Tasneem Zakaria Mehta is on the board of Wockhardt Ltd. and Managing Trustee at Dr. Bhau Daji Lad Mumbai City Museum and Member of International Council of The Museum of Modern Art. Her husband is famous for being the host of CNN's show "Fareed Zakaria GPS. or concerns about this article, please contact. As Managing Trustee and Honorary Director of the museum since 2003 she has a future-forward approach to what she describes as a jewel box museum, rich with exhibits but also compact and easily navigable within an hour ortwo. ", Little notebooks and a phone planner are Mehta's tools to keep track of schedules that are planned 6-8 months in advance. What you get on Business Standard Premium? "We want to make a difference in how the public feels about, views and engages with these artworks. Ismail Merchant, Shyam Benegal, Govind Nihalani, Partap Sharma, Pupul Jayakar, Rahul Bajaj, Martand Singh, P. Chidambaram. This means we are able to keep this site free-of-charge to use. And in this, showcasing contemporary art is equally important. George Birdwood, the first curator of the museum, didnt think Indians were capable of sculpture or fine arts. Tasneem Zakaria Mehta is an art historian, curator, designer, and cultural activist. Right in the main atrium, the two artists have created a colossal vitrine which has been hosting various activities and competitions. During her time in the Ambani high school, she was interested in pursuing History and Economics. 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 She recalls extensive travels around the country. She is glad that her two major passions--writing and art--coalesce at the Museum. Thats what we have been careful of in this book. The museum also has an extensive education and outreach programme. 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. BDL has also hosted several online and in-person sessions on climate change, waste management, land ecosystem, ozone depletion, and so on, which have received an overwhelming response from schools and NGOs. We won UNESCOs highest award for the restoration work we did in 2005, which gave this until-then-unknown jewel of a museum back to Mumbai. Continue readingFor 24x7 updates on Mumbai and Maharashtra. Its overwhelming, the sheer volume of art in Tasneem Zakaria Mehtas house impossible to take in in one sitting or even five; but every piece has resonance in her life. Please include '@' in the email address, Copyrights 2023 Business Standard Private Ltd. All And that has been the case up till now." Tasneem Zakaria Mehta attends the Femina Women Awards 2017 held at St Regis in Mumbai on June 28, 2017. With degrees from Delhi University in English Literature, Sir JJ School of Art in Textile Design, Christie's in London in Modern and Contemporary Art, and New York's Columbia University in Liberal Arts, among others, Mehta has been deeply immersed in her love for both art and writing throughout her life. Details Title: Walls of the. Preferential invites to Business Standard events. The exhibition was curated by Tasneem Zakaria Mehta and Puja Vaish and attempts to trace textile practices, traditions and histories in Contemporary Indian Art. I don't take money for petrol, telephone or any other allowance. Insightful news, sharp views, newsletters, e-paper, and more! "I never get time to shop or get my sari blouses tailored," she laments. I have always listened to Bach or Vivaldi but after actually learning how to play the piano last year, I enjoy it so much more. ULTIMATE VISION/DREAM: Ive tried planning my life and realised that things are constantly changing. The space now thrives as a venue for workshops, talks, lectures, craft melas, book sales and even a diploma course on Modern and Contemporary Art and Curatorial Practice. "I wore a six-pocket, three-fourth pair of shorts on my first day and got an earful," says Pawar. We have continued this as part of the museums revitalisation programme and have invited contemporary artists to respond to our archives and collections. Work seems to go on as usual. There was a whole statement being made. In August, it will host an exhibition in collaboration with the photo gallery Tasveer to celebrate the latter's 10-year anniversary. ', Hindu organisations to hold rally in Mumbai to protest encroachments of Shivaji forts and historical places in Maharashtra. In a moment of insanity -- in retrospect -- I insisted that we -- my husband and children in tow --board one of those ferries and head to Elephanta Caves, a UNESCO World heritage site. Visiting or Connecting with Mount Holyoke, Copyright 2021 Trustees of Mount Holyoke College. As a senior student ambassador for the Wellesley Center of Women, it is my job to try to communicate to the college the work the Center does to promote women empowerment. Mehta speaks to Benita Fernando about the connection of the museum to Mumbai and the importance of museums in contemporary India. A leaders of Indias heritage preservation movement, Mehta has successfully pioneered the revival and restoration of several of Mumbais important cultural sites. "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. NEXT. Located at the entrance of the Museum, the office has large vinyl boards of its expansion plans resting on one of its walls. At the opposite end, there is a large table that displays some memorabilia, thick copies of annual reports and a few programme catalogues, among other things. All the top artists want to do exhibitions here. Excerpts: How should museums evolve so that they do not become anachronistic? Objects are not just about beauty but tell us about the world of the maker and the patron, their intentions, and the hazards they confronted. The British didnt use the word sculptor because they didnt want to dignify the craftsmen with the term. "I'm trying to take everyone along, convincing them that this vision benefits everybody, including the BMC corporators." She is also a trustee of the Kochi Biennale Foundation. She thinks that curators need to understand their material thoroughly and then engage deeply with the art; for they need to understand how to present an exhibition and how to give it visual strength. Tasneem Zakaria Mehta is an art historian, writer, curator, designer, and cultural activist. I am also incredibly interested in womens empowerment. Regardless, if I were to define love, for me at this time in my life it would entail spending time with my friends and laughing endlessly.Courtesy: Hello! In Photos: Notable stars, artistes, actors, celebrities who bid us goodbye in 2020. bring in the audience, what's the point of the energy and effort?" A leader of India's heritage preservation movement, Mehta has successfully pioneered the revival and restoration of several of Mumbai's important cultural sites. 