Mehta gets innumerable requests for such events but has to decline most. I married a Hindu and the only thing he told me was, 'Couldn't you find a good Muslim boy'? Now I realise that managing a retail store and managing a museum have great similarities, because in both, you are dealing with the public, inventory, events, display, customers, footfalls, targets how you manage people on the floor. What you get on Business Standard Premium? 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. In order to access website you need to accept our cookie policy. The Bhau Daji, she adds, was established in 1858 with the aim of showcasing contemporary art of the time. Tasneem Zakaria Mehta is synonymous with the 144-year-old Dr Bhau Daji Lad Museum (BDL). Both sofas are from London. 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. The couple's two daughters study abroad Malika, 27, is pursuing public policy at Harvard and 21-year-old Ahilya is at Wellesley College. A leader of India's heritage preservation movement, Mehta has successfully pioneered the revival and restoration of several of Mumbai's important cultural sites. All images have been provided by Open Magazine. Its a strong feminist statement when you enter the house, she laughs. 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. Each artist explored a different theme such as alienation, pollution, destruction of biodiversity, unnatural divisions, mutations and distortions, the politics of water and waste and the destruction of landscapes and rivers. Thus, many different strategies are deployed to bring in audiences and ensure they enjoythemselves but also learn in the process. Pick your 5 favourite companies, get a daily email with all news updates on them. "The idea is to take new forms of art to the public," she says. "As a curator, you should be able to say why a work of art is good or bad. The city and the Museum developed together, each . The daughter of Rafiq Zakaria, wife of former Shell CEO and current chairman of Brookings India Vikram Mehta and sister of Fareed Zakaria Tasneem Zakaria Mehta has mentioned so many big names to me in the first 25 minutes of our conversation that I wonder if she knows any regular people. The book starts with the making of Bombay through maps, sketches and memorials. In Photos: Bollywood celebs jet off to the Maldives for a lockdown break, Photos: Winners of the 67th National Film Awards, CM visits Shivneri on Shivaji Maharaj birth anniversary, Terms of Use and Grievance Redressal Policy. Conservation architect Vikas Dilawari and co-conveyor of INTACH, who partners with Mehta on restoration projects, says their arguments are notorious. The paradigm that I want to bring in here is that the state has a role and some say, but more or less we get to function as an autonomous body. Mehta speaks to Benita Fernando about the connection of the museum to Mumbai and the importance of museums in contemporary India. It was the engine driving the whole country. Mehta says this is a worthwhile vision. The elder, Tasneem Zakaria Mehta, is an art historian and writer, living in Mumbai. Tasneem Zakaria Mehta- Not museum pieces. Tasneem Zakaria Mehta is an art historian, writer, curator, designer, and cultural activist. 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. Mehta has a tight schedule when we meet her in the middle of a weekday afternoon. (Right) Tasneem Zakaria Mehta, managing trustee of the Dr Bhau Daji Lad Mumbai City Museum; (Left) Mehtas busy desk has presents from friends, awards shes received and a salmagundi of things she loves. She admits she can do with reserves of patience. The College is committed to providing equal access and opportunity in employment and education to all employees and students. Vice-chairperson of the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), and managing trustee and honorary director of the 145-year-old Dr Bhau Daji Lad museum in Mumbai, Tasneem Zakaria Mehta has often been credited with reviving Mumbai's oldest museum. This brought her to an interesting conundrum, says Tasneem Zakaria Mehta. Though, in the end, the Municipal Corporation bore 50 per cent of the cost as the building was stuck due to lack of funds. Tasneem Zakaria Mehta is an art historian, writer, curator, designer, and cultural activist. The exhibition was curated by Tasneem Zakaria Mehta and Puja Vaish and attempts to trace textile practices, traditions and histories in Contemporary Indian Art. The Arabian Sea rolls away boundlessly from her windows towards Mandwa and Alibag, broken only by Oyster Rock, a little fortified island owned by the Navy, like a benign Alcatraz. Get the state out of the art. Even film shootings have been stopped for now, as she wants to lie low for a bit. United States. In fact, Mr Kunte [the Municipal Commissioner] has publicly said that I was doing a great job. Since the COVID outbreak, various museums and cultural institutions, large and small, public and private, have had to remain closed temporarily, resulting in massive financial losses. Monday 5 September '11. She cites the