Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Shristi. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Shristi, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

Although, all projects are my children – as do all creatives say, but if I had to pick one for the sake of this question then it would be ‘Tender buttons [and another] bellyache’ showcased at Conflictorium (Museum of Conflict) in the city of Ahmedabad.

The exhibition was the second iteration, rather an extension, of the originally executed [Tender
buttons, and a] Bellyache. The exhibition was an essential to converse around the notions of womanhood,
and the place women hold in society. It is well known that women are under-represented in India’s legislative
assemblies, and therefore authoritative decisions implemented in the fabric of the nation are grossly dictated
by a patriarchal outlook.

For the first time it brought to the city, some leading names of the art industry such as : Guerrilla Girls, Piyali Ghosh, Shakuntala Kulkarni, Rachel Libeskind, Aravani Art Project, Aban Raza, Julie Rrap, Shrimanti Saha, Manjari Sharma, Ayesha Singh and more.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I am an independent curator, designer, researcher, and writer currently based in India. Other than handling projects across the globe, I hold a more permanent position as the curatorial director of Ahmedabad Cultural Week. My interest lies in dismantling and assessing core concepts of exhibition making, specifically focusing on Contemporary Art churned through the diaspora of the Global South.

As an independent curator, I have worked on a number of exhibitions in commercial galleries, public art spaces, museums and independent organisations across the world. My independent research focuses on collections and architecture of private art museums in addition to looking closely at the art of Africa and Asia, from a modernist and contemporary perspective. My paper on inclusivity in the realm of museum spaces won the INSC Researchers Award in 2021, and currently am a working member of the platforms : Curator.Guide and Curatorial Ethics Network.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

There are so many ways by which society can nurture creative talent – first by recognising their work, and sharing it through all the diverse platforms that they may have. This could be word of mouth, bringing a friend along to their shows, writing about them or through social media, giving the creative due credit. In today’s day and age, with the smart phone in palm, giving space to an artist’s name can go a long way.

Being a curator, majorly functioning in the realm of art, a very good way to support the entire ecosystem would be to buy work from young, living artists. If one does have the limited monetary strength to buy works of art, it should be from emerging artists. People must take the time to understand practices and ‘invest’ in works of art.

Vincent Van Gogh famously only sold one painting during his entire career. The work sold for approximately £70, and he then died penniless and destitute, believing himself to be a failure in the arts. Creatives shouldn’t have to suffer this fate, the closer one looks it’s easier to see that arts are a necessity for human spirit and should be encouraged to the best of society’s capabilities.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

If I take a minute to assess my practice, I believe there are some terms that constantly recur : inquiry, collectiveness, contemporaneity, impact and alter.

I have a deep interest in dismantling and assessing core concepts of exhibition making, specifically focusing on Contemporary Art churned through the diaspora of the Global South. Much of my curatorial vision tends to set inquiry on the current, rather urgent matters of society with an aim to bring multitudes together – this could be in terms of the artistic voices, materiality or temperament of design. Then through the sincere act of piecing fragments together, there is an attempt to form a cohesive narrative that gently nudges a viewer towards either, recognising impact or a consideration to alter existing systems that steer away from being humane.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.shristisainani.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shristi_sainani/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shristi-sainani/
• Other: https://ahmedabadculturalweek.com