Asim Waqif

Delhi-based Asim Waqif cultivates an arts practice at the intersection of architecture, art, and design, with a strong contextual reference to contemporary urban design and the politics of occupying, intervening in, using public spaces. Some of his projects have developed within abandoned and derelict buildings in Delhi that act as hidden activity spaces for the marginalized. Concerns of ecology and anthropology often weave through Waqif’s work and he has done extensive research on vernacular systems of ecological management, especially with respect to water, waste, and architecture. His artworks often employ manual processes that are deliberately pain-staking and laborious though the products themselves are temporary. Waqif studied architecture at the School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi and is now a visiting faculty there. After initially working as an art director for film and television, he transitioned to creating independent videos and documentaries before moving to a dedicated art practice in 2010. His recent projects have been featured at the Kochi Muziris Biennale (2022); Durga Puja Pandal in Kolkata (2019); Offsite, Vancouver Art Gallery (2017); the 8th Asia-Pacific Triennial (2015); the Palais de Tokyo, Paris (2012); and a residency at the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture, USA (2011).