example of American museums, which-- unlike most European ones--must raise their own funds and have therefore become so adept at PR and marketing that they are dynamic institutions. She followed this with a Masters in Liberal Arts at New York's Columbia University. | Photo Credit: By Special Arrangement. Tasneem Zakaria Mehta at Femina Women Awards. When I curated Asymmetrical Objects, we showcased the interpretations of 10 of Indias foremost artists who were encouraged to revisit the early focus of the museum on natural history and address the problems of the Anthropocene. Tasneem Zakaria Mehta, Anjuli Bhargava As of 2023, Fareed Zakaria's Net Worth is $15 million. Net Worth, Salary & Earnings of Fareed Zakaria in 2023. Continue readingFor 24x7 updates on Mumbai and Maharashtra. Tasneem Zakaria Mehta is the Honorary Director and Managing Trustee of the Bhau Daji Lad Museum. As the 21 st century unfolds, new discoveries in science and technology have begun to transform our lives. Still more artworks sit packed away atop cupboards, stacked in her daughters room, and their other house in New Delhi, waiting their turn on the walls. Tata, Jayaprakash Narayan, and then prime minister Morarji Desai, Charan Singh. The c onference will be guided by the theme of "Empowerment", with . The relief map of Heptanesia, between 1700 and 1800, is one such example. Mehta denies that a parking lot is planned and is perturbed by allegations about financial fiddling. 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. Thereafter, she introduced a hotel management course in alliance with a British university. I love working out to this music because theres so much energy or emotion in each song. Tasneem Zakaria Mehta is an art historian, curator, and cultural activist, best known for bringing the Dr Bhau Daji Lad Museum (BDL) in Mumbai out of obscurity. 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. Ahilya Mehta, the striking daughter of Tasneem Zakaria Mehta, managing trustee and honorary director, Bhau Daji Lad Museum and Vikram Singh Mehta, chairman of Brookings, India is a spirited womens empowerment activist at heart. For example, Sheba Chhachhis work Mistry ke Haath depicts the photograph of a laid-off factory worker holding the last remnant of his working life, a floor tile, in his hands in a gesture of humble appeal. The image is a testament of forgotten and marginalised histories. We are working towards exhibitions and programmes that will encourage people to think critically about the world and to think of creative solutions to the problems we face today. Political leaders, stalwarts who died in 2020. [4], In 1963, Zakaria began her career in journalism as a children's columnist in The Illustrated Weekly of India and worked as Khushwant Singh's assistant editor. Tasneem Zakaria Mehta, curator of the ongoing exhibition Asymmetrical Objects, writes about how it visually addresses issues that plague modern society. An alternate reality Curated by Tasneem Zakaria Mehta, Managing Trustee of BDL, with assistant curator Himanshu Kadam, the exhibition is part of the museum's decade-long series, Engaging. Ive seen my mother fight through thick and thin to continue what she loves. India. Politics Joe Biden Congress Extremism Elections 2022. Tasneem Zakaria Mehta is an art historian, writer, curator, designer, and cultural activist. If you don't make that sale, i.e. The art historian and cultural activist says museums need to respond to contemporary culture. 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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 This means we are able to keep this site free-of-charge to use. In spite of the six-months' notice issued to her, Mehta does not seem worried at all. "Mehta is a visionary, and ambitious for the museum. Her father, Dr Rafiq Zakaria, was Maulana Azad's secretary and a representative from the Aurangabad constituency. ", Mehta grew up in a politically-active family. We re-curated the collection to bring in a new focus on the city and on contemporary artistic practice. The colonial wrought-iron table is from Mehta's time in Alexandria, Egypt, where she lived for two years. Main Menu. And no chit-chat." Human and group interaction is far more valuablethan anything one can find on Google, at least for the time being. The work was featured as part of the exhibition 'Asymmetrical Objects', curated by Tasneem Zakaria Mehta and co-curated by Himanshu Kadam. We start with the ongoing exhibitions, especially 'Games People Play' by the Delhi-based contemporary artist duo Thukral & Tagra. 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 Excerpts: The book points to the museums connection to Mumbai right from its establishment. Mrs. Tasneem Zakaria Mehta is the Director of Mumbai's Dr Bhau Daji Lad Museum. We introduced radical new ways of engaging audiences through contemporary exhibitions and detailed information labels; and extensive education programming targeting different age groups and trilingual audiences. 