So there is an interesting art historical trajectory here. The second is Mansoor Zakaria, a former Silicon Valley entrepreneur who is now a partner in a wealth management firm. Her vision for Bhau Daji Lad, she says, is to provide a platform to all forms of contemporary art. The art historian and cultural activist says museums need to respond to contemporary culture. 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". Tasneem Zakaria Mehta is synonymous with the 144-year-old Dr Bhau Daji Lad Museum (BDL). She adds, "Moreover, we haven't done anything wrong. Despite all indications to the contrary, this is not a museum, or an art gallery; its the museum directors home and she wears the art like second skin. Copyright 2023 Worldwide Media | The Times of India.All Rights Reserved. Mehta spent her childhood drawing and painting and being a go-getter came naturally. Another big exhibition is titled 'Kindred Nations', which is about a relationship between India and America that goes back to the 17th century. Last year, it introduced a regular feature, Video Art, and earlier this year, Mehta introduced Movies at the Museum, which features screenings and informal interactions with filmmakers. Continue readingFor 24x7 updates on Mumbai and Maharashtra. My father was in the government, so we lived in this beautiful colonial bungalow on Carmichael Road (now ML Dahanukar Marg) for about 15 years, and this house has a kind of resonance with [the one I grew up in]. It is very different to the normal path a museum treads. The Indian Express website has been rated GREEN for its credibility and trustworthiness by Newsguard, a global service that rates news sources for their journalistic standards. Mehta invited the then-municipal commissioner Subodh Kumar for a personal tour, and put forth her suggestion. But he loved my husband Vikram, although the Hindu-Muslim bit wasn't a cakewalk for either of us." She was a two-term member of the Salar Jung Museum board. 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 colonial wrought-iron table is from Mehta's time in Alexandria, Egypt, where she lived for two years. Full access to our intuitive epaper - clip, save, share articles from any device; newspaper archives from 2006. We spoke to Tasneem Zakaria Mehta, managing trustee and honorary director of BDL, trustee of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale Foundation, a member of the advisory board of the National Gallery for . She is also a Senior Student Ambassador at the Wellesley Center of Women. All the top artists want to do exhibitions here. The c onference will be guided by the theme of "Empowerment", with . 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 . It was the engine driving the whole country. 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 BDL completed 150 years in 2022, and to celebrate that we did some in-depth research on our collections and brought out a book Mumbai: A City Through Objects 101 Stories from the Dr Bhau Daji Lad Museum that was co-published with Harper Collins and authored and edited by me. Aurangabad (Maharashtra) April 6 : Veteran Journalist Fatima R. Zakaria The Former Editor Of Sunday Times Mumbai And Mother Renowned Global Media Personality Fareed Passed Away Here On Tuesday Due To Covid At A Private Hospi closed in 2020. The exhibition was curated by Tasneem Zakaria Mehta and Puja Vaish and attempts to trace textile practices, traditions and histories in Contemporary Indian Art. Whenever Mehta goes abroad, she spends most of her time visiting museums and devouring art galleries. And that has been the case up till now." Tasneem Zakaria Mehta is an art historian, writer, curator, designer, and cultural activist. 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 Tasneem Zakaria Mehta is an art historian, curator, and cultural activist, best known for. She followed this with a Masters in Liberal Arts at New York's Columbia University. Some features are no longer enabled. Subscribe If I need money, I can start an art consultancy. The approval came through the following morning. In order to access website you need to accept our cookie policy. What is the main challenge before museums today? Key stories on business-standard.com are available to premium subscribers only. ET Bureau Pejoratives and putdowns hitting at immigrants have trademarked US presidential nominee Donald Trump 's campaign. I encourage the staff to do things on their own, but I treat it like a business. Today, museums are more important than ever as safe spaces for critical thinking. Accept, Choose From A Stunning Range Of Love Bands By Platinum Days of Love, Curated beauty at your doorstep #Glowcode. 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. Salesmanship is what she picked up on her first job a three-year stint at Bloomingdales, New York. I have to constantly ask the government to make so many decisions, and that leads to a lot of delay. Please allow notification and avoid private mode for this feature to work. With knowledge available on ones phone, for instance, how does one ensure museums still stay relevant? If there is a problem, they should come and talk to me, but they haven't. When they are in town, Mehta hyperventilates if they wear shorts or hail taxis at night. The image is a testament of forgotten and marginalised histories. 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. The work was featured as part of the exhibition 'Asymmetrical Objects', curated by Tasneem Zakaria Mehta and co-curated by Himanshu Kadam. Last updated on Jun 29, 2017, 10.07. Tasneem Zakaria Mehta has a deep and abiding passion for textiles, visible here in the Shyam Ahuja fabric on the sofa on the right. Currently, Paula is a writer and a teacher. They think I'm being conservative," shares Mehta. "Ask the museum staff (about our arguments)," he laughs, recalling that every phase of the museum's restoration saw a clash of the titans, especially the one over air-conditioning the space 24x7 as per international standards. "I've spent 15 years doing pro bono work. But Mehtas fierce love for the modern and contemporaryshes entirely responsible for transforming the fusty Bhau Daji Lad Museum into a dynamic showcase for Indian art todayfinds expression on every wall in her home. Please wait while you are being redirected to the next page. Being a good human being is the only thing that matters. "Our uniforms were not ready, but I was expected to dress formal. "(Assistant curators) Puja Vaish just represented the museum in the US and Himanshu Kadam went to the V&A for training. We've maintained the ticket price at Rs10 for the last 13 years even though the Corporation has been wanting us to raise it. Paula Throckmorton is the wife of famous journalist and author Fareed Zakaria. 