonfed at Wiesbaden Biennale:
International Arts Festival, September 9-11, Hessisches Staatstheater, Wiesbaden, DE
Cradle, Fragments at Open
Atelier -Nitish Jain and collective, June 18 & 19, Studio Alta, CZ
2021
Ticklish Fruits solo exhibitionNov 2021 - June 2022, ZŠ Brána jazyků, Prague, CZ
A-where-ness: A manual for exploring Prague through the senses atUrban (E)scapes, October 11, Divadlo
X10, Prague, CZ
Spoonfed touring in the regions of Czech Republic
- International Theatre Festival / Johan Presents, September 18, Moving Station, Plzen
- Zero Point Festival, July 17, Studio Alta, Prague
- Luhovany Vincent Festival, June 25, Luhačovice
- Open Air Festival, June 20, Hradec Kralove
2020
Spoonfed touring in the regions of Czech Republic
- Malá Inventura International Performing Arts Festival , Feb. 28-29, National Gallery, Prague
- Jičín Worldfest, September 5,Valdštejnská lodžie, Jičín
- Without Threads festival, Museum of Puppet Culture, August 15, Chrudim
- Skautsky Institut, January 29 and February 11, Prague
2019
Fčil Espresso Bar, Uherské Hradiště, CZ
Spoonfed
by the
Vltava
September 18 and 19 at Divadlo Ruderál, Přístav 18600, Prague
Spoonfed [premiere], June 27, Skautsky Institute, Prague
2018
Memory
Palace
group exhibition, October 10 - 28, Galerie AMU, Prague, CZ
Stories [from], [to] & [by] faraway lands [premiere], April 17-19, Strašnické Divadlo, Prague,
CZ
Exposition of Czech Republic at Sharjah Days of Heritage, March 3 - April 29, Sharjah, UAE
2017-2019A Midsummer Night’s Dream at Salon of Czech Scenography Prague & Brno, CZ, Bratislava,
SK
Collaborations
2023
[Architectural design competition entry] Czech Mushrooming Culture: Pavilion of Czechia at the World
Expo 2025 in Japan. In collaboration with creatura studio (Karel Goláň, František Novotný), Dominik
Adamec, Marek Kratochvíl et al. Prague, CZ
[Artistic research and public workshops] Itinerant Geographies- a radical proposition for unbelonging,
2022-2023. In collaboration with Diana DeFix et al. funded by #TakeHeart Performing Arts Fund BKM,
Frankfurt and Berlin, DE
2019
[Architecture, tactile and sensory installations] Tangible Territory at 36Q Blue Hour, Prague Quadrennial. In collaboration with Tereza Stehlikova; curated by Marketa Fantova, Jan K. Rolnik, Prague, CZ
2010-2015
[architecture, exhibition design] India International Jewellery Show, Mumbai. 6 annual editions of the show as lead architect with Atelier Anonyme Design, New Delhi, IN
Artistic Residencies
2024
Residency program ART, [HE]ART, [E]ART[H] at Central Periferica,June 17- October 17, Alcobaca, PT
2023
Nitish Jain and col., at Skautsky Institut, December 4-7, Prague, CZ
Nitish Jain and col., at
Surnadal Billag AS, July 4-14, Surnadalsora, Norway.
2022
Nitish Jain and col., at Studio Alta, June 15- 19, Prague, CZ.
2021
Divadlo X10 (virtual residency), August 20-25, Prague, CZ
Pedagogy & Workshops
2024
[workshop] Thinking through the body: sensing spaces , March 18-19 at Interior and Furniture Design department, Unitedworld Institute of Design NCR, Sohna , IN
2019 - 2023
[ESL teacher] B2 and C1 English, Brána jazyků primary school, Prague, CZ
2022
[workshop] Embodiment: Spatiality via lived experience, August 18, School of Art and Architecture,
Sushant University, Gurugram, IN
[online workshop] a-where-ness: sense your city, as part of M.Arch Capstone - Master Strokes, July 28,
2022, for Postgraduate programmes, School of Art and Architecture, Sushant University, Gurugram, IN
[workshop] Body, Space, Sensing as part of Oyoun Berlin’s (De)Coding Trajectories, April 22, Studio Alta
Prague, CZ
2013-2015
Sushant School of Art and Architecture, Ansal University, Gurgaon, IN
- [Assistant professor and module head, 2nd Year design studio] Visual language through material systems in Mandvi, Gujrat, January - May 2015
- [Assistant professor, 2nd Year design studio] Architectural design through human experience, August - December 2014
- [Assistant professor, 2nd Year design studio] Visual language through material systems in Wai, Maharashtra, January - May, 2014
- [Assistant professor, 2nd Year design studio] Emotive Spatialities, August - December 2013
- [Guest lecturer, 1st Year design studio and 5th Year Bachelor’s Thesis studio] March-May 2013
Symposiums, Papers & Talks
2024
Artist talk From Spectacle to Intimacy: engaging attention with the senses, March 18 at Unitedworld Institute of Design NCR, Sohna, IN
2023
Artist talk From Spectacle to Intimacy, November 30, AMU Symposium on Performance Art and Intimacy, Prague, CZ
2018
Paper publication Visual Narrative and Interiority, authors: Amrita Madan and Nitish Jain at Inarch International Conference: ‘The stories of the interior’ at Universitas Indonesia, Depok, Indonesia
2018
Paper publication Visual Narrative and Interiority, authors: Amrita Madan and Nitish Jain at Inarch International Conference: ‘The stories of the interior’ at Universitas Indonesia, Depok, Indonesia
2017
Paper presentation Spatial Narratives: Storytelling through Space, October 12 -14, Porous Borders
Symposium of Prague Quadrennial, Prague, CZ
Paper presentation Scenography,
Visual and Performing Arts as Tools of Architectural Space Making, January 21, 2nd International
