THE HARKAT LAB

Harkat has been working with photochemical film and its devices since the past 8 years and has been able to slowly bring to life a continuing practice in photo chemical film. We’ve made many handmade films of our own, make installations and experiences, curate and host the annual 16mm film festival, and are the only exhibition space to be able to screen 8mm, 16mm and 35mm.  

The Harkat lab gives artists, makers and enthusiasts the space, tools and knowledge to work with the celluloid medium. Artists can develop black and white reversal film, colour film and even experiment with 19th century photochemical techniques at the studio. They also get access to equipment for making their own handmade films. We hold regular workshops at the lab and are continuously working on restoring and collecting more film equipment. 

The labs’ intent is to explore Indian thought in film and function as an incubator of sorts, infusing a new wave of ideas in the moving image vocabulary, using the celluloid medium. This is directly in line with our ongoing curatorial, ‘India on Film’, first exhibited at the Serendipity Arts Festival 2019, investigating the relationship between the art and craft of making on film in the Indian context. And that remains the cornerstone of the lab itself. 

We facilitate both artistic and commercial projects with the photochemical medium. Get in touch.