QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER Jan-Mar ’14 · JPM Quarterly Newsletter Jan-Mar 2014 ... Islamic world-view...

QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER Jan-Mar ’14

David Bromwich speaks during “What is ‘American Exceptionalism’?”

JPM Quarterly Newsletter Jan-Mar 2014 1

Quarterly Newsletter

What an extraordinary and fulfilling quarter this has been, as the newsletter will testify. Two firsts – both

pioneering milestones which we hope will become important academic markers for our centre. The

seminal Yoga & Tantra semester spread over 30 insightful sessions substantiated our conviction that these

hoary philosophies and traditions must be retrieved and addressed as effectively as possible keeping in mind

histories, theories and practice. Becoming nodal points themselves, several other streams of quest will get

articulated – we are already formulating a short course on Masterpieces of Indic Sculpture which will go beyond

the normal iconographic trope. The second milestone was the launch of our valuable partnership with the South

Asia Institute of Columbia University through a seminar by Prof. Akeel Bilgrami. The week long programme

which consisted also of public lectures and conversations by well known academicians Prof. Carol Rovane and

Prof. David Bromwich addressed important aspects of politics and culture which we hope will become at least

an annual feature on our calendar. We look forward to strengthening our relationship with them through further

lectures and seminars by their visiting academicians. The coming quarter sees us explore facets of Modernism,

Utopia and Enlightenment through geographies such as Muslim South Asia, Japan and France. As always, we

welcome you to join us on this path of inquiry and intellectual curiosity.

Wishing you a new year full of promise and joyous benediction,

Rashmi Poddar PhD.

Director

JPM Quarterly Newsletter Jan-Mar 2014

Indian AestheticsThe India Aesthetic programme continued

with its sessions that engaged withiconography and history of aesthetics related toworld-views and figures in Jainism, Vaishnavism,Shaivism, Devi worship as well as Shakta andTantra traditions. Various histories and mythsrelated to each of these philosophical andtheological practices are introduced, and throughthat a study of iconography or crucial themesfrom the Rasa Theory, a detailed analysis ofform, representation and ideology is developed.Temple architecture in India was the other area inconversation at the course, which also raisesquestions on the methodology of studying

aesthetics, its production and reception.Islamic world-view was the next area

undertaken for discussion where world practicesand histories in the subject are considered todetail the specific practice and aesthetic traditionin India. Islam as a culture, as a history is asmuch engaged with as much as it is a religiouspractice and philosophy. Sufism and influence ofits ideas and practices of literary and artistictraditions, as well as representation are a majorsection in these sessions. From this year a newsession was introduced that essentially analysedand reviewed how conventionally aestheticswithin Islamic traditions are studied, their reasons



and shortfalls, from which a methodology ofapproaching the crux of what aesthetic valuesmean, what art is imagined as, or how structuresof thinking are developed and studied, could belooked at in a focussed way.

Ustad Mansur and the Wonders of Nature(October 10, 2013) by Asok K. Das

Starting his career as an illuminator in the1590s in Akbar’s Lahore studio and as acollaborator with other artists notably Miskin, veryoften considered his guru, and Abul Hasan,Mansur went on to become the greatest naturalhistory painter of all time. Noticed by PrinceSalim (later known as Emperor Jehangir) in hisfather’s atelier, Mansur became his constanttravel companion and was bequeathed the title ofNadir ul-‘Asr – Wonder of the Age, only one of thetwo artists who were thus honoured, the otherbeing Abul Hasan called Nadir ul Zaman. Thougha special note of the flora and fauna of the Indiansub-continent is seen in Babur’s memoirs, andAkbari manuscripts such as Baburnama,Tutinama and Anwar-i-Suhayli show keendepictions of the animal and bird kingdom aswell, it is Mansur who became the torch bearer ofthis genre with 40 extant signed works. Mughalartists such as Basavan, Nanha, Kanha,Manohar recorded imperial activities such ashunting and drew and painted from life afteracutely observing the behaviour of their subjects,be it the Emperor’s favourite elephant, his prizedfalcon or admired blackbuck. Mansur’s elevationfrom an assistant to an independent artist can beseen early on, in a painting, on cloth, of a motherhen and her two chicks, in the collection of the

British Museum. What followed is a career ofincredible artistry based on fine colour drawing,astounding detail and accurate observationleading to works of a highly naturalistic flavourwhether it be the Chameleon in the WindsorCollection, the Nilgai of the Kevorkian Album atthe MET or A Pair of Common Mynas in theJaipur Collection. Jehangir’s known passion for

collecting unusual animals and birds and thengetting them represented is amply testified by thewell known Turkeycock gifted by the Portugueseand the Abyssinian zebra which Jehangir initiallyinsisted was a painted donkey! Capturing thevarious facets of Mansur’s genius, be it in thegenre of historical paintings and portraits, hiscareer as a Naqqash, his sensitive portraits of

Asok K. Das speaks during ‘Ustad Mansur and theWonders of Nature’



flowers, only a few of which survive, or hisawareness of western paintings and engravings,this illustrated lecture drew from internationallyrenowned collections and quotations frommemoirs such as the Tuzuk-i-Jehangir.

