As active stakeholders in the South Asian arts community, we are concerned by the growing number of allegations of sexual harassment and reports of hostile work environments. These are serious concerns that need to be addressed with urgency.
The art world is amorphous in nature: social mobility is dependent on informal networking and personal and professional spaces cannot be easily separated. Survivors who publicly tell their stories face serious forms of retaliation. They are reluctant to disclose their identities because they fear losing work. As a community, we commit to ensuring that people who are speaking out are protected, and that professional opportunities are not denied to them. We respect the truth and stand in solidarity with those who come out with their stories.
We strongly object to the use of defamation as a method to intimidate and silence survivors and those who represent their interests. We call on all our peers; artists; curators; gallerists; collectors; writers; and heads of both public and private institutions to commit to the safeguarding of survivor accounts. We request them to rigorously advocate for open and supportive spaces that allow women, trans people, queer people, and those who have been disenfranchised by caste and class structures to voice their concerns and find support.
We pledge to collectively reflect, ideate and act on developing the necessary legal and informal support mechanisms to address these challenges. We will do our best to protect spaces for open conversations, and uphold basic codes of professionalism.
The undersigned,
- Aashna Jhaveri, Artist, Mumbai
- Abdullah Qureshi, Visual Artist and Researcher, Helsinki
- Abhay Sardesai, Editor and Writer, Mumbai
- Abhineet Singh, Founder, the Brewhouse, New Delhi
- Abhinit Khanna, Independent Arts Manager and Consultant, Mumbai
- Abhishek Hazra, Artist, Banglore
- Abir Karmakar, Artist, Baroda
- Adam Bainbridge, Musician, London
- Adam Szymczyk, Artistic Director, ducumenta 14, Athens/Kassel
- Aditya Kapoor, Photographer and Filmmaker, New Delhi
- Aditya Pande, Artist, New Delhi
- Adwait Singh, Independent Curator and Writer, New Delhi
- Afrah Shafiq, Artist/Filmmaker, Goa
- Akansha Rastogi, Senior Curator, Kiran Nadar Museum of Art, New Delhi
- Alok Vaid-Menon, Artist, New York
- Amar Kanwar, Artist, New Delhi
- Ameet Sikka, Fashion Stylist, New Delhi
- Amna Hashmi, Art Educator and Practitioner (Assistant Professor),
COMSATS, University, Islamabad - Amol K Patil, Artist, Mumbai
- Amshu Chukki, Artist, Bengaluru
- Andrew Ananda Voogel, Artist, Taipei
- Anisa Nariman, Food Writer and Chef, New Delhi, India
- Anita Khemka, Photographer, Delhi
- Anita Rani, TV Presenter, London
- Anjali Monteiro, Filmmaker and Academician, Mumbai
- Anjalika Sagar, Artist, The Otolith Group, London
- Ankur Tewari, Musician, Mumbai
- Annu Palakunnathu Matthew, Artist and Professor, University of Rhode
Island, Bangalore/Rhode Island - Anoushka Shankar, Sitarist and Composer, London
- Anurag Banerjee, Photographer, Bombay
- Anusha Yadav, The Memory Company, Mumbai
- Anushka Rajendran, Curator, New Delhi
- Archana Hande, Artist, Bombay
- Arijit Bhattacharya, Artist, India
- Arnav Adhikari, Writer/Editor, New Delhi
- Arnika Ahldag, JNU, New Delhi
- Aruna Chandrasekhar, Independent Photojournalist, Bangalore
- Aruna Keshav, Assistant Director, GALLERYSKE, Bangalore
- Asmita Parelkar, Photographer, Mumbai
- Astha Butail, Artist, Gurgaon
- Aunohita Mojumdar, Editor, Himal Southasian, Colombo
- Avantika Bhuyan, Freelance Writer, New Delhi
- Avinash Veeraraghavan, Artist, Bangalore
- Ayesha Jatoi, Artist, Lahore
- Aziz Sohail, Curator and Writer, Karachi/Los Angeles
- Bharat Sikka, Photographer, New Delhi
