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Category : Arts at SAI

Anupam Sah: Finding a Balance in the Art and Science of Heritage Conservation

Dec 3, 2020 | Announcements, Arts at SAI, In Region, News

Anupam Sah: Finding a Balance in the Art and Science of Heritage Conservation

Until recently, expertise from outside of South Asia has been crucial to informing practices around cultural conservation, but efforts need to be made to understand and adapt to the regional context and nuances. The current state of research and practice of conservation in India is in a nascent stage and is faced by the overwhelming task of the safekeeping and conservation of India’s vast material and intangible cultural heritage. We spoke with Anupam Sah, the Head of Conservation at the CSMVS Museum, to learn more about the status of art and heritage conservation in India. Anupam Sah will be moderating an upcoming two-part seminar series on December 10, “Art and Science of Heritage Conservation: Finding the Right Balance.”

Unpacking Binaries in the Art of South Asia

Nov 12, 2020 | Announcements, Arts at SAI, News

Unpacking Binaries in the Art of South Asia

In partnership with Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts (MFA), the Mittal Institute recently hosted a webinar that delved into the history of art in South Asia. Presented by Laura Weinstein, the Ananda Coomaraswamy Curator of South Asian and Islamic Art at the MFA, she discussed with Jinah Kim, George P. Bickford Professor of Indian and South Asian Art at Harvard University, a new publication from the MFA that explores its South Asian collection, while critiquing the binaries based in Western Enlightenment thought that have historically been applied to art from India and its neighbors.

Partition’s Legacy: South Asian Art on the Line

Nov 5, 2020 | Announcements, Arts at SAI, India, News, Partition

Partition’s Legacy: South Asian Art on the Line

Recently, the Mittal Institute teamed up with the Peabody Essex Museum for a discussion on “Partition’s Legacy: South Asian Art on the Line.” Post-independent South Asia is depicted in many forms, with the intent to make sense of its complexities. After the Partition of the subcontinent along the Radcliffe Line, the socio-political ruptures and conflicts that ensued created numerous questions.

The Mittal Institute’s 2020–2021 Visiting Artist Fellows

Oct 1, 2020 | Announcements, Arts at SAI, Fellows, In Region, News

The Mittal Institute’s 2020–2021 Visiting Artist Fellows

Due to COVID-related programming changes, we have reimagined the 2020-2021 Visiting Artist Fellowship. We have selected 14 Visiting Artist Fellows, including photographers, sculptors, videographers, and mixed media artists to attend a series of four online virtual seminars curated for them to support the artists’ long-term practice, while simultaneously contributing to thought-provoking discussions among their peers and the faculty facilitating the class.

Podcast: Rethinking the Museum Experience During and Post-COVID-19

Jul 30, 2020 | Announcements, Arts at SAI, Faculty, News

Podcast: Rethinking the Museum Experience During and Post-COVID-19

A recent panel discussion at the Mittal Institute, “Rethinking the Museum Experience During and Post-COVID-19″ — moderated by Jinah Kim, George P. Bickford Professor of Indian and South Asian Art at Harvard University — explores how art institutions can remain nimble enough to respond to uncertainties, such as COVID-19, adapting their approach to tackle similar situations in the future. How can art institutions engage their patrons as partners in the sustainability of museums?

An Artist’s Journey from Nepal to Cambridge, and Back

Jul 2, 2020 | Announcements, Arts at SAI, Fellows, In Region, Nepal, News

An Artist’s Journey from Nepal to Cambridge, and Back

“The southern border of Nepal, along India, was created 150 years ago by external parties,” says Sagar Chhetri, a visual artist from Nepal and a former Visiting Artist Fellow at the Mittal Institute. When that border was created, communities were cut in two. “[In Nepal], the ruling caste tried to unite all the peoples of the country to create one single Nepali identity. But in the populous open border region, Nepalis and Indians share marital ties, cultures, languages, and histories. With the promise of federalism during the decade-long civil war in Nepal came stronger rhetoric and ideology based on ethnic identity,” he said.

The Centuries-Old Sculptures and Temples of Western India

Feb 6, 2020 | Announcements, Arts at SAI, In Region, India, News, Students

The Centuries-Old Sculptures and Temples of Western India

Through the Mittal Institute’s South Asia and the Arts Travel Fund, I traveled to Vadodara, Gujarat and Mumbai, Maharashtra in India to conduct research for my qualifying paper, a requirement in the History of Art and Architecture Department at Harvard University. My qualifying paper explores the conception of the mother-child motif in ancient India within Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain traditions, and expands on the function and role of these goddesses and the similarities and differences in their worship.

The Mittal Institute’s 2016–2020 Arts Program Report

Jan 2, 2020 | Announcements, Arts at SAI, News

The Mittal Institute’s 2016–2020 Arts Program Report

The digital version of the Mittal Institute’s 2016–2020 Arts Program Report has just been released! The report highlights the Mittal Institute’s Visiting Artist Fellows from 2016–2020, as well as the new developments in the Program on Conservation of Culture. Check out the digital version here to learn more. Below, read Professor Jinah Kim’s introduction to the report and the Arts Program at the Mittal Institute.