Sattriya: Classical Dance of Assam(October 28, 2013) by Sunil Kothari

The 15th & 16th centuries CE witnessed anunprecedented explosion of Vaishnava Bhaktispecially in the northern and eastern parts ofIndia with saints and social reformers such asChaitanya and Vallabhacharya who foundedmovements such as Gaudiya Sampradaya andPushti Marga. In Assam this period witnessedSankaradeva and his disciple Madhavadevaestablished a unique form of worship that gaveprimacy to the Bhagavata Purana which was

sometimes consecrated as a deity in a sanctumsanctorum within the Kirtanghar or Namaghar –the prayer hall of a monastery called Sattra. Theycomposed dance dramas known as Ankiya Natand Bhaona, dances such as Ojapali and Chaliand music and dance became an essential modeof worship. The dance form, Sattriya, recognisedas the eighth classical dance form of India sincethe year 2000 gets its name from Sattra, areligious assembly or monastic settlement whichwent on to become the fountainhead of socialand cultural resurgence. The presentation beganwith a film “In The Mists of Majuli” by EmmanuellePetit which captured comprehensively thedevotional and social kernels of this extraordinarymovement that played a pivotal role in elevatingAssamese literature, music, dance, drama,painting, sculpture, village crafts, through a new

Prateesha Suresh demonstrates the Sattriya dance form



surge of creativity. The prescriptive of celibatemonk lives not only show a strict hierarchy butalso their dramatic role as Gopis or the femininein search of the divine Krishna. PrateeshaSuresh, a Sattriya dancer of Assamese origin,succinctly demonstrated the vocabulary of thisdance form which also legitimises its links withBharata’s Natyashastra, the first extant scriptureof Indian Aesthetics. The Bhagavata Purana’sbasis in the dualist Sankhya philosophy isevidenced in the language of Sattriya whereKrishna is the Purusha and the Gopismultitudinous Prakriti. For the dancer, whether amonk or today’s stage performer, Sattriyabecomes a spiritual journey, a pathway to truth,which has its underpinnings in the ontologicalscheme of seven Vaikunthas to be reachedthrough the method of utter devotion but onlyafter internalising the four Purusharthas or goalsof human life - dharma, artha, kama and moksha.

Kbal Spean: An example of the synthesis ofart and landscape in ancient Cambodia(November 1, 2013) by Soumya James

Keeping the growing interest in Southeast Asiaalive in Mumbai, Jnanapravaha organized yetanother lecture on ancient Khmer Art. Theevening’s paper by Dr. Soumya James wasfocused on the synthesis of landscape and builtform at Kbal Spean. The not so ‘classical’ Khmersite of Kbal Spean is well known for its recliningVishnu and Shivalinga images along with flowingwater. The site shows some striking similarities toMahendraparvata or Phnom Kulen, whereJayavarman II was enthroned as the King ofAngkor Empire in 802CE. The site of Phnom

Kulen has been of great importance toAngkorean kings. By creating a similar imagery atKbal Spean, Udayadityavarman II paid respect tohis ancestors. Several debates and argumentshave long been put forth in understanding themeaning of these images, to which James addedyet a different one. Focusing on the SheshashayiVishnu image, emphasizing on the male

[mountain] and female [river] elements in nature,she hinted at the possibility of tantric ritualsperformed at this mountain site, where waterwould have played a key role as a ‘powersubstance’ in tantric rites. The indigenous beliefsystem and its interaction with Hinduism andBuddhism gave rise to an eclectic combination of

Soumya James speaks during ‘Kbal Spean’



art during the Angkor period. Stating the exampleof western Mebon that was constructed as a kindof milometer in the form of a reverse linga linkedto the reservoir, James explored the idea of‘union’ in landscape comparing the fertile SiemReap river valley to a female principle - a wombwhere rice paddies grow and where all thetemples are situated - and Mount Kulen to a maleprinciple. The ubiquitous image of recliningVishnu with his consort Lakshmi and itsplacement under the flowing waters at KbalSpean thus invoked the union of mountain andthe river, highlighting the sacred nature of waterin Khmer inscriptions as well as in Khmer society.

