Christopher Kaczmarek Expands International Practice Through Fulbright Research and Global Exhibitions

Christopher Kaczmarek, Associate Professor in the Department of Art and Design at Montclair State University, recently expanded his interdisciplinary art practice through international research, teaching, exhibitions, and collaborative projects in India and Italy.

Kaczmarek received a Fulbright-Nehru Academic and Professional Excellence Award to conduct interdisciplinary research and teaching at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur in India. During his Fulbright experience, he developed and taught collaborative, cross-cultural coursework centered on walking as inquiry, participatory practice, and collective project-making.

His work in India also included field research with artists, collectives, and collaborative exhibition spaces, helping to expand his international network and further develop approaches to socially engaged art.

One of the resulting projects, Walking on the Moon: IIT Kanpur 2026, transformed the Apollo 11 astronauts’ paths on the lunar surface into a full-scale, walkable drawing. 

Kaczmarek also completed an artist residency in northern Italy, where he co-presented RESPIRO, a site-responsive exhibition featuring video, performance, installation, and participatory work at the historic Chiesa di Sant’Antonio/Museo Camuno.

The international projects extended beyond the exhibitions and classroom. Kaczmarek participated in invited artist talks and public presentations and contributed to a bilingual exhibition catalogue. His work also received international media attention and critical coverage, further extending the reach of his socially engaged artistic practice.

Together, these projects reflect Kaczmarek’s ongoing exploration of art as a collaborative and participatory practice while strengthening connections between the College of the Arts and international artistic communities.