Sahmat

Sahmat
Name	Sahmat
Formation	1990
Founders	Käthe Kollwitz
Type	Nonprofit
Headquarters	New Delhi
Location	India

Sahmat

Sahmat is a New Delhi-based cultural organization established in 1990 that brought together artists, writers, curators, and activists in response to political events in India. It aimed to create interdisciplinary platforms linking visual art, literature, performance, and public debate through exhibitions, publications, and events. Sahmat engaged with national and international interlocutors including institutions, collectives, and individuals from United Kingdom, United States, Germany, France, and across South Asia.

History

Sahmat emerged amid the sociopolitical flux of the late 20th century involving debates around secularism and communalism in India and regional developments such as the Kashmir conflict, the aftermath of the 1992–93 Bombay riots, and shifts following the end of the Cold War. The collective model drew on precedents set by groups like Grup de Trabajo, Guerrilla Girls, Art & Language, and initiatives associated with Socrates Sculpture Park and Artists Space. Early activities referenced debates prominent in venues such as National Gallery of Modern Art, New Delhi, Tate Modern, and Museum of Modern Art, while dialogues included figures linked to Jawaharlal Nehru University, Aligarh Muslim University, Jamia Millia Islamia, and the Indian People's Theatre Association.

The organization developed networks with transnational institutions including Asia Society, British Council, Goethe-Institut, French Institute, and Asia Art Archive. Its history intersects with literary and political currents represented by personalities associated with Progressive Writers' Association, Communist Party of India (Marxist), Janata Dal, and civil society movements like Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International.

Activities and Programs

Sahmat organized exhibitions, public interventions, readings, panel discussions, and publications. Its programs often took place in collaboration with venues such as India International Centre, Kiran Nadar Museum of Art, Serendipity Arts Festival, Prithvi Theatre, and Lalit Kala Akademi. Educational efforts included workshops connecting participants from Faculty of Fine Arts, MSU Baroda, National Institute of Design, Jamia Millia Islamia Faculty of Fine Arts, and international art schools like Goldsmiths, University of London and Rhode Island School of Design.

Projects engaged writers and poets from circles including Akaash Singh, Amitabh Ghosh, Arundhati Roy, Mahasweta Devi, and artists with lineage tracing to M.F. Husain, Anjolie Ela Menon, Raja Ravi Varma-inspired discussions. Collaborations extended to journalists and intellectuals linked to outlets and forums like The Hindu, Hindustan Times, Outlook India, Economic and Political Weekly, and Frontline.

Notable Exhibitions and Projects

Among notable projects were curated shows and public art interventions staged in partnership with institutions such as Sanskriti Prathisthan, Alliance Française de Delhi, National School of Drama, and Sahitya Akademi. Exhibitions highlighted dialogues with international programs including Documenta, Biennale di Venezia, Sharjah Biennial, and exchanges with curators from Serpentine Galleries and Walker Art Center.

Publications, catalogs, and poster campaigns were produced in association with printers and cultural publishers like Roli Books, Mapin Publishing, and academic presses connected to Oxford University Press and Cambridge University Press. Projects routinely involved archival research referencing collections at institutions such as National Archives of India, British Library, and Library of Congress.

Key People and Leadership

Leadership and founding members comprised artists, writers, and curators whose practices intersected with institutions including Tara Singh, Nalini Malani, Bharat Josh, T. K. Rohith, and cultural activists linked to Arpita Singh-school networks. Advisory and contributing figures engaged scholars and cultural critics associated with Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak, Partha Chatterjee, Dipesh Chakrabarty, Nandini Sundar, and curators from National Gallery of Modern Art, New Delhi and international museums. Collaborators included legal scholars and activists with ties to Supreme Court of India deliberations, human rights advocates from People's Union for Civil Liberties, and broadcasters from Doordarshan and All India Radio.

Impact and Reception

Sahmat’s activities influenced discourse in cultural and public spheres associated with Secularism in India debates, interactions between visual artists and literary publics, and responses to communal violence such as the 2002 Gujarat riots. Reviews and commentaries appeared in outlets like The Times of India, Indian Express, Tehelka, Caravan, and international coverage in The Guardian, The New York Times, and Le Monde. Academic engagement took place in journals and conferences linked to Modern Asian Studies, Third Text, Economic and Political Weekly, and university programs at Jawaharlal Nehru University and University of Oxford.

Funding and Organization

Funding sources included grants and partnerships with cultural funders such as Prince Claus Fund, Ford Foundation, Soros Foundation, and institutional support from British Council and Goethe-Institut. Organizational collaborations involved municipal and national bodies like Ministry of Culture (India), State Government of Delhi, and donor-advised funds administered through foundations such as Tata Trusts and family endowments connected to Jindal and Birla philanthropic networks. Staffing and volunteer engagement drew participants from academic institutions including Jawaharlal Nehru University, University of Delhi, and art schools such as College of Art, Delhi.

Category:Cultural organisations based in India