Her vision for Bhau Daji Lad, she says, is to provide a platform to all forms of contemporary art. This is regressive, and at some level, the citizens of Mumbai need to stand up for themselves and counter-argue these baseless statements.". Entertainment Culture & Arts Media Celebrity TV & Film. "I'm trying to take everyone along, convincing them that this vision benefits everybody, including the BMC corporators." In the sprawling home Tasneem shares with her husband Vikram Mehta, the eclectic art on the walls tells many stories; in particular, some of the canvases painted by prominent women artists reflect Tasneem's staunch commitment to feminism. Eminem apologizes to Rihanna in his lat Eminem apologizes to Rihanna in his latest song for siding with Chris Brown who assaulted her; says "I'm sorry, Ri". Tasneem Zakaria Mehta, Honorary Director of Mumbais Dr Bhau Daji Lad Mumbai City Museum and Vice-Chairperson of the Indian National Trust for Art and. What makes you take on social justice issues like these? Memorable shows include Reena Kallat's cobweb of sarkari stamps on the museum's facade of anglicised street names replaced by indigenous ones and Thukral and Tagra's interactive games of wrestling, trampoline and cards that visitors could play, among others. 'Mumbai - A City Through Objects, 101 Stories from the Dr Bhau Daji Lad Museum' Edited by Tasneem Zakaria Mehta ", Mehta grew up in a politically-active family. The jury panel for the awards consisted of esteemed members of the art community, including Bengaluru-based Art Collector Abhishek Poddar, Tasneem Zakaria Mehta, a renowned art historian and. BDL director Tasneem Zakaria Mehta says the public-private partnership between the Bajaj Group and the Mumbai authorities is what finally allowed the museum's restoration and conservation. Key stories on business-standard.com are available to premium subscribers only. Tasneem Zakaria Mehta at Femina Women Awards. Mumbai: A City through Objects tells the story of a city through unique objects in the collection of the Dr. Bhau Daji Lad Museum, the erstwhile Victoria and Albert Museum, Bombay. You can see the light constantly changing. We have a legal agreement and I am completely open to any kind of scrutiny. Tasneem Zakaria Mehta is an art historian, writer, curator, designer, and cultural activist. In Photos: Notable stars, artistes, actors, celebrities who bid us goodbye in 2020. The secret to her 33-year-old marriage, says Mehta, is giving space and sharing interests. I can lose my cool with non-performance. Mehta was not fazed. The book was released to honour the museum itself, the contributions of those who were instrumental. During the conversation, she mentions that she once wanted to pursue further studies in Islamic Art and regrets that she didn't. Tasneem Zakaria Mehta Author Overview TasneemZakaria Mehta has been deeply engaged with art and culture, especiallyof India, since she graduated from the Sir J.J. School of Art many yearsback. Visiting or Connecting with Mount Holyoke, Copyright 2021 Trustees of Mount Holyoke College. It took me 2-3 years of research even for the restoration of the museum." We do workshops with the craftsmen as well. Siblings: Tasneem Zakaria Mehta, Arshad Zakaria Height: 1.68 m (5 feet 6 inches) Profession: Journalist, writer, political commentator Marital status: Divorced Ethnicity: Indian Education: Cathedral and John Connon School, Yale University, Harvard University Early life They thought Indians didnt have the intellect needed to produce a Michelangelo-level sculpture. I moved cases up and down. or concerns about this article, please contact. TO READ THE FULL STORY, SUBSCRIBE NOW NOW AT JUST RS 249 A MONTH. Tasneem Mehta is an art historian, writer, curator, designer and museum expert. As of 2023, Fareed Zakaria's Net Worth is $15 million. Her eldest stepson Tasneem Zakaria Mehta is an art historian and writer. Main Menu. She became editor of the coffee table magazine Taj. Tasneem Zakaria Mehta: The Revivalist. How do you collect when you know everybody in the art world and everybody is a potential friend? She decided to turn her focus to one particular theme about 10 years ago, specifically, Indian women artists. Part of HuffPost News. Tasneem Zakaria Mehta is an art historian, curator, and cultural activist, best known for bringing the Dr Bhau Daji Lad Museum (BDL) in Mumbai out of obscurity. Museum objects are time machines. Despite all indications to the contrary, this is not a museum, or an art gallery; its the museum directors home and she wears the art like second skin. Her husband is famous for being the host of