Nestled at the end of a long and winding road with houses on both sides, built one on top the other in Ayanagar, is Farm 8 — Rashmi Kaleka’s sanctuary where art, nature and regenerative farming converge. “This place isn’t just mine — it belongs to everyone who contributes to it.” she says, treating a piece of wood that she’s rescued from the termites. “The protagonist in this particular place has become the termite.” explaining the deliberate placement of wood around the farm to keep the termites engaged, and most importantly away from the plants.
I do look at the markings of termites, and I think of that as my artwork.
Her multidisciplinary practice spans art, sound, and farming, reflecting her deep commitment to reimagining the relationship between humans and the natural world.
Designed by Studio Array with minimalist, eco-conscious blueprint, the space combines reclaimed materials with sustainable architecture to beat the heat in summer and keep warm in Delhi’s harsh winters. Farm8 is a thriving ecosystem – part edible forest, part studio, and part community space. For Kaleka, art is not static but a living form, deeply intertwined with her Kenyan childhood memories of soundscapes and ecosystems.
“My artwork tends to be a living form, which I am very much a part of” she shares.
Farm8 embodies this philosophy, offering a generative space for artists from around the world to engage with themes of ecology and sustainability.
In this BMW Artist Film, Kaleka leads us through her world—a studio brimming with life, surrounded by lush yet largely undisturbed plant beds and fermentation drums, a testament to her belief in art as an active, living process.
Born in 1957 in Nairobi, Kenya, Rashmi Kaleka lives and works in New Delhi, India.