Arthshila is a platform that celebrates the arts and encourages the creation and sharing of ideas. It offers multi-art spaces that are thoughtfully designed to facilitate artistic expression and curate creative experiences. As an initiative of the Takshila Educational Society, Arthshila is India's first arts centre with a focus on architecture, cinema, design, literature, performing arts, and visual arts. It has five locations in Ahmedabad, Shantiniketan, Delhi, Patna, and Goa, each with its unique approach to the arts.
The Delhi Centre, which was launched on January 19, 2024, showcased a myriad of visual arts expressions. It will host exhibitions in collaboration with national organisations and feature three galleries, a terrace, a 100-seat auditorium, and additional terrace space, including a pop-up cafeteria space. Partnered with Blue Tokai for the cafeteria at the launch, the centre opened with the second iteration of the Indian Ceramics Triennale.
Sanjiv Kumar, Founder of Arthshila and Takshila, spoke about Takshila's dedication to the arts, which spans over 25 years, “Arthshila was founded to deepen this commitment by bridging the gap between arts and society. We want to create a vibrant and enabling arts and culture hub, bringing quality arts experiences to the people”.
In light of the success of the Delhi centre’s launch, Kumar said, “Arthshila is committed to promoting art, and the debut exhibition in New Delhi - Indian Ceramics Triennale, 2024- encapsulates the centre's dedication to fostering creativity and innovation. We have received a phenomenal response from the art connoisseurs of the city and beyond, and we wish to continue curating interesting experiences for the city”.
Arthshila hosts a diverse range of events, such as performances, seminars, conferences, workshops, exhibitions, and interactive sessions, all aimed at inspiring curious minds.
Ms Setika Singh, Executive Director of Arthshila and the daughter of MR Kumar, sharing how Arthshila has created a niche for itself in the creative field, said “Arthshila distinguishes itself as an immersive platform dedicated to cultivating creativity and sharing artistic ideas. As an initiative of the Takshila Educational Society, it is India's pioneering arts centre open to the public, focusing on architecture, cinema, design, literature, performing arts, and visual arts across five diverse locations—currently functional in Ahmedabad, Santiniketan and Delhi, and coming up shortly in Patna and Goa.”
"Like other locations, the Delhi centre will also form the nucleus of art-centric activities, and people can witness unique and curated exhibitions. For us, Arthshila Delhi is an important milestone as it reaches out to a varied audience that wants to experience art in a multi-sensory manner", said Ms Singh.
Arthshila also publishes a dedicated art journal called Arthart—The Arts in Dialogue and offers art residencies at the Arthshila Art Studios located at the Parivartan Campus in Narendrapur, Siwan, Bihar. These elements form the foundation of Arthshila and help achieve its vision of bridging the arts and its audiences through various enabling platforms.
Arthshila distinguishes itself as an immersive platform dedicated to cultivating creativity and sharing artistic ideas. By curating each art showcase and dialogue to be thought-provoking, shareable, and memorable, Arthshila aims to inspire creative minds.