CNN's show "Fareed Zakaria GPS. May 6-9, 2023. www.artcurators.org. Topics Art has never been just 'fine art' for me. [4], In 1963, Zakaria began her career in journalism as a children's columnist in The Illustrated Weekly of India and worked as Khushwant Singh's assistant editor. A bout of wrestling underway as part of 'Games People Play', an exhibition by the artist duo Thukral & Tagra. Accept, Choose From A Stunning Range Of Love Bands By Platinum Days of Love, Curated beauty at your doorstep #Glowcode. And no chit-chat." Subscribe Her father, Dr Rafiq Zakaria, was Maulana Azad's secretary and a representative from the Aurangabad constituency. These tiffs, he says, are not embittered by ego, but intense personalities. And what plans are you making for Bhau Daji Lad? The colonial wrought-iron table is from Mehta's time in Alexandria, Egypt, where she lived for two years. The dioramas and models are among the highlights of the museum and the book devotes a whole section to them as People of India. Shades of humanism. Mehta invited the then-municipal commissioner Subodh Kumar for a personal tour, and put forth her suggestion. She squeezes in a little more than an hour to talk about her curatorial style, about her life at the Museum, and her plans for it over the second half of the year. She cites the example of American museums, which-- unlike most European ones--must raise their own funds and have therefore become so adept at PR and marketing that they are dynamic institutions. The Museum is also looking at a partnership for special shows with London's Victoria & Albert Museum. History repeats itself in different ways and by looking at the past we can perhaps reflect and understand the present better. Please allow notification and avoid private mode for this feature to work. Opinion. ", Writer and columnist Shobhaa De has been privy to Mehta's life, thanks to their four decade friendship. Mehta speaks to Benita Fernando about the connection of the museum to Mumbai and the importance of museums in contemporary India. She published her first novel recently. A dedicated sculptor from Lucknow, Shiv Prasad Balsing, produced these models in Bombay. That's our success." The couple's two daughters study abroad Malika, 27, is pursuing public policy at Harvard and 21-year-old Ahilya is at Wellesley College. They allow us a peek into a civilisation long past or bring us close to today's issues. I am also incredibly interested in womens empowerment. Today, museums are more important than ever as safe spaces for critical thinking. While Zakaria hasn't reacted to the jab, his sister, Tasneem Mehta felt it seemed Coulter hadn't watched Zakaria's program. That is ridiculous. She has been associated with diverse fields like journalism, social work . Excerpts: How should museums evolve so that they do not become anachronistic? Jehangir Sabavala's remarkable engagement with young artists. Tallur, among others,to respond to the collection, to the history and archives, addressing issues that speak directly to the traditions and tensions that underlie the founding of the museum, yet invoke the present by challenging orthodoxies and questioning assumptions. Located at the entrance of the Museum, the office has large vinyl boards of its expansion plans resting on one of its walls. Last Updated at February 3, 2018 05:58 IST. Pejoratives and putdowns hitting at immigrants have trademarked US presidential nominee, GST Mopup Rises 12% to 1.5 Lakh Crore in Feb, Decathlon in Talks with Indian Govt to Sell Other Brands, Moodys Raises India GDP Forecast to 5.5%, Tasneem Mehta bats As managing trustee and honorary director of the Dr. Bhau Daji Lad Mumbai City Museum . Vaish, an alumni of Baroda's MS University, who has taught at the Delhi College of Art and Kamala Raheja before coming to BDL, points out that ideas such as the Movies@Museum or screening artist movies, which would typically have a long conception-to-execution time at other places, have been executed at BDL in no time. "We only see her as this level-headed, strong, focused woman who wants to get things done in a specific format. We are working towards exhibitions and programmes that will encourage people to think critically about the world and to think of creative solutions to the problems we face today. Excerpts: The book points to the museums connection to Mumbai right from its establishment. She belongs to one of the most prominent families of Mumbai: her step-brother is the journalist Fareed Zakaria; her father, Rafiq Zakaria, was Maulana Azad's secretary and a participant in India's freedom struggle. The house, too, feels like a