The Shakta Tradition - Reclaiming Areas ofTantric Studies(November 28,29 and December 2, 2013) byMadhu Khanna and Stella Dupuis

Navigating a web-like space which defies asingle confining definition and a linear sense ofdevelopment, Tantric studies can best beindicated through markers in Indic thought. Theetymological construct of the term Tantra beginswith Vedic notions of a loom with its warp, to anysystem of knowledge and progresses to a specialbranch of spiritual knowledge which also has forits tools mantra and yantra by which anexpansion of consciousness can be experienced.Its close affinity with the Agamas, itsconfrontational stance with orthodox Brahmanismand its permeability as evidenced in its pervasiveinfluence within all forms of religious practicewhether Buddhist, Jaina, Hindu and its offshootsis complex considering there is no fixed scripturalcanon. Tantric theology, ontology, ritual and yoga

were mapped during the medieval period and canbe understood through four markers withinHinduism – post-Vedic, Bhakti, Abhinavaguptaand Kashmir Shaivism and finally the reforms inthe post-colonial period.

This background set the tone for thedeconstruction of the sophisticated and perhapsthe only well defined and well structured systemof Tantric thought – the Trika School of KashmirShaivism and its champion Abhinavaguptathrough the cult of the Goddess Tripurasundariand her locale the Shrichakra. The DivineFeminine’s trajectory can be traced through pre-textual terracottas, literary reconstructions, the“spousification” where power gets negotiated andfinally through the rise of Tantra where Shaktibecomes centrestage. There is a revolution ofideas, reconstruction of a new scripture,construction of iconography and ritual and areversal in power equations. Tripurasundari, thebeauty of the 3 cities, the Singular Feminine,worshipped in Kashmir as Goddess Sharika onHari Parvata, evidenced in 7th & 8th centurytexts, sits on a Pancha Preta Asana in a gemstudded palace. In eternal union with the supineSadashiva and with the inactive but eternal godsBrahma, Vishnu, Mahesha and Ishwarasupporting her throne, Her supremacy isunquestionable as is the reversal of mythology.Her Mani Dwipa is superior to Kailash andVaikuntha as from within Her the entire cosmosevolves and involves. Her divine abode is theShrichakra, the model of Her universe withinwhich she manifests Herself as the primal pointof creation – the Bindu. The visual metaphysicsare seen in pure symmetry through intersecting


triangles encircled with lotus petals and gateswhich allow only the initiated within its hallowedprecinct. The philosophical categories ofemanation from pure to impure, the infinitepowers of the unsurpassed reality and the triadsof knowledge find place as deities on the pointsof this sacred cosmic geography which has for itskeys self recognition and self awareness.

The Divine Feminine is also epitomized in thepantheon of 10 Mahavidyas, an eclectic radicalgroup formulated post 14th / 15th century CE.These sovereign Goddesses of Tooth and Breastoccupy a liminal, marginal territory, withantecedents stretching from the non-Vedic toShaiva, Vaishnava and Buddhist theologies.Celebrated in the 6th century Devi Mahatmya,Durga, the fountainhead, is a militant masculinepersonality made acquiescent and feminine due

to the impact of Bengal Vaishnavism after the14th century. Her fury is the creation of Kali – thepre-eminent of this autonomous group ofMahavidyas. The Bengali imagination’sDakshinakali (one of her many types), defangedthrough an abstract interpretation of time andspace finds a mirror image in the secondMahavidya, Tara, the Buddhist saviouress.Impure categories as well as those that areacmes of purity come together for the purposesof ecological renewal and sublimation of desireas evidenced in Shodashi the presiding deity ofShri Kula, Bhuvaneshwari the material nature ofcreation, Tripurabhairavi and Kamala on the onehand and Chhinamasta, Dhumavati,Bagalamukhi and Matangi on the other. Theirworship is enjoined in Kaliyuga through powerfulmantras which the word Mahavidya signifies.

Madhu Khanna speaks during ‘eShakta Tradition’


The last leg of this discursive exploration is therealm of Yoginis whose mythical beginnings aretraced to Chandradvipa, now under the waters ofBrahmaputra. This cult, founded byMatsyendranath, is a continuation of the conceptof groups of goddesses, generally 64 in number,and can be likened to conductors or vectors ofenergy. Givers of Siddhis, sensual, all pervasive,intolerably ferocious as well as instruments ofempowering life, Yoginis remove all the ancientparadigms of knowledge through their awesome,animal-headed yet blissful and protective forms.Anthropomorphic, therimorphic, aniconic,abstract and symbolic – they, with their unfetteredagency, are seen in temples surrounding Shivaas Bhairava, carrying out His instructions, swiftas thoughts. These hypaethral simpleconstructions, round or rectangular, were builtoften on rocky outcrops in isolated places byroyalty that needed protection as well as victory.Connected to the Kaula and Kapalika sects,Yogini worship, like other aspects of the TantricShakta tradition,works on different registers ofmeaning which is transmitted only throughinitiation by a Guru.

Forthcoming Programmes:

Modernism and the Art of Muslim South Asia(January 14-15 and Jan 17-18, 2014, 6.00 - 8.30pm) a four day lecture series by Iftikhar Dadi

Lecture 1Modernism in South Asian Muslim Art

Situates historical and methodologicalparameters salient to the development of modern

art associated with “Pakistan.” Traces emergenceof artistic subjectivity with reference to theframeworks of nationalism, modernism, andtradition.