- Bhavika Aggarwal, Designer, the Brewhouse, New Delhi
- Bikkil Sthapit, Artist, Nepal
- Boshudhara Mukherjee, Artist, Bangalore/Mumbai/Kurseon
- Bunu Dhungana, Visual Artist, Kathmandu
- Chandrika Grover Ralleigh, Consultant, Cultural Strategy, New Delhi
- Charles Esche (Prof.), Director, Van Abbemuseum, Eindhoven
- Chinar Shah, Artist, Srishti Institute of Art, Design and Technology, Bangalore
- Clare Lilley, Director of Programme, Yorkshire Sculpture Park, Wakefield, UK
- Cosmin Costinas, Director, Para Site, Hong Kong
- Cynthia Packert, Middlebury College, Vermont
- David Sanderson, Times Arts Correspondent, London
- Dayanita Singh, Artist, New Delhi
- Deborah Bruguera, Activist, Padova
- Deep Kailey, Creative Director, London
- Deepak Ananth, Art Historian and Curator, Paris, France
- Deepali Dewan, Senior Curator of South Asian Art & Culture, Royal Ontario
Museum, Toronto - Devika Bakshi, Writer and Teacher, Delhi
- Devika Daulet-Singh, Director, PHOTOINK, New Delhi
- Dhruv Malhotra, Photographer, Jaipur
- Dia Mehhta Bhupal, Artist, Hyderabad
- Diana Campbell Betancourt, Artistic Director, Samdani Art Foundation, Chief
Curator, Dhaka Art Summit - Dileep Prakash, Artist, New Delhi
- Dinesh Khanna, Photographer, Delhi
- Diva Gujral, PhD scholar, University College London, London
- Dr Emilia Terracciano, Ruskin School of Art, University of Oxford,
London/Oxford - Dr Rashmi Poddar, Director, Jnanapravaha, Mumbai
- Eesha Patkar, Editorial Manager, Saffronart, Mumbai
- Elvira Dyangani Ose, Director, The Showroom, London
- Emilia Bergmans, Founder, the Brewhouse, New Delhi
- Fiza Khatri, Artist, Karachi
- Frances Morris, Director, Tate Modern, London
- Gabi Ngcobo, Independent Curator, Co-Director, Nothing Gets Organised
(NGO), Lecturer, Wits School of Arts, Johannesburg - Garima Gupta, Artist and Researcher, New Delhi
- Gauri Gill, Artist, New Delhi
- Gayatri Nair, Founding member, Chennai Photo Biennale/CPB Foundation,
Chennai - Guerrilla Girls, Artists, USA
- Hadrien Diez, Curatorial Advisor, Bengal Foundation, Dhaka
- Helmut Schippert, Co-Founder, Chennai Photo Biennale/CPB Foundation,
Chennai - Hem Partap Singh, Designer, the Brewhouse, New Delhi
- Hena Kapadia, Gallery Director, TARQ, Mumbai
- Henri-Claude, Curator and Former Director of École de Beaux-Arts, Paris,
France - Himali Singh Soin, Writer and Artist, New Delhi/London
- Iftikhar Dadi, Director, South Asia Program, Cornell University, Ithaca, New
York - Itisha Giri, Poet, Madrid/Kathmandu
- Jeroo Mullah, Social Communications & Media, Professor and Dancer
- Jessica Lim, Festival Director, Angkor Photo Festival, Singapore/Cambodia
- Jiten Thukral and Sumir Tagra, Artists, New Delhi
- Joe Paul Cyriac, Photographer, Thiruvananthapuram
- Jyoti Dhar, Art Critic, Colombo
- K. P. Jayasankar, Filmmaker and Academician, Mumbai
- Kai Altmann, Artist, Musician and Curator, Worldwide
- Kamayani Sharma, Art Critic, New Delhi
- Kanika Makhija, Artist and Researcher, Mumbai
- Karan Shrestha, Artist and Filmmaker, Kathmandu/Mumbai
- Karishma Dev Dube, Filmmaker, New York
- Karma Wangchuk, Artist, Bhutan
103.Karthik Subramanian, Photographer, Chennai - Kartik Sood, Artist, Shimla
- Kavan Balasuriya, Artist, Sri Lanka
- Ketaki Sheth, Photographer, Mumbai
- Kiran Nadar, Chairperson, KNMA, New Delhi
- Krishnaraj Chonat, Artist, Bangalore
- Kuldeep Patil, Shiv Nadar University, Delhi
- Kush Badhwar, Artist, Sydney/Mumbai
- Madhavi Gore, Artist, Bardez
- Madhuban Mitra, Artist, Kolkata
- Mahendra Sinh, Photographer, Mumbai
- Malini Kochupillai, Artist and Urban researcher, New Delhi
- Manas Bhattacharya, Artist, Kolkata
- Manishikha Baul, Performing Artist, Delhi
- Mario Ashley DSouza, Curator and Writer, New Delhi.
