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Mumbai Art Room to launch as a Curatorial Lab on the occasion of the annual benefit on 20th September 2017

After six years of international programming on Fourth Pasta Lane in Colaba, Mumbai, the Trustees of the Mumbai Art Room are pleased to announce a new focus for the institution’s next two years as it transitions into a curatorial lab for Indian and international emerging curators.

The Mumbai Art Room will provide mentoring and exhibition space for the next generation of curators, to explore and develop their practice. Emerging curators will be nominated by eminent practicing curators in India and abroad and will be invited to submit proposals for the four annual exhibitions. Intended to supplement the wealth of existing curatorial programmes available in India, Mumbai Art Room will work with Indian and international curators, to support their practice at critical points in their careers as they mature as exhibition makers.

Alongside a newly formed Curatorial Advisory Committee of leading academics and curators, Mumbai Art Room has appointed Eve Lemesle as the new Managing Director. The curatorial committee and Eve will mentor the emerging curators on the management skills needed to produce exhibitions, as well as the leadership skills needed to run a small institution in India.

“It is important for Mumbai to have a network of not-for-profit art spaces. Mumbai Art Room is one of the few and now becomes the first space where emerging curators can experiment and explore their ideas with a structured support system from a team of mentors.” – Eve Lemesle, Managing Director, Mumbai Art Room

On the 20 September 2017 Mumbai Art Room will host their annual benefit including the Mumbai launch of Dayanita Singh’s latest book/exhibition, Museum Bhavan. Described as a ‘Pocket Museum’ the work encourages people to become curators of Dayanita Singh’s work and have their own openings, at home or on their travels. The pocket museum will also travel to the Tate Modern, London (which is also making a short film based on the work). The Mumbai Art Room audience will be invited to curate the book themselves within the exhibition space, while curator Diana Campbell Betancourt will give a talk on the Pocket Museum and Singh’s work.

“The Pocket Museums pose many questions. In keeping with the launch of the Curatorial Lab I have invited Mumbai Art Room to curate the Mumbai launch of the work” Dayanita Singh

Alongside this, leading Indian artist Subodh Gupta has designed limited edition ceramic plates especially for the 2017 benefit. Proceeds from both Museum Bhavan and Subodh Gupta’s limited edition ceramics will support the Curatorial Lab – and the first emerging curator to benefit from this platform will be announced at the benefit.

“I’m proud to support the Mumbai Art Room and hope that India will soon have more spaces like it, that foster the creation of and discussion around world-class contemporary art” – Subodh Gupta

Following the benefit event Mumbai Art Room will hold its annual exhibition, opening on the 27th September. Titled The Real Taste of India the exhibition provides a commentary on homogenized national identity and the commercialization of culture comprising a collaboration between curator-artists Nihaal Faizal and Chinar Shah. The exhibition is generously supported by the Inlaks Shivdasani Foundation.

About The Real Taste of India

With the generous support of Inlaks Shivdasani Foundation, Mumbai Art Room will hold its annual exhibition comprising a collaboration between curator-artist Nihaal Faizal and artist-curator Chinar Shah.

Every major city in the world probably has a ‘Taste of India’ restaurant. Serving Indian food, these restaurants promise to deliver the essence of India through select menu items, wall hangings and softly audible classical music. Drawing from these ‘Taste of India’ restaurants, The Real Taste of India is a commentary on homogenized national identity and the commercialization of culture. The objects in the installation exclusively feature content drawn from the internet – a central agent in today’s data oriented world of global capital. The Real Taste of India examines the predominant relationship of national identity and corporate interests.

“The Mumbai Art Room has from its very inception been designed to be an institution that evolves based on the needs of the Mumbai art community – to provide a non-commercial independent space for artistic and curatorial experimentation. With a wave of young curators receiving curatorial training both in India and abroad over the last 5 years, we felt it was a good time to shift our focus to supporting the next generation of curators to express their voices and visions to the public in Mumbai. With the idea of bringing something new and needed to the table, we could not be more thrilled to challenge benefit formats with our new edition by Subodh Gupta and collaboration with Dayanita Singh’s Pocket Museum.” – Diana Campbell Betancourt, Board of Trustees (Chair), Mumbai Art Room

“The Annual Benefit plans this year are incredibly exciting, with a special edition by Subodh Gupta made exclusively to benefit the Mumbai Art Room’s future programming, and Dayanita Singh’s Pocket Museum being offered to help this non-profit organization continue to thrive. We are so grateful for all of the generosity and support the Mumbai Art Room receives from so many corners, this year as well as over the past six years.” – Susan Hapgood, Founder, Mumbai Art Room

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