Lecture 2Abdur Rahman Chughtai: Mughal Aesthetic inthe Age of Print

Analyzes works and writings of Chughtai andhis critics, which began a process of Urduwritings on art history and visual aesthetics.Chughtai’s nostalgia, projected on earlierIslamicate and Persianate cosmopolitanism, alsodeemphasizes identification with modernnationalism.


Lecture 3Three Mid-century Modernists

Examines three pioneering modernists inPakistan, Zainul Abedin, Zubeida Agha, andShakir Ali. The three artists are foundational inshaping a fully modernist artistic subjectivity forthemselves, and by their institutional labor, forsubsequent artists.

Lecture 4Sadequain and Calligraphy

Explores the career of Sadequain, whose laterwork relays tropes of subjectivity in Urdu poetryinto the visual. He reformulates calligraphy as avisual “tradition” open to the modern, in parallelwith calligraphic abstraction by West Asian andNorth African artists.

The Buddha’s 7 Weeks at Bodh Gaya(March 3, 2014, 6.30 pm) by Don Stadtner

The Buddha’s Seven Weeks at Bodh Gayaprovided a pivotal transition between his pre-Enlightenment phase and his long career as awandering teacher. This special 49-day period isrecognized by both Theravada and Mahayanatraditions but with innumerable variations. Thetheme is found as early as Sanchi but is relativelyrare in Indian art. However, by the secondmillennium it enjoyed great popularity in Burma,Thailand and Sri Lanka. This illustratedpresentation explores the origins of the theme inIndia and its transformation in Southeast Asia.

Fakes, Fortunes and Fraudsters: UnsolvedCases (March 4, 2014, 6.30 pm) by Don Stadtner

“A true work of art is but a shadow of thedivine” (Michelangelo). If this lofty maxim is true,then a fake work of art must surely come from thenetherworld. Born to deceive, the fake takes on alife of its own, especially after it is welcomed intomuseum collections and subsequently admiredand studied. And as art prices soar so do thedexterity of artisans and the cunning of vendors,compounding a global problem. That thenotorious case of the Greek kouros at the GettyMuseum remains unresolved, a marble sculpturepurchased for nearly 7 million in 1985, amplydemonstrates the challenges that fakes pose toboth art historians and scientists.

This illustrated presentation examines ahandful of unresolved cases, from India, Burma,and Cambodia, and suggests ways to spot fakesand practical steps to form a collection.


Criticism & TheoryThe Art, Criticism and Theory programme

completed its first term this December. Thesecond half of the first term saw a series ofsessions that discussed concepts on the onehand and traditions of criticism and knowledgeproduction across different historical frames onthe other. The first-half of the term ended withsessions that introduced the students in themanner if a survey to key figures and ideas inphilosophy. Since the first half of the termexplored systems of history writing in art, criticismstructures and methodologies, how theoreticalframeworks work and produce knowledge, the

following sessions were more focused in themesand subjects. Concepts like Time and Memory, orNarrative as well as practices of Viewing orWriting are taken up by artists and practitionerswho in most cases discuss the concepts or ideathrough their own research or artisticengagements - for example, we discussed Timeand Memory through a study of photographicrepresentations of people and tribes from thenorth-east regions of India from colonial timesthrough to the last two decades.

The following set of sessions looked atpractices of criticism through frameworks of


‘Desperately Seeking Paradise’ byRashid Rana


Sanskritic and Buddhist traditions, Bhakti inmedieval India to the Romantics in Europe. Theprogramme also saw two international scholarsteach - Prof Akeel Bilgrami and Prof DavidBromwich, who came in as part ofJnanapravaha's new collaborative venture withthe South Asia Institute at Columbia University.The six-session seminar on Politics of Secularismby Prof Bilgrami was a special module for thestudents of the course.

The new one-year format for the ACTprogramme has been greatly advantageousallowing a closer study of many issues andsubjects, and giving students time for thinkingthrough all that we discuss and read in theclassroom.

Politics and Culture: Secularism, Identity, andEnchantment(December 16-18, 2013) a six lecture seminar byAkeel Bilgrami(Moderator: Ranjit Hoskote)

The three-evening seminar with Prof AkeelBilgrami, Director – South Asia Institute at theColumbia University, began as an address to theideas around the subject of ‘secular’ and‘secularism’. He began with the question of whendoes ‘nature’ become ‘natural resources’, whendoes ‘human’ get identified as ‘citizen’ and‘community’ as ‘population’. Narrating andreferencing through various thinkers like CharlesTaylor and Weber to Newton and Ian Buruma helaid out a working map of ideas. He analysed andpointed out three ways in which the secular isidentified, and the conventions of approaching

the term as well as value – secular. Moving fromthe discussions on origins of the Secular, hecontinued his ruminations on the subject throughthe next lecture that detailed Secularism as apolitical doctrine. He contextualised his thoughtand proposals to contemporary politics and

through quoting/analysing/explaining thinkers andscientists such as economist Amartya Sen.