- Martha Rosler, Artist, Brooklyn, New York
- Medha Khosla, Designer Entrepreneur, ANOMALY, Delhi
- Meera Menezes, Art Writer, New Delhi
- Megha Rawla, Designer, the Brewhouse, New Delhi
- Megha Roy, Copy-Writer, the Brewhouse, New Delhi
- Mila Sambdub, Writer, New Delhi
- Mithu Sen, Artist, New Delhi
- Monali Meher, Artist, Gent, Belgium
- Mortimer Chatterjee, Director, Chatterjee & Lal, Mumbai
- Munem Wasif, Artist, Dhaka
- Mustafa Khanbhai, Artist, New Delhi
- Nada Raza, Curator, Dubai
- Naeem Mohaiemen, Artist and Writer, Dhaka
- Nalini Malani, Artist, Mumbai
- Nandita Jaishankar, Editor, New Delhi
- Natasha Ginwala, Writer and Curator, Colombo
- NayanTara Gurung Kakshapati, Director, Photo Kathmandu, Kathmandu
- Nihaal Faizal, Artist, Bangalore
- Nikhil Chopra, Artist, Bardez
- Nikhil Kaul, Designer, the Brewhouse, New Delhi
- Nilanjana S Roy, Author, New Delhi
- Niranjan Kunwar, Education Consultant and Writer, Kathmandu
- Orijit Sen, Director, People Tree, Goa
- Ornella D’Souza, Senior Feature Writer, Daily News & Analysis (DNA),
Mumbai - Pakhi Sen, Artist, New Delhi
- Paribartana Mohanty, Artist, New Delhi
- Parni Ray, New Delhi
- Parul Vadhera, Director, Vadhera Art Gallery New Delhi
- Payal Khandwala, Painter and Clothesmaker, Mumbai
- Phalguni Desai, Writer and Producer, Mumbai
- Philippe Calia, Artist, Mumbai
- Philippe Pirotte, Rector Staedelschule and Director Portikus, Frankfurt
- Pooja Pant, Artist, Nepal
- Prabhakar Pachpute, Artist, Pune
- Prabhavathi Meppayil, Artist, Bangalore
- Prajakta Potnis, Visual Artist, Mumbai
- Praneet Soi, Artist, Kolkata/Amsterdam
- Prarthna Singh, Photographer, Mumbai
- Prashant Panjiar, Photographer and Curator, Goa
- Prateek Raja, Director, Experimenter, Kolkata
- Prawin Adhikari, Asst. Editor, La.Lit, Kathmandu
- Premjish, Curator and Critic, Delhi
- Preti Taneja, Writer, United Kingdom
- Princess Pea, The Pea Family Studio, Gurgaon
- Priyadarshini Ravichandran, Photographer, Auroville/Chennai
- Priyanka D’Souza, Artist, Mumbai
- Priyanka Raja, Director, Experimenter, Kolkata
- Pulak Bhatnagar, Designer, the Brewhouse, New Delhi
- Pundoles, Mumbai
- Pushpamala N, Artist, Bangalore
- Qudsia Rahim, Executive Director, Lahore Biennale Foundation
- Rachel Spence, Poet and Arts Writer , London
- Radha Mahendru, Arts Manager and Filmmaker, Delhi
- Radhika Chopra, Collector, New Delhi
- Ragini Bhow, Artist, Bangalore
- Rahaab Allana, Curator and Publisher, New Delhi
- Rahel Aima, Writer and Editor, New York
- Rajyashri Goody, Artist, Pune
- Ramona Dmello, Digital Marketing Manager, Saffronart, Mumbai
- Randhir Singh, Photographer, New Delhi
- Ranjana Steinruecke, Director, Galerie Mirchandani + Steinruecke, Mumbai
- Ranjit Kandalgaonkar, Artist and Researcher, Mumbai
- Rashmi Sawhney, Associate Professor Film & Cultural Studies, Christ
University, Bangalore - Rashmi Varma, Designer, New Delhi
- Rebecca John, Curator and Researcher, Berlin
- Reeta Loi, Writer and Musician, CEO Gaysians, London
- Reetu Sattar, Artist, Dhaka
- Rhea Maheshwari, Assistant Director, GALLERYSKE, New Delhi
- Rishi Singhal, Discipline Lead - Photography Design, National Institute of
Design, Ahmedabad - Ritesh Uttamchandani, Photographer, Mumbai, India
- Rithika Merchant, Artist, Mumbai/Barcelona
- Ronny Sen, Photographer and Filmmaker, Kolkata
- Roobina Karode, Director and Chief Curator, KNMA, New Delhi
- Rosalyn Dmello, Art Writer and Author, New Delhi
- Roshni Vadhera, Director, Vadhera Art Gallery New Delhi
- Rudra Rakshit, Photographer, Bangalore/Pune/Sakleshpur
- Rupali Patil, Artist, Pune
- Sabih Ahmed, Researcher, Asia Art Archive in India, New Delhi