Conference on Design Pedagogy and Contextual Aesthetics, National Institute of Technology Calicut, IN
2015
Paper publication Contemporary Exploration of Traditional Material Systems in Wai, Maharashtra, India, authors: Amrita Madan and Nitish Jain, in the journal Context: Built, Living and natural, Volume XI, Issue 1
Pedagogy & Workshops
2024
[workshop] Thinking through the body: sensing spaces , March 18-19 at Interior and Furniture Design department, Unitedworld Institute of Design NCR, Sohna , IN
2019 - 2023
[ESL teacher] B2 and C1 English, Brána jazyků primary school, Prague, CZ
2022
[workshop] Embodiment: Spatiality via lived experience, August 18, School of Art and Architecture,
Sushant University, Gurugram, IN
[online workshop] a-where-ness: sense your city, as part of M.Arch Capstone - Master Strokes, July 28,
2022, for Postgraduate programmes, School of Art and Architecture, Sushant University, Gurugram, IN
[workshop] Body, Space, Sensing as part of Oyoun Berlin’s (De)Coding Trajectories, April 22, Studio Alta
Prague, CZ
2013-2015
Sushant School of Art and Architecture, Ansal University, Gurgaon, IN
- [Assistant professor and module head, 2nd Year design studio] Visual language through material systems in Mandvi, Gujrat, January - May 2015
- [Assistant professor, 2nd Year design studio] Architectural design through human experience, August - December 2014
- [Assistant professor, 2nd Year design studio] Visual language through material systems in Wai, Maharashtra, January - May, 2014
- [Assistant professor, 2nd Year design studio] Emotive Spatialities, August - December 2013
- [Guest lecturer, 1st Year design studio and 5th Year Bachelor’s Thesis studio] March-May 2013
Symposiums, Papers & Talks
2024
Artist talk From Spectacle to Intimacy: engaging attention with the senses, March 18 at Unitedworld Institute of Design NCR, Sohna, IN
2023
Artist talk From Spectacle to Intimacy, November 30, AMU Symposium on Performance Art and Intimacy, Prague, CZ
2018
Paper publication Visual Narrative and Interiority, authors: Amrita Madan and Nitish Jain at Inarch International Conference: ‘The stories of the interior’ at Universitas Indonesia, Depok, Indonesia
2018
Paper publication Visual Narrative and Interiority, authors: Amrita Madan and Nitish Jain at Inarch International Conference: ‘The stories of the interior’ at Universitas Indonesia, Depok, Indonesia
2017
Paper presentation Spatial Narratives: Storytelling through Space, October 12 -14, Porous Borders
Symposium of Prague Quadrennial, Prague, CZ
Paper presentation Scenography,
Visual and Performing Arts as Tools of Architectural Space Making, January 21, 2nd International
Conference on Design Pedagogy and Contextual Aesthetics, National Institute of Technology Calicut, IN
2015
Paper publication Contemporary Exploration of Traditional Material Systems in Wai, Maharashtra, India, authors: Amrita Madan and Nitish Jain, in the journal Context: Built, Living and natural, Volume XI, Issue 1
Media Features
2024
Theatre, Fragility, and Connection: An Intimate Space by Réka Deák, March 21, published on the blog Podhoubí - an online space for thoughts on experimental theatre
2023
Critique on (In All Its Glory) at Emergency Dances IV.: Space Womb by
Marie Puchernová, December 12, published on operaplus.com
These Hands are Having a Bit of a Chat. Thoughts on Experienced Intimacy at Palác Akropolis (in
Czech and in
English) by Barbora Sedláková, November 27, published on the blog Podhoubí - an online space for
thoughts on experimental theatre
Podcast Interview Odborník na
Kytici, který neumí česky, Nitish Jain (in Czech and English), published
on the leading Czech literary podcast Literarni Hysterie (Literary Hysteria) by Karolina Meixnerova
2022
Critique on
Theatre,
Spoonfed at the Wiesbaden Biennale (in German with English translation), by Brigitta Lamparth,
September 12, published in Wiesbaden Kurier
Interview I build architecture in the theater that is not seen (in
Czech and in
English) Nitish Jain with Barbora Etlikova, published on the blog Podhoubí - an online space for
thoughts on experimental theatre
theatre
Fčil Espresso Bar featured in gastronomy documentary Czech it Out, ep. 2- Uherské Hradište, April 1, HBO
Max
2021
Spoonfed mentioned in the review of Zero Point: Amusement Park of Emotions (in Czech) by Hana Strejčková - ..work[ing] with sensory perception, the chamber performance Spoonfed by author Nitish Jain and a collective for one to three spectators unfolded repeatedly . They focused on Erben's Bouquet in a minimalistic (mainly object-oriented) communication. The viewer, or more precisely the participant, sat alone at the table, restricted by a blindfold, with headphones on his ears separating him from the surroundings and with open palms, he received stimuli from the outside, liquid or loose, warm, fragrant and other, and created his own inner story. , July 19, on the Czech dance magazine Dance Context
2020
Spoonfed mentioned in the review of Lodžie Worldfest 2020 (in Czech) by Barbora Etlíková - …the tactile and particularly intensely "internally tactile" production Spoonfed by the Indian artist Nitish Jain, whose work I literally touched with a blindfold…. , September 8, on the Czech theatre blog Nadivadlo