26 August,2012 09:05 AM IST | | Nivedita Dargalkar
Renowned art historian and curator Dr Arshiya Lokhandwala is all set to mentor and conduct free workshops for budding curators on the art and dynamics of curating at Lakeeren Art Gallery in Colaba.
"Young curators and scholars can come and discuss their projects with me. I will be happy to advise them on the art of curating and answer questions related to art history," says Lokhandwala, who takes credit for curating and presenting over 75 exhibitions on Indian contemporary art.
Art historian and curator Arshiya Lokhandwala at Lakeeren, a contemporary art gallery. Pic/Bipin Kokate
"Young curators have a host of questions which range from how to hold an exhibition, to different ways of curating ancient and contemporary Indian art, and how to write an article for an art publication, etc. By interacting with them one-on-one, I will help and guide them to channelise their efforts," explains Lokhandwala.
Lokhandwala, whose areas of work include globalisation, feminism, performance and new media art practices, feels curating will emerge as a popular career option amongst youngsters in Mumbai.
"The art curating scene in Mumbai has completely changed from ten years ago. Young curators now have excellent career opportunities and great potential for development not only in India but also abroad," says Lokhandwala, who will hold a symposium on ancient and contemporary India art at New York in October.
In continuation with Lokhandwala's initiative to engage with critical discourse and questions of art history, the gallery will also open its library to the public on August 29 from 5 to 6 pm.
"The gallery will be turned into a research pod. Young curators are welcome to come and use the gallery as a research station and even invite their friends and peers to discuss, argue and share different forms of art," says Lokhandwala.
Lokhandwala, who has been in the curating profession for the last 18 years, strongly feels that the new breed of curators should be guided by their predecessors in order to up the quality of curating.
"Curating cannot be learnt, but only acquired through experience. When I started out, I was guided by my seniors who wholeheartedly shared their curating experiences with me. Through my workshops, I intend to pass on this goodwill gesture to the younger generation," concludes Lokhandwala, who is all set to curate the show the Rising Phoenix - a conversation between modern and contemporary Indian art at the Queens Museum in New York in 2014.
