Amar Kanwar and NayanTara Gurung Kakshapati discuss ways to show art and create spaces for audience engagement given the challenges of limited infrastructure, growing political constraints and increasing pressures for censorship in South Asia today.

Amar Kanwar lives and works in Delhi, his recent solo exhibitions have been at Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza, Madrid and Marian Goodman Gallery, Paris, LUMA foundation, Arles, France and Tate Modern, London, Bildmuseet, Umea, Sweden (2017), Goethe Institut Mumbai and Center for Contemporary Art, Singapore, Assam State Museum. Kanwar is also a recipient of Prince Claus Award (2017); Creative Time Prize (2014); Honorary Doctorate in Fine Arts, Maine College of Art, USA (2006); Munch Award for Contemporary Art, Norway (2005); Golden Gate Award, San Francisco International Film Festival, USA (1999), Golden Conch, Mumbai International Film Festival, India (1998).

NayanTara Gurung Kakshapati lives in Kathmandu, Nepal and works at the intersections of visual storytelling, research, pedagogy, and collective action. In 2007, she co-founded photo.circle; a platform that facilitates learning, exhibition making, and publishing opportunities for Nepali photographers that is working in increasingly trans-disciplinary ways. In 2011, she co-founded Nepal Picture Library; a digital archiving initiative that works towards diversifying Nepali social and cultural history. NayanTara is also the co-founder and Festival Director of Photo Kathmandu, an international festival that takes place in Kathmandu every two years.