Art For All: How Kiran Nadar's Museum Democratises Art In India

The work I have tried to do in the last 40 years, receiving this prestigious award from the government of India, acknowledges that. The recognition also comes with a sense of responsibility. It serves as a reminder of the importance of continuing and even intensifying efforts to promote art and culture in India. Moreover, it also serves as a tremendous source of encouragement to me and our entire team at KNMA to continue to outshine our previous efforts and see how we can contribute more in serving the arts and cultural community in India and take the Indian artistic ecosystem in all its forms to the global audience.

We have continuously strived to break the notion of museums as an antique space and curate programming that brings the common man within the museum space. At the outset, we envisioned KNMA as a space where conversations, culture, cross-collaborations, and many arts and creativity converge. This is why you will see that apart from our robust children's outreach programming, we have hosted talks, fashion shows, cultural performances and food workshops within the museum space. This multidisciplinary programming approach has been the key to getting the commoner involved in our activities.

Setting up a private museum was never my plan. It just happened by chance. I started collecting artwork around 1999. Over the years, as my curiosity and love for art resulted in a mega-collection, I decided to showcase them in a museum. This is how the first KNMA Noida was born, followed by the Saket space. Once the museum and artworks were in place, the biggest challenge for the team was how we could engage meaningfully with the public because museums are repositories of knowledge. We wanted people to come and see the wealth of modern and contemporary art on display. Initially, our main challenge was to drive footfall into the museum and find ways for the viewers/audience to become active participants in the space they had stepped into. This is how we started paying attention to our programming and exploring ways to collaborate with partners across diverse fields to make museum spaces less intimidating. It has taken us some time to identify what is working and what isn't, and we continue to learn and relearn. However, I must admit that the most fulfilling aspect of this initiative is to see public engagement and play a pivotal role in democratising art in India.

Art provides a lens through which students can explore and understand different cultures, societies, and historical periods. In addition, the targeted outreach programmes enable social and emotional learning by promoting collaboration, empathy, and interpersonal skills. Thus, art must be seen and used as a powerful agent for ushering in change. Therefore, the intersection of education and art plays a vital role in fostering holistic development by nurturing creativity, critical thinking, cultural awareness, emotional intelligence, and interdisciplinary learning skills essential for success in an increasingly complex and interconnected world.

Being the largest democracy in the world and one of the fastest-growing economies, India's cultural heritage, deeply rooted in ancient traditions, provides an invaluable source of inspiration and learning, fostering creativity, empathy, and a broader worldview of the world. In this context, India's position in the Global South is critical in promoting collaborative collections with global museums and institutions. In the local or international context, collaborative partnerships are essential for developing understanding, empathy, and progress in an increasingly interconnected and globalised world. Cultural exchange programs with other countries enhance bilateral ties and experience and help create an equitable world where art becomes instrumental in nurturing diversity across global crafts, cultures, and inclusivity.

I have been fortunate to have travelled globally due to personal and professional commitments. I have always believed that travel is a great teacher as it exposes you to cultural heritage, beliefs, and ways of life in a different world. Whenever I travel to other cities or countries, I go to museums or cultural institutions to learn about new artists and how world-over cultural spaces engage audiences. Art becomes a window to cultural exposure to other countries, allowing one to respect and familiarise oneself with indigenous narratives. This is why I strongly feel that travel offers a transformative experience that can deepen appreciation for art and culture, broaden perspectives, and foster connections across cultures, making it a valuable tool for cultural exchange, education, and enrichment.

When we started developing our outreach activities, we realised that art conversations were absent in the common person's everyday conversations, and that was because the emphasis in schools earlier was always on STEM steam. Thus, we began with the motto of "teaching them young." Our thriving student/children outreach programs have helped us engage with a broader audience through children, who often take art conversations back home. Our exhibitions serve as the initial spark to ignite curiosity in young minds, urging them to delve deeper into inquiry. At KNMA, our art educators meticulously craft individual and collaborative exercises, fostering interdisciplinary learning and cultivating critical thinking skills among students. As shared above, our interdisciplinary programming, devised for people across age groups, also helps reach a wider audience.

In the last few years, the landscape of art has changed drastically in India, with the emergence of new cultural and creative spaces in art, photography and design. These initiatives hint at the inclusion of art in every realm of life. Since the collective efforts of the community have resulted in making art an inclusive space, museums and cultural institutions now should take the onus of keeping up the momentum by collaborating, co-creating and fostering an ecosystem that supports all forms of creativity, embraces innovation and community engagement to ensure we bring a larger audience across all age groups to celebrate art in all its forms.