The second day he defined the idea of‘identity’. He began with a note on identity assomething that is experienced and articulated insome event of displacement or dislocation, or

Akeel Bilgrami speaks during his ‘Politics andCulture’ seminar



movement and hence hinted at identity being anear-urban phenomenon. Through manyexamples he charted the concept of identity inreference to liberal and secular ways of thinking.The response that one has to life and itssituations at a practical daily level became animportant handle for Bilgrami to expand on hisunderstandings of some of these concepts. Hisconcepts raised many questions in the context ofIslam and reactions to the religion and itspractitioners in the contemporary politicalscenario, the role of these politics in largedemocracies such as America and India, as wellas the wider understanding and debates aroundquestions of ‘identity’.

On the third day his two lectures focussed onLiberty, Equality and Secular Enchantment. Herevisited the questions he raised on the first dayasking when does ‘human’ become ‘citizen’ as hedetailed out his readings on Marx and Gandhi,along with references to Thomas Kuhn and AshisNandy. He discussed ideas in processes such asinequality to talent, knowledge to expertisegetting in to questions such as how do we knowthe world and how does the world exist inrelationship to what we know about it. In hisdiscussion on how a political psychologyproduces the justification for the state he talkedabout subjugation of people in the name of thenation and the rise of a ‘secular’ citizenship. Thesession again ended with a series of questionsand ruminations as Bilgrami over the three dayselegantly charted ideas and philosophies that areregularly written about but also change theirshape and form constantly.

Romanticism, Moral and Aesthetic Value, andPolitics: (December 23, 2013) a conversation betweenAkeel Bilgrami and David Bromwich(Moderator: Girish Shahane)

The session began with each of thediscussants giving a brief introduction. Prof AkeelBilgrami discussed the generally held perceptionon the relationship between GermanRomanticism and Fascism and themisunderstanding of one of the key features ofRomanticism - disenchantment. He urged that weput aside these misunderstandings and then lookat the contribution of Romanticism. He alsospoke about the idea of an 'unalienated life' andthe trajectories of German and English traditionsof thought on the fundamental concepts ofRomanticism. He even introduced the conceptsof Liberty and Equality in the context of thetheme. Prof David Bromwich introducedRomanticism in the context of Enlightenment,seeing Romanticism as a sort of revolt againstReason and the way it promotes human thinkingand response to experience. He gave examplesof a poet such as Shelley and a thinker such asMarx, explaining briefly their work to indicate thecomplexity and nuances in the Romantictraditions.

In the following conversations between the twoof them various other artists, writers and thinkerssuch as Tolstoy, Wordsworth and Gandhi werereferred to. The relationship that human beingsdevelop towards each other, the question ofmoral perceptions, the rational individual,existence between society and family, and so on



were discussed during this session.

Philosophical Underpinnings for CulturalRelativism(December 23, 2013) by Carol Rovane(Moderator: Girish Shahane)

Professor Carol Rovane began her lecturethrough a detailed explanation of what is'relativism' - what it can mean, what it is made tomean, and what is academically accepted as itsmeaning. She went through a detailed series ofpossibilities in which information, knowledge andexperience are discussed under the frame of

Truth and 'objective truth'. She talked about theway scientific method operates and the ideasaround 'indexical relativism', 'ordinarydisagreement', 'logical relations of consistenciesand inconsistencies' and their implicationsthereof. She closed her presentation with anhypothetical example to elaborate on some of thepoints she made in the first half of the lecture.

Girish Shahane led the discussion after thelecture, posing important questions regardingcultural perceptions, bounded-unboundedrealities of culture, the nature of experience andpolitical response, and some other such

Carol Rovane speaks during ‘PhilosophicalUnderpinnings for Cultural Relativism’



questions that are also particular to cultural andpolitical histories within India.


The Many Lives of Utopia(January 8-9, 2013, 6.00 - 8.30 pm) by ArjunAppadurai

This series of lectures explores new ways tothink about the idea of utopia. Moving acrossIndia and Eastern Europe, these lectures seek togenerate a critical approach to images of utopiawhich link the utopian imagination to everydayexperiences of hope, memory and collectivedreaming. The objective of these lectures is to

rescue the idea of utopia from the criticism that itis a form of false consciousness, whilerecognizing that the ways in which utopianthought seeks to realize itself are inevitablybound up with historically specific practices ofdreaming, hoping and imagining.