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. Insightful news, sharp views, newsletters, e-paper, and more! So artistic innovations at JJ would be put up at the Museum. Currently, Paula is a writer and a teacher. Im not prepared to think about what happens next. IDEA OF LOVE: All my friends say Im a hopeless romantic. Could you tell us more about this? or concerns about this article, please contact. Key stories on business-standard.com are available to premium subscribers only. The objects presented innovation in design and form to suit new tastes. 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. He always had people visiting and would always tell stories of his days as Foreign Secretary.FAVOURITE GADGETS: I only really use my iPhone and my laptop. Tasneem Zakaria Mehta is an art historian, curator, and cultural activist, best known for bringing the Dr Bhau Daji Lad Museum (BDL) in Mumbai out of obscurity. Ismail Merchant, Shyam Benegal, Govind Nihalani, Partap Sharma, Pupul Jayakar, Rahul Bajaj, Martand Singh, P. Chidambaram. To this end, she's also trained her staff, who she refers to as "my kids", to be particular about interacting with guests as well as about writing emails. Tasneem Zakaria Mehta Photos. Unlock 30+ premium stories daily hand-picked by our editors, across devices on browser and app. Fatima Zakaria (17 February 1936 6 April 2021) was the editor of the Mumbai Times, and later the Sunday editor of The Times of India. Museum objects are time machines. They spend a lot of time here looking at our collection, archives, and meeting our curatorial team. Unlock incisive commentary only on Business Standard. She insists I sit comfortably, though. Partner site: Zee News 1998-2022 Diligent Media Corporation Limited, All Rights Reserved. She became editor of the coffee table magazine Taj. We will notify you when the book is released! We focus on how great we were in the past, but what about today? No other museum has such a comprehensive collection of people of the city. So there is an interesting art historical trajectory here. It taught me the value and importance of independence and has become something Ive prided myself on ever since.THE VALUES YOU TREASURE THE MOST: Honesty and respect are two values that are of the utmost importance to me. Part of HuffPost News. "(Assistant curators) Puja Vaish just represented the museum in the US and Himanshu Kadam went to the V&A for training. "We have fights about that. She has taken on more than I could ever actually imagine taking on and has still managed to commit herself to everything equally. Please wait while you are being redirected to the next page. She clearly takes the business aspect of running the Museum quite seriously, and footfalls are a measure she focuses closely on. 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. Chana first. What is the main challenge before museums today? Located at the entrance of the Museum, the office has large vinyl boards of its expansion plans resting on one of its walls. TO READ THE FULL STORY, SUBSCRIBE NOW NOW AT JUST RS 249 A MONTH. The city and the Museum developed together, each inflecting the other's evolution. Watch, New JNU rules: Rs 20,000 fine for taking part in hunger strikes, dharnas, Rs 50,000 fine for insulting behaviour, Carbon dioxide emissions reached a record high in 2022, Congress disappoints in Northeast but Bengal, Tamil Nadu bypoll results bring cheer, Shakira opens up about accepting pain and tolerating frustration after split from Gerard Piqu, Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Awards, Statutory provisions on reporting (sexual offenses), This website follows the DNPAs code of conduct. But she is still here (despite the notice). Museums are not only repositories of the past but an excellent environment for experimental, interdisciplinary learning. Sometimes, I think Id like to have a very modern home, because Im very interested in the contemporary and modern. Additionally, the school let her pursue her love for sports and while at the school, she was Sports Captain and represented her school and state at the Judo Junior Nationals Tournament. Exclusive Stories, Curated Newsletters, 26 years of Archives, E-paper, and more! NEXT. The definition of a museum has changed radically in the 21st century. Photos: Mumbai gets its very own cherry blossom season. Mehta is past chair of the Task Force for Culture and Museums for the Confederation of Indian Industries. Ive lived in a tribal village, interned in a foreign country, and travelled around Europe on my own. It's Mehta's disciplinarian way that keeps the place going, feels gallery attendant Sachin S Pawar. "I loved going on campaigns with my father in the jeep and shouting slogans like 'Vote for Congress!' , Martand Singh, P. Chidambaram tasneem zakaria mehta husband redirected to the next page comprehensive... Shootings have been stopped for NOW, As she wants to lie low a. Muslim boy ' it 's Mehta 's disciplinarian way that keeps the place going, gallery! The 21 st century unfolds, new discoveries in science and technology begun! 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