UPDATE

This statement has been issued by concerned individuals in support of Sandip K Luis. We are publishing it here on Kafila in solidarity and to amplify the call, as we routinely do with many such statements. Those who issued the statement have nothing to do with Kafila, although some individuals associated with Kafila have also endorsed the statement. We feel this clarification is necessary as some reports say that the group that issued this statement runs Kafila. This is incorrect.

Link to endorse this statement at the end.

We the undersigned, artists,  academics and other concerned individuals,  have come to know that Dr Sandip K. Luis, Manager, Curatorial Research & Publications at the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art (KNMA),  has arbitrarily been terminated from work. The action was taken  for a Facebook post he made on 15th May 2023 which was critical of the chairperson of the museum Ms. Kiran Nadar in her individual capacity, for supporting and publicly endorsing a series of propaganda events of the current  government of India being showcased at the National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA) in Delhi.

The Facebook post was also published here:

Decoding Jan Shakti at National Gallery of Modern Art -there is no Schindler’s List! 

We strongly condemn Sandip’s termination from employment and demand his immediate reinstatement by KNMA.

Subsequent to the inauguration of an exhibition in May 2023, titled Jana Shakti (a celebration of the Prime Minister’s monthly radio propaganda Mann ki baat) curated by Alka Pande, supported by Ms. Nadar as the Advisor,  a number of articles appeared in the press and on social media that called out art world luminaries, for participating in what was obviously a self-aggrandizing  exercise of the government of India. Continue reading Statement against the arbitrary termination of KNMA employee Dr Sandip K. Luis →