January 8: Aspiration and Imagination: TheProblem of HopeJanuary 9: The Battlefield of Dreams: TheBollywood Factory

Gutai's World: Japan's postwar avant-gardeand the fate of internationalism(January 23, 2014, 6.30 pm) by AlexandraMunroe

In spring 2013, the Guggenheim Museumpresented the first U.S. museum retrospectiveexhibition ever devoted to Gutai, the mostinfluential artists’ collective and artistic movementin postwar Japan and among the most importantinternational avant-garde movements activeanywhere in the world during the 1950s and ‘60s.Founded by the visionary artist Yoshihara Jiro in1954, the Gutai group spanned two generations,totalling fifty-nine Japanese artists over itseighteen-year history. The name “Gutai” literallymeans "concreteness” and captures the directengagement with materials its memberschampioned under Yoshihara's call to "Do whatno one has done before!" and to elicit "thescream of matter itself." From its earliest festival-like events, Gutai artists sought to break downthe barriers between art, the ordinary public, andeveryday life, and continuously took on new

Arjun Appadurai



artistic challenges using the body in direct actionwith materials, time and space, nature andtechnology. Dr. Munroe will discuss Gutai’sextraordinary range of bold and innovativecreativity; examine its aesthetic strategies in thecultural, social and political context of postwarJapan, including its relationship with thetraditional arts; and will argue for the need toestablish Gutai in an expanded, transnationalhistory and critical discourse of modern art.

Why And How To Look At It – Images of the(Art) History of Globalization(February 3, 2014, 6.30 pm) by Benjamin Meyer-Krahmer

One could claim the (art) history ofglobalization began in the 16th century when

European artists and scientists travelling onmerchant ships produced the first images ofcultures unknown in their home countries. Manyof these artists served several functions: Theywere hired to document these 'new' areas of theworld and by doing so helped the upcomingcolonial powers to develop economicgobalization, but they also produced art workswhich became status symbols and were at thesame time the early images of the eclectic 'other'.Studying these images in their historical contextand in relation to equivalent imagery today,provides the possibility to understand the currentsignificance of these representations

India in the French Enlightenment(February 25-26, 2013, 6.30 pm) by Mira Kamdar(Moderator: Alka Hingorani)

The idea of India was as central to thephilosophy of the French Enlightenment as it wasto the global expansion of European commercein the 18th century. How did Voltaire,Montesquieu, Rousseau and Diderot view India?To what ends did they use India? And how did theprinted cotton textile trade with India driveforward the economics and ideologies of theFrench Enlightenment that continue to shape theworld in which we live now?

Alexandra Munroe



Community EngagementThe semester long ‘Yoga and Tantra -

Concepts and Visual History’ coursecomprising of 30 sessions, each 2 hours long, istruly another milestone for JnanapravahaMumbai. Exploring the concepts through the lensof philosophy and theology, art history andaesthetics, architecture and archaeology, as wellas the social science disciplines of anthropologyand cultural history was a challenge, no doubt,but it underlined the complex nature ofknowledge and how the same idea can beapproached through various prisms. The variedprofiles of the experts invited to act as faculty forthe course, as well as the extent and sweep of

the reading list and schedule of topicsdemonstrated not only the breadth of the subjectundertaken but also an awareness of thecontemporary challenges and trends ofdevelopment in the approach of humanities andsocial sciences. Right from the startinterdisciplinarity and theoretical innovationbecame the two vital posts. The course beganwith introducing yoga traditions and culturesthrough its theoretical foundations and the nextfew weeks were spent in understanding yogathrough classical Patanjali, Buddhist and Jainayogic systems, Kundalini and Bhagavad Gita.Protagonists such as Gandhi, Adishankara and



Chaitanya, examples of Karma, Jnana and Bhaktiyoga were woven into a tapestry with the warp ofvisual art. The next crossing led to the Buddhistand Jaina footprints which straddled the worlds ofearly Buddha and Jaina images and theirinherent yogic postures to the enlightening worldsof Vajrayana deities, mandalas and Jainacosmology. The lectures wove in and out, leadingto a unique and unparalleled broadening ofhorizons, both for the faculty and participants.The following section established the primacy oftantra and its necessary concomitant - agama.Shaivism, Vaishnavism and Shaktism becamethe focus through various philosophical andtheological testimonies such as ShaivaSiddhanta, Kashmir Shaivism, Vaikhanasa,Pancharatra and Shakta orders of Bengal andKashmir.

The interdependence of temples and theirintricate architectural imagery, sculpture andsophisticated iconography, cults, texts and sacredgeography took centrestage as did medievalthinkers, poets and yogis. The written word andthe visual forms were intertwined as the coursetraversed Indic thought and territory from the RigVeda to the 20th century. Personages such asthe Alvars, Nayanmars, Natha Yogis and Sufiswere encountered as the course ended with theexplosion of tantric construct in the continuingworship of Ganesha, Surya and Hanuman. Theedge of innovation, the exhilarating engagementwith the genealogy of these ideas, and thecomplicating of the boundaries of disciplines willlead to a still more vibrant second edition nextyear.