throwback to a lost era. "Tasneem has assigned so much relevance and credibility to the museum that the best artists have lined up to show their work at BDL," says Jyotindra Jain, Indian art and culture historian and museologist. "I interact with them quite closely. Each artist explored a different theme such as alienation, pollution, destruction of biodiversity, unnatural divisions, mutations and distortions, the politics of water and waste and the destruction of landscapes and rivers. The Arabian Sea rolls away boundlessly from her windows towards Mandwa and Alibag, broken only by Oyster Rock, a little fortified island owned by the Navy, like a benign Alcatraz. For example, Sheba Chhachhis work Mistry ke Haath depicts the photograph of a laid-off factory worker holding the last remnant of his working life, a floor tile, in his hands in a gesture of humble appeal. The interaction also depends on the artists, as some are very protective of their work and ideas, and others, mostly the younger ones, often need some guidance. Museums need to respond to current trends and contemporary culture to stay relevant and we have tried to do this through an extensive outreach programme, which includes a year-long programme on art history and other courses that had also been planned before the COVID-19 outbreak. The venue today is not only a vibrant spot for . Tasneem Zakaria Mehta, 60 Till a decade ago, Mumbai's oldest museum, Dr Bhau Daji Lad Museum, lay forgotten in the Victorian greens of Byculla, Mumbai, completely hidden from the art scene. Museums are not only repositories of the past but an excellent environment for experimental, interdisciplinary learning. The book starts with the making of Bombay through maps, sketches and memorials. ", The Museum has a well-planned mix of Indian contemporary, Indian 19th century and international shows (often in partnership with other museums around the world) to draw diverse audiences. Copyright 2023 Worldwide Media | The Times of India.All Rights Reserved. She recently came under fire by the civic body when corporators alleged that Mehta planned to convert the existing playground into a parking lot as part of the museum's expansion plan. Located at the entrance of the Museum, the office has large vinyl boards of its expansion plans resting on one of its walls. Tasneem Zakaria Mehta has a deep and abiding passion for textiles, visible here in the Shyam Ahuja fabric on the sofa on the right. Many architecture and design colleges have expressed interest in teaching the book as a case study of narrating object histories as stories. U.S. At Wellesley, Im pursuing my interest in law as a member of the Mock Trial team. Curated newsletters on markets, personal finance, policy & politics, start-ups, technology, and more. There are echoes of her daughter in a Nicola Durvasula artwork, reflections of her mill conservation efforts with INTACH in Meera Devidayals prints, and a painting of Raziya Sultana by Heeral Trivedi finds connect to a book about the warrior princess written by Mehtas father, Rafiq Zakaria. The exhibition would be looking at the history of photography in India. [10] Collections [ edit] Basalt elephant sculpture from Elephanta Island The book captures the pluralism thats inherent in the museum collection, right from a diorama of Emperor Jehangir on Shikar (1927-28) to Mumbadevis statue (2009). The image is a testament of forgotten and marginalised histories. The models [of professions, ethnicities and religions] had become very popular at the Great Exhibition of 1851 and subsequent showings. Her status makes Desphande appear stuck in a time warp, older than some of the museum exhibits. Contents: Education and Career Personal Life Net Worth. The view itself is like a piece of art. "I wore a six-pocket, three-fourth pair of shorts on my first day and got an earful," says Pawar. The museum has a beautiful and extraordinary collection of maps, some of which are in the book. They spend a lot of time here looking at our collection, archives, and meeting our curatorial team. There is a lot of history being effaced, rewritten and re-contextualised, and the interpretation is not supported by fact or research. Govt must give cultural institutions financial and functional autonomy. Since the COVID outbreak, various museums and cultural institutions, large and small, public and private, have had to remain closed temporarily, resulting in massive financial losses. The College is committed to providing equal access and opportunity in employment and education to all employees and students. 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