Supported by JSW and curated by independent researcher and curator, Shaleen Wadhwana, the 2026 Talks Programme– Rising to Challenge, brings together artists, curators, thinkers, and cultural leaders to address the overarching question: What Makes Art Happen? Each panel responds to this question with a “challenge”— from long-standing issues of access, accountability and social difference, to urgent contemporary concerns such as Artificial Intelligence and indigenizing cultural spaces.
All talks are conducted in English and Indian Sign Language (ISL), with some talks in Hindi, Punjabi, Odia, and Saura* live translated for the audience.
*Saura (also known as Soura or Sora) is recognised as one of the oldest Indigenous languages of the Indian subcontinent
THEMATIC PREMISE
In the fifth year of its existence, the Artist-In-Residence Programme at IAF is crucial to situating the voices of the emerging artists of India and South Asia. This years’ artists have environment, nature, archival memory, technology and human interaction as a common thread through all their practices. Whilst showcasing their practice in this panel, we are engaging with the first decade of an artists’ career, understanding the economic and financial sustainability of the future remains ever-present. Hence, the challenge addressed here is : Engaging with the undeniable existence of the arts market, how should artists’ be navigating the desire to create, the everyday practice and rigour of discipline, the longevity of their career in a capitalist economy without compromising on the soul of their practice?
SPEAKERS
ARUN B
Artist-in-Residence, India Art Fair 2026
Arun B is a multidisciplinary artist working across sculpture, installation, and drawing. From Kerala and now in Baroda, his practice explores the complex relationship between humans and nature, questioning coexistence without imposition. Trained in sculpture, his work has evolved from shaping static forms to creating interactive spaces that activate dialogue, memory, and perception, preserving the cultural and historical significance of organic materials, metal, and found objects while integrating them into new contexts. His recent exhibits include The Sacred & The Splintered – a solo at Method Kala Ghoda (2025), Waiting Room at Gallery 27, Kochi (2025) and From Field to Frame at Conflictorium, Ahmedabad (2024). He is currently exhibiting in the group show Edam in Mattancherry as part of the Kochi Muziris Biennale 2025 – 2026.
DUMIDUNI ILLANGASINGHE
Artist-in-Residence, India Art Fair 2026
Supported by and in collaboration with KALĀ South Asia
Dumiduni Illangasinghe is a visual artist based in Colombo whose practice explores the intricate relationship between nature, emotion, and materiality. Currently pursuing an MFA in Painting at the Faculty of Visual Arts, Banaras Hindu University, she holds a BFA in Visual Arts from the University of Visual and Performing Arts, Colombo (2023). Through painting and mixed media, Illangasinghe translates close observations of texture and movement into visual meditations that balance sensitivity and structure, using abstraction to articulate interior states of being. Her work has been exhibited at KHOJ Studios, New Delhi (2025); Saskia Fernando Gallery, Colombo (2024); the International Exhibition of Painting at Nepal Academy of Fine Arts, Kathmandu (2024); and Colomboscope, Colombo (2024). She was also shortlisted for the Art Future Awards (2023).
FARHIN AFZA
Artist-in-Residence, India Art Fair 2026
Farhin Afza is a visual artist born in Bihar Sharif and based in Hyderabad. She has an MFA from University of Hyderabad. At Jamia Millia Islamia, Delhi, she did BFA and MA in social exclusion. Afza draws inspiration from her family’s heritage in weaving and clothing trade, crafting narratives of memory, belonging, and identity rooted in South Asian Muslim domestic life. Her research-driven practice engages with family photographs and household dining practices, juxtaposing them with episodes of violence. Recipient of the Immerse Fellowship 5.0, Imaginarium 5.0 award, and Kalasakhi award 2023, she has exhibited at Emami Art, Gallerie Splash, Srishti Art Gallery, and Hyderabad Literary Festival and attended residencies at Arthshila, Siwan and Kalasakshi, Delhi.
SHRENI
Artist-in-Residence, India Art Fair 2026
Shreni is an interdisciplinary artist blending art, design, and technology into compelling narratives. She proposes a symbiotic future where the organic and the digital fray, regenerate, and breathe together. Her practice is an act of speculative biology, where she uses code, sensors and 3D forms not to mimic nature, but to cultivate new, hybrid specimens. Leveraging a decade-long background in design to inform her visual precision, Sanghvi creates immersive environments where technology collaborates with the organic rather than conquering it: a symbiosis with nature as a collaborator. She is one of the recipients of the Entangled Ecosystems Grant from Science Gallery Bengaluru and Shared Ecologies supported by the Shyama Foundation.
MODERATOR
HENA KAPADIA
Founder and Gallery Director, TARQ
Hena Kapadia is founder and gallery director of TARQ, a contemporary art gallery in Mumbai established in 2014. She holds a master’s in Modern and Contemporary Art World Practice from Christie’s Education, University of Glasgow, London, having previously studied art history and economics at Tufts University. TARQ, meaning “discussion and debate” in Sanskrit, was conceived as an incubator for young contemporary artists, pushing boundaries of how contemporary art in India is exhibited and perceived. The gallery’s ethos encourages thoughtful art collecting through process-driven and conceptually rigorous exhibitions. TARQ’s outreach programs include workshops, gallery walk-throughs, and talks aimed at developing informed viewership.