Representations of Power(November 14, 2013) by Maximo Gonzalez

Continuing our cutting edge initiative, CreativeProcesses, wherein global practitioners sharetheir work, their doubts and impulses, giving usan understanding of their oeuvre, in the firstperson, unmediated by critics, curators,historians, Maximo Gonzalez took the audiencethrough his world of installations. His firstresearch with money, Argentinian Pesos,threatened by devaluation and redundancy, led tohis signature involvement with currency, potentlycommenting against a military government andits practices; as did used old Mexican bills takethe form of a “Bureau of Change” wherein


Maximo Gonzalez speaks during‘Representations of Power’


different world currencies were valued against theMexican. His continuing engagement withcurrency saw him saving the white rims of billmargins over 7 years and weaving them withmathematical precision into patterned tapestries.Wasted Peso bills, analogous to old ruins whichlose utility till a fresh significance is given, wereused in a complicated production signifyingdegradation. The integration and reconstructionof shredded currency bills in the famed 450 feetmural, The Dream Commission by the Pritzkerfamily, is a hard hitting story line which commentson business practices of the commercial world.Installations made of Mexican coins with theirsilver centre removed for their bullion value,another that visually looked like a storm thatwould eventually settle, reflecting the state of theAmerican economy, thousand inflated Mylarballoons signifying runaway inflation are someexamples of the prescient nature of Gonzalez’swork. His rootedness in social concerns andethical paradigms of the globalised world can beseen in his trademark benches made as cheapstools by poor people but encased in acrylic,exemplifying the far removed touch of poverty forthe rich. His solo show at the Rubin Centre, ElPaso University, encompassed a wide canvas ofconcerns - the danger of harmless everydayobjects, political leaders who never answer,immigrants whose names are written and erasedsimultaneously and a military suit of red chilliesaddressed not only materiality and its symbolismbut also his tools and weapons. Gonzalez’sproject Changarrito, a not-for-profit artist initiative,has today become an institution to emulate.

My Work, My Thoughts(November 18, 2013) by Charles Correa

Charles Correa did a lecture-presentationunder the Creative Processes series, discussinghis approach to architecture, the world of form,colour and ideas in his practice. This was not asurvey lecture, taking the audience through hisprojects and their histories, but a viewing of someof his key ideas and projects. He began with hisfavourite subject of Sun and Sky in architecture -which manifests in the spatial typology of thecourtyard. He refers to various examples fromhistorical architecture such as the stepped kundat Modhera or the campus of Fatehpur Sikri todraw attention to design and its relationship withregionality - climate as well as cultural and socialtraditions. After a peek into some of his earlierprojects he gave a detailed presentation on theChampalimaud Centre project - a cancerresearch and care centre in Lisbon, Portugal.This is his latest project and very close to hisheart, and he explained many aspects of thebuilding in the manner of any human being'sapproach to space as much as an architect's. Healso tried to explain how this very recent project,very contemporary for its times, still hasarchitectural elements that have always beenpart of his aesthetic and planning repertoire.

The presentation was followed by a film on theproject, that records the views of the clients aswell as the architect, and presents the building inits many avatars, moods and experiences.Correa and the film-maker both sat inconversation later, taking questions from theaudience, raising many questions on topics



ranging from Correa's approach to architecture tothe way buildings are represented in photos andfilms, the process and manners of capturingspace in a cinematic frame, and so on.

The presentation started with Corea asking thequestion - "what is the difference betweenarchitecture and buildings?" And he ended theevening with many notes - some new and manyold - on what is contemporary in architecture,what can be architecture's relationship to a past,and traditions, the purpose of spaces and mythsin architecture. For the large younger audience itwas a great experience to hear Correa speak inhis charming, enthralling and sharp wittedmanner!

NOTHING MAKES SENSE Y SHOULD I? (November 29, 2013) by Suad AmiryIn collaboration with Literature Live!

For the third and last of our CreativeProcesses lecture in this quarter, we had

Palestinian architect and writer Suad Amiry give apresentation about her two careers. Ms. Amirystarted proceedings with a charming and wittyanecdote – one of many to follow – about howshe became a writer thanks to the Israeli curfewin 2002 that forced her 91 mother-in-law to movein with her. It was the very personal notes shemade during those 40 days and shared with anItalian friend who happened to be the vicepresident of the European Parliament, that led toher starting a writing career in middle age. Thefirst part of the presentation was dedicated to herwork as a conservationist architect and herorganization RIWAQ. She first introduced us tothe varied geographies and architectures ofPalestine with a series of pictures showingeverything from small villages and old ruins to thearchitecture of big cities such as Jerusalem andRamallah. She went on to explain how shebecame an architect, talking about growing up asa refugee in Amman feeling the absence of a city

