ADVISORY BOARD
Bishnu N. Mohapatra is a social theorist and poet, an educator and a commentator on society, governance, policy and culture. A well-known poet, he writes poetry in Odia, while he does his social science in English. He has authored four volumes of poetry and has translated two volumes of Pablo Neruda’s poetry into Odia. Bishnu has also published widely in the areas of identity politics, democracy, minority rights, urban politics, civil society and social capital. Currently he is Professor (founding faculty) and Dean at KREA University, India. For more than twenty-five years, he taught politics at the University of Delhi, Jawaharlal Nehru University and Azim Premji University in India. He has held visiting appointments at Maison des Sciences de l’Homme, Paris; National University of Singapore, Singapore, University of Kyoto, Kyoto. He was also Sir Ashutosh Mukherjee Chair Professor at National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bangalore (2016). From 2002 to 2010, he headed the governance portfolio of the Ford Foundation’s South Asia office in Delhi. Bishnu Mohapatra holds a Master’s degree in Political Science from University of Delhi, an M. Phil in Politics from Jawaharlal Nehru University and a D. Phil. in Politics from University of Oxford.
Vidya Shivadas is a curator, and director of the Foundation for Indian Contemporary Art (FICA) in Delhi. FICA is a not-for-profit organization that supports creative practitioners, researchers, curators and educators working in the field of contemporary art alongside developing education and outreach programmes. Since 2005, Shivadas has curated exhibitions at Vadehra Art Gallery, Kiran Nadar Museum of Art, Devi Art Foundation, Edinburgh Arts Festival and Serendipity Arts Festival. Shivadas has been a visiting faculty at School of Culture and Creative Expressions, Ambedkar University Delhi, since 2013.
Tarana Sawhney is the current Chairperson for The Confederation of Indian Industry’s (CII)Task Force for Art & Culture and a member of the CII National Council since 2018. She is a trustee on the board of the Chennai Photo Biennale, and a board member of the NGO Khushii and the Foundation of Indian Contemporary Art (FICA). Tarana is also a Member of the Tate International Council, the South Asian Acquisitions Committee of the Tate Modern Museum, London and Strategic Advisor, South Asia for Art Tactic. During her term as Chairperson, CII has co-organised the India Pavilion along with the Ministry of Culture, Government of India at the Venice Biennale in 2019. This is a historic first for a public-private partnership of this scale internationally in this sector. She was also selected for the international Collector’s Focus Programme by David Zwirner Gallery in 2019 from India and has co-authored an India-focused report on Art & Philanthropy with Art Tactic, U.K in 2019 and 2020. A lawyer with 3 undergraduate degrees in History, Music and Law and a Postgraduate degree in Law from Upenn, she now devotes full time to the patronage of arts. Tarana lives and works in New Delhi.
Jai Danani graduated with an Art History degree from Dartmouth College in New Hampshire, USA. Returning to India he set-up India’s first art infrastructure firm called The Art Vault. Through this business he has played an active role in growing the Indian Modern and Contemporary Art landscape in India and abroad. Eight years ago he further expanded his practice and started Jai Danani Interior Design one of India’s leading design studios concentrating on high-end residential projects with an art focus. Though projects have been executed all around the world his signature style of having Indian Art is clearly visible. Recently being included in the Architectural Design India’s 100 most influential designers. Danani continues to support and promote Indian art by being on the Tate Museum South Asian Acquisition Committee among other institutions. He is also an active member for FICA - the Foundation for Indian Contemporary Art.