108 Reasons To Love Art and Alka Pande - A Conversation With Kamini Sawhney

The Literary City

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This special edition of The Literary City is a conversation about the transformative power of the arts—particularly the visual arts. Often misunderstood or overlooked, the arts hold the potential to nourish the mind and soul, offering cultural insights that resonate deeply with our lives today.

In this episode, guest host Kamini Sawhney sits in for Ramjee Chandran. She speaks to Dr. Alka Pande, a distinguished art historian, curator, teacher, and writer whose work spans over three decades. Known for her ability to make complex ideas relatable, Dr. Pande has delved into themes of gender identity, sexuality, and traditional arts, engaging audiences with her thought-provoking research and accessible storytelling.

In this episode, we also discuss her monumental project, 108 Portraits of Indian Culture & Heritage, an encyclopedic 14-volume series exploring the evolution of Indian art and aesthetics across disciplines like music, dance, sculpture, architecture, crafts, and photography.

Join us as we uncover the relevance and richness of Indian art through the lens of one of its most passionate champions.
ABOUT ALKA PANDE
Dr. Pande’s journey began at Punjab University, where she taught art history for over 20 years. Her academic path took her to London’s Goldsmiths, University of London, on the Charles Wallace award to study critical art theory. Upon returning to India, she revitalised the Visual Arts Gallery at the India Habitat Centre in Delhi, establishing it as a hub for modern and contemporary art. She has also contributed to the development of cultural spaces like the Bihar Museum, Udaipur City Palace, and Kanha Museum in Madhya Pradesh.

As an author, Dr. Pande is celebrated for exploring subjects often avoided, such as sensuality and eroticism in Indian art and culture. Her acclaimed works include Ardhanarisvara: The Androgyne Probing the Gender Within, Body Sutra, Shringara: The Many Faces of Indian Beauty, and Phallus: A Cultural History. Through her writing, she challenges colonial and voyeuristic narratives, presenting an authentic understanding of these themes in Indian culture.
ABOUT KAMINI SAWHNEY
Kamini Sawhney is a seasoned museum professional with nearly 15 years of experience. In 2022, she became the first Indian elected to the Board of CIMAM (International Committee for Museums and Collections of Modern Art).

Until April 2024, Sawhney served as the founding Director of the Museum of Art & Photography (MAP) in Bangalore, India's tech capital. Under her leadership, MAP redefined the museum experience for Indian audiences, emphasising inclusivity and accessibility. She also guided MAP’s digital-first launch in December 2020.

Previously, Sawhney headed the Jehangir Nicholson Art Foundation (2011–2019), one of India’s premier private collections of modern art, housed at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya (CSMVS) in Mumbai. She has fostered collaborations with institutions like Tate (London), Foam (Amsterdam), Duke University (Durham), and the British Museum (London).

Sawhney’s work continues to bridge audiences and institutions, championing art as a space for dialogue, learning, and connection.

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