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. Both sofas are from London. Zakaria is married to Paula Throckmorton. Let me go back in time. 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". 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. "Having a high standard of excellence can be challenging for others. Last Updated at February 3, 2018 05:58 IST. "As a curator, you should be able to say why a work of art is good or bad. The elder, Tasneem Zakaria Mehta, is an art historian and writer, living in Mumbai. I married a Hindu and the only thing he told me was, 'Couldn't you find a good Muslim boy'? Monday 5 September '11. The city and the Museum developed together, each . 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. Arshad Zakaria, Tasneem Zakaria Mehta: School: Cathedral and John Connan School, Mumbai: College: Yale University: Religion: Islam: Nationality: Indian: Zodiac Sign: Aquarius: Gender: Male: . Many architecture and design colleges have expressed interest in teaching the book as a case study of narrating object histories as stories. The book explores the museums objects as time machines and tells the story of BDLs evolution and the role it played in the development of Mumbai. The venue today is not only a vibrant spot for . Perched on the eastern flank of Colaba, the apartment complex where Mehta lives feels like a Bombay from long ago. Another scope for improvement: being challenged when it comes to technology. Walk of Life, an interactive game put up by Thukral & Tagra. Part of the reason why we [at Bhau Daji] are successful is that we are private-public; and if we were completely private, we would have been 10 times more successful. 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 museum industry is still grappling with the long-term implications and faces a continuous challenge to reinvent and revitalise in order to keep up with the quickly evolving times and to create more engaging exhibitions and educational programmes for visitors. [8] She was the president of Maulana Azad Education Society (MAES) and chairman of Maulana Azad Educational Trust (MAET), both in Aurangabad. Also, I take criticism to heart." Works by several artistsincluding Jitish Kallat (from his first exhibition), Archana Hande, Binode Behari Mukherjee, BV Suresh, and Anandjit Rayare on the wall behind the desk. Contents: Education and Career Personal Life Net Worth. The definition of a museum has changed radically in the 21st century. Of course, there was the Lakme Fashion Show fiasco recently, where the finale couldn't take place in the Museum as planned after threats were received from the MNS. 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. The positions of the curator of the Museum and the director of Sir JJ School of Art were held by the same person for over 100 years. The largest singular event for nonprofit art curators across all fields, types of organizations, and geographic locations. With the renovation complete - and an expansion project underway - Zakaria Mehta, who is now honorary director of the museum, is focusing on recontextualising the space; safeguarding its history while encouraging contemporary discourse and creating a platform for public outreach. Buy Now | Our best subscription plan now has a special price. Tasneem Mehta (@tzmehta) Instagram photos and videos tzmehta 18 posts 2,141 followers 153 following Tasneem Mehta Art Historian, Writer, Designer, Curator; Managing Trustee & Director Dr. Bhau Daji Lad Museum, Mumbai; www.bdlmuseum.org Posts Tagged Some features are no longer enabled. All images have been provided by Open Magazine. Mehta's methods are so alien to the establishment that 227, perhaps otherwise-warring corporators, have come together to see her out of BDL and terminate a 2003 tripartite agreement between the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), Indian National Trust for Art and Culture Heritage (INTACH) and Jamnalal Bajaj Foundation for the museum's management. Whenever Mehta goes abroad, she spends most of her time visiting museums and devouring art galleries. I have all my work, my notes, my music, pictures, etc on my laptop.ON YOUR iPOD: I love Bollywood music and Bollywood movies. "My father was liberal. Its a strong feminist statement when you enter the house, she laughs. When she set out to refurbish the BDL plaza and its two cottages for the Guggenheim show in 2012, the civic administration didn't approve. How important are museum collections in context of the present times? She looks highly composed, a far cry from someone who has been through a storm, even as she mentions an upcoming trip to the Himalayas where she would be completely inaccessible. Could you tell us more about this? Though, in the end, the Municipal Corporation bore 50 per cent of the cost as the building was stuck due to lack of funds. However, Mumbai's only city museum to win the UNESCO 2005 Asia Pacific Award of Excellence, one of her many accolades, is evidence that the 62-year-old gets things done. During the conversation, she mentions that she once wanted to pursue further studies in Islamic Art and regrets that she didn't. Restoration of several of Mumbais important cultural sites of Indias heritage preservation movement, Mehta has successfully the! At St Regis in Mumbai of organizations, and more architecture and design have., convincing them that this vision benefits everybody, including the BMC corporators. organisations to rally! 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