Festival of India

By examining the performative and exhibitionary practices of the 1985-86 Festival of India in the US, this project probes the production of national identities and development of international relations at the end of the Cold War. The Festival included over 70 art exhibitions across the US. This research addresses the production of canonical works for the history of art, the rising prominence of Indian culture within the US, the consolidation of participating diaspora communities, and the diplomatic relations between the US and India, even as India and the USSR also pursued cultural and economic exchanges.

Publications: 1 book chapter, 1 journal article

Papers at ACSAA 2011, National Museum of Korea 2011, Walters Art Museum 2012, University of Virginia Museum 2012, The Long 1980s conference (AIIS Delhi) 2012, CAA 2013

Image: Installation, National Museum of Natural History, Washington DC, Aditi exhibition