Curators Zasha Colah (Curator, 13th Berlin Biennale for Contemporary Art, 2025), Tarini Malik, (Curator, Contemporary Art, Royal Academy of the Arts, London & Shane Akeroyd Associate Curator of the British Pavilion at the 60th Venice Biennale 2024), Yina Jiménez Suriel (Adjunct Curator, 14th Bienal do Mercosul, 2025) and Prabhakar Kamble (Independent Curator, Artist, Cultural Activist, Convener of Secular Art Movement, India) speak with Joyoti Roy (Assistant Director, Projects and Public Relations & Lead curator, Ancient World Project, CSMVS Museum, Mumbai, India) about their professional journey.
*Yina Jiménez Suriel’s participation is generously supported by the Embassy of the Dominican Republic in the Republic of India
*Tarini Malik’s participation is generously supported by the British Council India
Curating [today] is a role which fluidly encompasses exhibition design, writing, transport, logistics, ideation, execution, people management. With bigger and wider curations including curatorial voices from across the globe – the representation from the lens of age, race, region and other social identifiers – this journey becomes laden with change and responsibility for the generations to come and audiences that will view and engage with these curatorial practices. Having this large responsibility entrusted to represent regions rides on the shoulders of curators in the global arena. To unpack these thoughts, this panel situates curators from across the globe to better engage with the following questions of curatorial practices, and the realities of this profession today.
Generously supported by JSW, the IAF 2025 Talks Series, Growing Focus, curated by independent researcher and curator Shaleen Wadhwana, examines the increasing prominence of South Asia within contemporary art, design and culture. The series highlights the efforts of People of the Global Majority — comprising more than 80 per cent of the world’s population, with roots in Indigenous, African, Asian and Latin American cultures — who are asserting their presence across arts and cultural ecosystems. Amid the ongoing decentering of dominant ‘Global North’ narratives, it frames this moment not merely as a response to decolonisation but as landmark, historic self-determination. We explore this impact for audiences today and every day.
Zasha Colah: Zasha Colah is the artistic director of Ar/Ge Kunst with Francesca Verga (Bolzano, 2023–). Lecturer in Curatorial Studies Nuova Accademia di Belle Arti (Milan, 2018–). Founding member of Clark House Initiative (Mumbai, 2010–22). Co-curated the 3rd Pune Biennale with Luca Cerizza (2017) and in the curatorial team led by Marco Scotini of the 2nd Yinchuan Biennale (2018). Curator of the 13th Berlin Biennale (2025).
Tarini Malik: Tarini Malik is currently Curator of Contemporary Art at the Royal Academy of Arts in London. In 2024, she curated the British Pavilion at the 60th Venice Biennale working with artist John Akomfrah. Previously, she was curator at the Whitechapel Gallery and the Hayward Gallery, UK.
Yina Jiménez Suriel: Yina Jiménez Suriel is Adjunct Curator of the 14th Bienal do Mercosul (2025); Curator of The Current IV (2023-2025) by TBA21-Academy and Associate Editor of Contemporary And (C&) for Latin America and the Caribbean. Yina was co-curator of the section Opening of ARCOmadrid 2023 and 2024.
Prabhakar Kamble: Prabhakar Kamble is Mumbai based artist, curator and cultural activist. His practice involves curatorial projects in equal measure as does his personal practice. He responds and represents immediate social realities as well as personal and collective histories, through Ambedkarite consciousness that emerges through Dalit consciousness. His performances are often complex commentaries on the society, marked by symbolic use of material, either found or made, and at times heightened by the representation of a colour.
Joyoti Roy: Joyoti Roy, Assistant Director, Projects & Public Relations, and Lead Curator, CSMVS Ancient World Project, CSMVS Museum, Mumbai, is interested in the social role of museums and believes that arts institutions have the key responsibility to shape and reflect people’s futures. She has been an arts’ and museum manager and until recently she was heading the Outreach Department of National Museum, Delhi.
