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
Art is the capsule that documents time as it happens. From popular cultural moments to nuanced alternate commentaries of our time —art and culture in the form of stories, curriculum, films, exhibitions and artworks outlives us all because it is seen and viewed by people of its time. In this process of seeing and viewing, audiences visit, dream, engage with, think about art – making sure that this engagement between culture and the public continues to make art relevant, topical and urgent.
Hence, in this panel, we concentrate on those cultural leaders that work with public spaces and advocate to bring the public in – as part of their practice as well as institution. We aim to understand the challenges and triumphs of ensuring how to make sure that the public remains at the center of how culture and art shape themselves.
SPEAKERS
DR. ALEXANDRA MUNROE
Senior Curator At Large, Global Arts at the Guggenheim Museum, New York
Alexandra Munroe, PhD is Senior Curator At Large, Global Arts at the Guggenheim Museum, New York. She is an award-winning curator, Asia scholar and author focusing on polycentric modernisms and institutional global-arts strategy. A pioneering authority on modern and contemporary art from East Asia, she is internationally renown for her early and abiding advocacy of global art history, arguing for the fundamental transculturalism of certain artistic movements in Japan, China, and Korea – and of modernism more broadly. The Japanese government bestowed Munroe with the Japan Foundation Award (2017) and the Commissioner for Cultural Affairs Award (2018), in recognition of her contributions to Japanese art; and was the 2024 recipient of the Japan Society Award and the 2025 Asia Society GameChanger Award. She is a trustee of the American Academy in Rome and is Chair of the Aspen Music Festival and School.
Dr. Alexandra Munroe’s participation is supported by Saat Saath Arts Foundation by Nature Morte
PROF. ABHAY SARDESAI
Director of Dr. Shantilal K. Somaiya School of Art
Abhay Sardesai is the Director of the Dr. Shantilal K. Somaiya School of Art at Somaiya Vidyavihar University, Mumbai. He has taught aesthetics and literary criticism at University of Mumbai, SNDT University, and Tata Institute of Social Sciences. He has also served as the Editor of ART India magazine from 2002 to 2024, developing a Culture Studies-oriented approach across 75 volumes. A translator from Marathi, Konkani, and Hindi, Sardesai curated Bibliopolis at David Sassoon Library, Mumbai (2023). His extensive lectures and writings on art and literature have established him as a leading voice in Indian art criticism.
NORA ALDABAL
Art and Culture Advisor
As a Cultural Advisor at the Ministry of Culture in Saudi Arabia, Nora contributes to shaping national cultural strategy and advancing museum development, and cultural diplomacy programs that bridge Saudi Arabia’s rich legacy with global innovation. Her work focuses on developing cross-sectoral frameworks that nurture collaboration between artists, designers, institutions, and creative industries, anchored in the Kingdom’s cultural identity and Vision 2030 ambitions. Previously, as Executive Director of Arts and Creative Industries at the Royal Commission for AlUla, Nora led a multidisciplinary team to build AlUla’s identity as a cradle of artistic inspiration. She spearheaded landmark initiatives such as Wadi AlFann, Desert X AlUla, the Contemporary Art Museum, and artist-in-residence programs that positioned AlUla as a global destination for art in dialogue with nature. With over 15 years of experience in art and design management, spanning roles with institutions like the Centre Pompidou, auction houses, Ithra and the Saudi General Entertainment Authority, Nora brings a unique perspective at the intersection of cultural diplomacy, artistic excellence, and sustainable development.
Her ongoing mission is to cultivate the conditions for creativity to thrive, expanding the boundaries of cultural exchange, innovation, and collaboration across communities, industries, and generations.
JITISH KALLAT
Contemporary artist; Artistic Director, Kochi-Muziris Biennale (2014)
Jitish Kallat (b. 1974, Mumbai) is a contemporary artist whose work probes the intersections of science, historical memory, and existential inquiry, often reflecting on planetary presence and humanity’s place in the cosmos. His solo exhibitions have been held at the Art Institute of Chicago; Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney; Frist Art Museum, Nashville; Ian Potter Museum of Art, Melbourne; Dr. Bhau Daji Lad Museum, Mumbai; the Philadelphia Museum of Art; and the National Gallery of Modern Art, New Delhi, which presented a mid-career survey in 2017. His work has also been shown in major biennales and triennials including Venice, Gwangju, Havana and Kyiv. He serves on the Board of the Kochi Biennale Foundation.
DR. DEEPANJANA KLEIN
Special Advisor to the Chairperson and Director, Acquisitions and Development, Kiran Nadar Museum of Art
Dr. Deepanjana Klein is Director of Acquisitions and Development at the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art (KNMA), where she leads acquisition strategy for art from the Indian subcontinent and its diaspora, spanning the 2nd century CE to present. Under her leadership, KNMA has strengthened global collaborations, amplifying visibility for South Asian artists worldwide. With nearly 15 years as International Head of Modern, Contemporary, and Classical Indian and Southeast Asian Art at Christie’s, Dr. Klein brings exceptional expertise bridging institutional and market perspectives. She has taught art history at Leicester School of Architecture and Kamla Raheja Vidyanidhi Institute. She holds a PhD in Indian Art History from De Montfort University and received a Mellon Foundation grant for her comprehensive book Ellora: Cross-fertilization of Style in Buddhist, Hindu and Jain Cave Temples, a scholarly work exploring the art, chronology, and interconnections of the Ellora cave complexes.
MODERATOR
RAHAAB ALANA
Curator and Publisher, Alkazi Foundation for the Arts
Rahaab Allana is Curator and Publisher at the Alkazi Foundation for the Arts, New Delhi, Fellow of the Royal Asiatic Society (UK), and was honorary Research Associate in the Department of Visual Anthropology at University College, London. A leading voice in South Asian photography and visual culture, he has curated exhibitions, commissioned publications and delivered talks internationally with institutions including Paris Photo, the Folkwang Museum, Rubin Museum (NY), The Science Museum (London), the CSMVS (Mumbai), the National Museum and National Gallery of Modern Art (Delhi).
Founder of ASAP | art (Alternative South Asia Photography & Art), pioneering platforms for South Asian visual practitioners, Allana has edited critical volumes Unframed (2023) and Another Lens (2024) on lens-based practices and image histories. He was also Guest Editor for the themed issue Delhi: Looking Out/Looking In, for Aperture (Summer 2021). He serves on Asia Society’s Arts and Culture Committee (India Chapter) and was recently awarded Officer of the Order of Arts and Letters by the Government of France.