Sana Rezwan’s Public Arts Trust of India to launch Jodhpur Arts Week

Muhammad Yusuf, Features Writer

Public Arts Trust of India (PATI), founded by arts entrepreneur Sana Rezwan, has announced the unveiling of its latest initiative, Jodhpur Arts Week: Special Projects Edition (Oct. 15 – 21), in the historic heart of Jodhpur’s Walled City, centering around the iconic Toorji Ka Jhalra (Stepwell Square). Jodhpur is a city in the Thar desert of the northwest Indian State of Rajasthan.

Jodhpur Arts Week features a blend of exhibitions and site-specific installations by internationally acclaimed artists like Liz West, Hetain Patel, Rosalind Nashashibi, Wood and Harrison, Deborah Fischer and Petra Cortright. Their works will be showcased alongside creations by school children participating in PATI and Learning Through Arts Narrative and Discourse’s Creative Arts Education Programme; the initiative emphasises the crucial role of grassroots programmes in the area of contemporary art and design.

A highlight will be the making public of Hindolo, a new public sculpture by emerging Rajasthani artist Bhimanshu Pandel, commissioned by PATI and Frozen Music, located in the historic Mandore Gardens of Jodhpur.

Additionally, the Week will mark the beginning of a supportive partnership between PATI and the Loewe Foundation, spotlighting the work of Rajasthani artisan Maina Devi with Jaipur Rugs. The event offers a programme of performances, talks, and workshops designed to foster learning and exchange between Jodhpur’s diverse communities and international visitors.

Focusing on the processes of creation, conversation and cooperation, the Week will highlight the often-overlooked layers of engagement within the arts, say the organisers. Jodhpur Art Week will foster a dialogue between artists, makers, designers, and thinkers from South Asia and the rest of the world.

Hindolo by Bhimanshu Pandel is supported by the Jodhpur Development Authority. The sculpture, created during a residency at Frozen Music’s Jaipur workshop, aims to reflect the life-giving essence of the Khejri tree, pivotal to Rajasthan’s desert communities. Jaipur is the capital city of the State of Rajasthan.

Liz West’s Installation explores the interplay of colour with Jodhpur’s historic architecture. “Your Reflection” will create an immersive experience across the facade of Jodhpur’s iconic Toorji Ka Jhalra; it is supported by the British Council.

The British Council’s collection of Moving Image works curated by David Gryn, founder, curator and director of (moving image and digital art platforms) Daata and Artprojx (daata.art) will showcase the creations of artists, including Hetain Patel, Rosalind Nashashibi, Wood and Harrison, alongside those of emerging and mid-career artists from the region.

Petra Cortright’s digital work is being presented in collaboration with Daata Art, and will be Cortright’s first exhibition in India, engaging with digital manipulation of found imagery. Maina Devi’s exhibition showcases the first Indian finalist of the Loewe Craft Prize; the event highlights Devi’s abstract take on traditional Rajasthani carpet making.

Deborah Fischer’s collaborative works, developed in partnership with eight local artisans, is a new production and will be presented following a residency supported by Institute Francais’s Villa Swagatam programme and RAAS Jodhpur.

Kiran Kumar’s exhibition follows the launch of a partnership between PATI and Indian Institute of Technology Jodhpur’s Center of Excellence on Art and Digital Immersion, focusing on experiential learning and transdisciplinary collaboration. Ujjwal Agarwal’s interactive digital work is an algorithm-driven installation around Jodhpur’s Clock Tower, responding to the rhythms and movement of daily life.

Participating artists are Hetain Patel, Liz West, Petra Cortright, Bhimanshu Pandel, Rosalind Nashashibi, Wood and Harrison, Kiran Kumar, Ujjwal Agarwal, Maina Devi and Deborah Fischer (with artisans Dinesh Solanki, Rajendra Kumar, Rehman Ji Chippa, Salim Ansari, Masum, Sangeeta Aidasani, Darshana Suthar, Champa Suthar, and Babra).

Participating schools include Mahatma Gandhi Government School Mandi, Chhaganraj Chopasni Wala Govt. Girl Sr. Sec. School, Kotwali School, Mahatma Gandhi Hueson Mandi Girls’ School, Rajkiya Balika Senior Secondary School. Exhibition venues are Toorji Ka Jhalra, Ghanta Ghar (Sadar Market Clock Tower), Mandore Gardens, and Shree Sumer Girls Middle School.

PATI offers special thanks to Loewe Foundation, British Council, Daata Art, Frozen Music, Jaipur Rugs, Institute Français, the Indian Institute of Technology Jodhpur and venue supporters Jodhpur Development Authority (Hon.

 Arts entrepreneur Sana Rezwan.

Commissioner Utsah Chaudhary) and Nagar Nigum Jodhpur (Hon. Commissioner Atul Kumar). Founded in 2022 by Sana Rezwan, PATI aims to democratise arts and culture in India. Based in Rajasthan, it strives to foster holistic artistic growth through residencies, commissions, curatorial projects, education, professional development and community exchange.

A non-profit organisation, PATI is dedicated to cultural projects across India. One of its notable initiatives is Jaipur Art Week/Jodhpur Art Week, an annual event that activates historical locations in the “Pink City”/”Blue City” through site-specific installations, community projects, exhibitions, and performances by emerging artists in visual arts, design (furniture and jewellery), film, dance, and music. PATI plans to expand its network of cultural happenings to other cities in India.

Jaipur is known as “Pink City” while Jodhpur is known as “Blue City”, after the hue of their buildings.   PATI’s programmes are freely accessible, living up to its mandate to make art available to everyone, and recognising the significance of both emerging and established artists. Rezwan serves on the Board of Art Production Fund (New York), as well as Advisory Arts Council of Harvard University’s South Asia Institute (Massachusetts).

Additionally, she is a patron of the South Asian Modern and Contemporary Department at The Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York). She is an Executive Director at the Prestige Group, one of India’s leading and most successful developers of real estate, founded in 1986 by Irfan Razack and his brothers, Rezwan Razack and Noaman Razack.