- Sadia Marium, Photographer, Dhaka
- Sahil Naik, Artist, Ponda
- Saif Hasnat, Journalist and Lyricist, United News of Bangladesh (UNB)
- Sakshi Gupta, Artist, Mumbai
- Salima Hashmi, Artist and Educator, Lahore
- Samira Bose, Writer and Researcher, New Delhi
- Sana Nasir, Art Director and Illustrator, Karachi
- Sandip Kuriakose, Artist and Writer, New Delhi
- Sania Galundia, Researcher and curator, Jaipur
- Sanjana Hattotuwa, Founding Editor, Groundviews.org, Colombo, Sri Lanka
- Sathi Guin, Artist, Baroda
- Savia Mahajan, Artist, Mumbai
- Saviya Lopes, Artist, Bombay
- Seher Shah, Artist, New Delhi
- Sethu Vaidyanathan, Trustee, CPB Foundation, Chennai
- Shahidul Alam, Photographer, Writer and Activist, Dhaka
- Shaleen Wadhwana, Independent Arts Professional, New Delhi
- Shanay Jhaveri, Curator, New York/Mumbai
- Sharareh Bajracharya, Chairperson, Srijanalaya, Kathmandu
- Shaunak Mahbubani, Curator, New Delhi
- Shazia Salam, Artist, Bangalore
- Sheela Gowda, Artist, Bangalore
- Sheelasha Rajbhandari, Artist, Artree Nepal, Kathmandu
- Sheena Dabholkar, LOVER Magazine, Nerul
- Shibesh Mehrotra, Copy-Writer, the Brewhouse, New Delhi
- Shireen Gandhy, Gallerist, Mumbai
- Shirley Bhatnagar, Artist and Designer, New Delhi
- Shiv Ankit Ahuja, Artist, Gurgaon
- Shivanjani Lal, Artist, Bombay/Sydney
- Shubigi Rao, Artist, Singapore
- Shuchi Kapoor, Founding member, Chennai Photo Biennale/CPB
Foundation, Chennai - Shumon Basar, Curator, Writer and Editor, Dubai/Berlin
- Sitara Chowfla, Curator, London/New Delhi
- Skye Arundhati Thomas, Writer and Editor, Mumbai
- Smita Prabhakar, Collector, Dubai
- Sneha Ragavan, Researcher, Asia Art Archive in India, New Delhi
- Sofia Karim, Architect & Artist, London UK
- Sohrab Hura, Photographer, New Delhi
- Sooni Taraporevala, Photographer, Screenwriter and Filmmaker, Mumbai
- Sosa Joseph, Artist, Kochi
- Soumyadip Ghosh, Researcher & Archive Manager, PHOTOINK, New Delhi
- Srinivas Kuruganti, Photographer, Mumbai
- Sudarshan Shetty, Artist, Mumbai
- Sukanya Ghosh, Artist, New Delhi
- Sumitra, Researcher and Curator, Bangalore
- Sunil Padwal, Artist, Mumbai
- Sunitha Kumar Emmart, Director, GALLERYSKE, Bangalore
- Suresh Kumar G, Artist and Arts Facilitator, Bangalore
- Swapnaa Tamhane, Artist and Curator, Montreal, CA
- Tania Bruguera, Artist, Havana
- Tanvi Mishra, Creative Director, The Caravan Magazine, Independent
Curator, New Delhi - Tanya Goel, Artist, New Delhi
- Tanzim Wahab, Chief Curator, Bengal Foundation, Dhaka
- Tara Kelton, Artist, Bangalore
- Tara Lal, Director, Chatterjee & Lal, Mumbai
- Tarana Sawhney, Collector, New Delhi
- Tausif Noor, Curatorial Fellow, Institute of Contemporary Art, Philadelphia
- Tejal Shah, Artist, Delhi
- Thomas Pouppez, Arts Manager, Kathmandu
- Trishla Talera, TIFA Working Studios, Pune
- Umer Butt, Director, Gallery Grey Noise, Dubai
- Urvashi Butalia, Publisher, Zubaan Books
- Ute Meta Bauer, Curator and Director, Center for Contemporary Art, NTU,
Singapore - Varun Gupta, Co-Founder, Chennai Photo Biennale/CPB Foundation,
Chennai - Varunika Saraf, Artist/Art Historian, Hyderabad
- Veera Rustomji, Artist, Karachi
- Veeranganakumari Solanki, Independent Curator/Art Writer, Pune
- Vidisha S, Artist-Curator, New Delhi
- Vidya Shivdas, Director, FICA, New Delhi
- Vidyun Sabhaney, Artist/Editor, Delhi
- Vivek Premachandran, Artist, New Delhi
- Yabya Kewat, Bharati Vidyapeeth College of Fine Arts, Pune
- Yogesh S Barve, Artist, Mumbai
- Zain Masud, Art Advisor, London
- Zeenat Nagree, Writer, Mumbai
- Zishaan A Latif, Photography/Films, Mumbai
- Zubin Ekka, Arts Manager, GALLERYSKE, New Delhi