Mapping the Developments of Curatorial Activism & Practice in the Indian Context

As theorized by Reilly, curatorial activism emerged from the Global North within curatorial and museological discourse as a framework to address the exclusion of marginalized artists from the art historical canon. This paper contributes to the ongoing discourse on curatorial activism, specifically within the Indian context, by critically examining its application in Indian art institutions. Drawing from critical concepts in New Museology and Reilly's curatorial activism, this study analyzes key exhibitions curated at two prominent art centres—New Delhi and Mumbai—exploring how curators engage with activist art practices and institutional critique. By examining the curatorial strategies employed—specifically, revisionism, area studies, and relational studies—within these exhibitions, the paper investigates how issues of caste, regional identity, and marginalization are addressed, particularly within India's unique sociopolitical context. Through this empirical lens, the study evaluates how curatorial activism operates within Indian art institutions and its implications for reshaping dominant narratives in contemporary art discourse.