Charles Correa speaks during‘My Work, My oughts’



(Jaffa, where her father used to live before herfamily was kicked out). She would always betrying to imagine what her father’s house and citylooked like. At the same time, the alleys of hermother’s city Damascus left an impact on hermind and she decided to conserve the historicarchitecture of her country. RIWAQ, which shefounded in 1991, is an organization devoted toprotecting Palestinian architecture and culture. Itsearly projects included a national register ofhistoric buildings which documents 50,320historical buildings in the country. RIWAQ isknown for implementing a new approach thatensured both job creation and the rejuvenation ofpublic spaces in a community through theirconservation work. Ms. Amiry also explained theiraward-winning new project ‘The 50 VillageProject’ in which RIWAQ plans to restore 50historic centres and in the process improvingstandard of living and infrastructure for the entirevillage.

This was followed by a dialogue with AnilDharker from Literature Live! The Mumbai Litfest,in which Ms. Amiry made great use of herrhetorical and story-telling talents. Through avariety of Kafkaesque anecdotes – hilarious yetheart-breaking but all true – she tackledquestions about the growing rise of religiousextremism and the Hamas in Palestine and themotive behind naming one of her books‘Menopausal Palestine’. We were granted a rareglimpse of the surreal that pervades througheveryday life in Israel occupied Palestine. Shealso talked at length about her latest book ‘GoldaSlept Here’, which tells the stories of four

Palestinians and their houses in a country wherethe property of Palestinian refugees were takenover and the legal system declared the vastmajority of Palestinians as absentee landlordswho lost rights to their property. The event

concluded with Ms. Amiry answering questionsfrom the audience.

What Is 'American Exceptionalism'?(December 20, 2013) by David BromwichIn collaboration with Aspen Institute India

In this lecture Prof. David Bromwich, SterlingProfessor of English at Yale University, explored

Suad Amiry speaks during ‘NOTHINGMAKES SENSE Y SHOULD I?’



the history of the idea of ‘Americanexceptionalism’, and how this belief inexceptionalism has fostered different approachesto dealing with the rest of the world. He linked therecent resurgence of the idea to the politicalrhetoric of their past and current presidents –Bush and Obama – which expresses the beliefthat America is an exception, a unique politicalentity that ought to be spread by the country tothe rest of the world. He also pointed out theoverlaps between American exceptionalism andthe old ideas of Empire. The United States ofAmerica began as an exception to the very ideaof Empire, because of its inception in a rebellionagainst Empire. Its leaders being well versed in18th century political writing, positioned the newnation as speaking for a new set of egalitarianpolitical values. He read from the AmericanConstitution and writings by George Washingtonto elucidate on these political values and theinteresting positions that the new nation took onmany issues, especially its insistence on stayingaloof from either alliances or enmities. However,as time went on, and due to a number of otherfactors, the country would move away from theseideals. He pointed out the Monroe doctrine asone of the first steps, where the United Statesasserted itself as an equal to other empires andopened the door for other doctrines that assertedUS dominance more and more, for exampleJimmy Carter’s doctrine that the Persian Gulf wasa legitimate American sphere of influence andthat they would attack any country thatthreatened their dominance in the sphere. Prof.Bromwich talked about how expansionist

interpretations of these American idealsappeared with the Mexican war, and how belief insuch ideologies is an important influence ondecisions such as the war on Iraq. He pin-pointedthe Kosovo intervention as the turning pointwhere the United States completely turned awayfrom the caution of its founding leaders andrestored belief and confidence in Americanexceptionalism. Kosovo was a comfortable war,legal, low-cost, successful and Prof. Bromwichopined that it was this war that preparedAmerican political-military consensus on serialwars against trans-national enemies of variouskinds. He ended by asking if the US is now toothickly planted with international commitments toremain long at peace.


Piano Recital by Shani Diluka (February 20, 2014, 7.00 pm) The artist is jointlypresented with the Mehli Mehta MusicFoundation

Revealing a profound sound and a soaringvirtuosity" are some of the words used todescribe this exceptional artist. Shani Diluka hasgiven critically acclaimed solo recitals at suchrenowned venues as the Concertgebouw ofAmsterdam, the Salle Pleyel in Paris. She hasperformed as soloist with many great Orchestrasworldwide and has been applauded for everysuccess. As a chamber musician, her partnersare great formations such as the Ysaye quartetand the Alban Berg Quartet.


We know we have made a difference. Our endeavour to encourage and facilitate creative expression meaningfully,continues with the firm belief that the arts are indispensable to the well-being of the community and the individual.

Queens Mansion, 3rd Floor, G. Talwatkar Marg,Fort, Mumbai - 400001. India.www.jp-india.comwww.facebook.com/JnanapravahaAtMumbai

David Bromwich (L) and Akeel Bilgrami answer questionsduring ‘Romanticism, Moral and Aesthetic Value, and Politics’

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