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. During her time in the Ambani high school, she was interested in pursuing History and Economics. of 6. I think thats the main reason she inspires me she has never sacrificed her passion for anyone or anything and has become so successful following it. PASSIONS/INTERESTS: Ive always wanted to study law. Topics Today, thanks to Tasneem Zakaria Mehta, it holds its head high, like the monolithic basalt elephant once at the gates of the Elephanta at its entrance. The couple's two daughters study abroad Malika, 27, is pursuing public policy at Harvard and 21-year-old Ahilya is at Wellesley College. Curated by Tasneem Zakaria Mehta . Theres not a stick of hand-carved, wooden furniture without an elegant spill of books on it; theres not a single blank wall. Conceptualised, authored and edited by Tasneem Zakaria Mehta, the museum's honorary director and managing trustee, and with entries co-authored by the museum's staff, the book is co-published with Harper Design. CONTENT. 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. "I never get time to shop or get my sari blouses tailored," she laments. I have all my work, my notes, my music, pictures, etc on my laptop.ON YOUR iPOD: I love Bollywood music and Bollywood movies. And in this, showcasing contemporary art is equally important. Her eldest stepson Tasneem Zakaria Mehta is an art historian and writer. "My father was liberal. If you don't make that sale, i.e. We are planning an exhibition of the citys architecture and urban development, where more of these maps will be shown. In 2005 the museum was awarded a UNESCO Asia-Pacific Heritage Award of Excellence and has become an important cultural hub and platform for showcasing contemporary and historic exhibitions. . Conceptualised, authored and edited by Tasneem Zakaria Mehta, the museums honorary director and managing trustee, and with entries co-authored by the museums staff, the book is co-published with Harper Design. As an educated woman from a privileged background, I'm an easy target.". Over the last few years, Bhau Daji Lad, the oldest museum in Mumbai, has been constantly reinventing itself, blurring the lines between old and new, acknowledging and embracing various new forms of art. Even if she invites controversies, of which there've been no dearth. 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. You can see the light constantly changing. Veteran journalist Fatima R. Zakaria, the former Editor of the Sunday Times, Mumbai, and mother of renowned global media personality Fareed R. Zakaria, passed away here on Tuesday due to Covid at . 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. He has two siblings, a brother named Arshad Zakaria and a sister named Tasneem Zakaria Mehta. United States. She is also geared up for new batches of the Post Graduate Diploma in Modern & Contemporary Indian Art & Curatorial Studies offered by the Museum, started under her aegis. Mehta denies that a parking lot is planned and is perturbed by allegations about financial fiddling. They cannot be abusive or personal. I miss the 'other' Tasneem, though I do catch a few glimpses in her rare, unguarded moments. The museum was meant to present these products of trade pottery, decorative crafts, building material, minerals, seeds, plants, medicinal herbs and teas. This article exists as part of the online archive for HuffPost India, which She has been associated with diverse fields like journalism, social work . Before coming to Wellesley, Ahilya studied at the Dhirubhai Ambani International School in Mumbai. Her foyer is now a shrine to feminism, with powerful artworks by Chitra Ganesh, Reena Saini Kallat and Dhruvi Acharya. Also, I take criticism to heart." Ive seen my mother fight through thick and thin to continue what she loves. Fareed Zakaria Wife. BDL actively engages with contemporary issues. Excerpts: How should museums evolve so that they do not become anachronistic? The house, too, feels like a throwback to a lost era. "I am only focused on being successful at what I do; 90 per cent of the comments in our feedback book are positive. Exclusive Stories, Curated Newsletters, 26 years of Archives, E-paper, and more! Work seems to go on as usual. Another experience that comes surprisingly in handy at the Museum was her stint at Bloomingdales in New York. If, as a museum, you are not worried about your funding, then you can choose to not worry about your marketing and footfalls either. 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. ALSO READ: Woman is as Woman Does: An ode to womanpower. [9], Zakaria is regarded as a secularist and she took special care to cater to the educational needs of the Muslims. What makes you take on social justice issues like these? The secret to her 33-year-old marriage, says Mehta, is giving space and sharing interests. The largest singular event for nonprofit art curators across all fields, types of organizations, and geographic locations. Mumbai News Live Updates: Congress Ravindra Dhangekar wins battle of prestige in Kasba; BJPs Ashwini Jagtap ahead in Chinchwad, BJP in talks to form govts in all 3 NE states, says development agenda beat Opp anti-minority claims against it, Extremely Compromised (EC) can become Extremely Competent (EC): Oppn reacts to SC CEC ruling, Year before polls, Odisha to start backward classes survey, sets July 12 deadline, https://images.indianexpress.com/2020/08/1x1.png, Our best subscription plan now has a special price, MHADA razes illegal structures freeing up nearly 9 acres of land in Mumbai. It was very much a museum to showcase Bombay current day Mumbai. Everything went from and came into Bombay. In another part of the Museum, there are huge stone wings with space in between for people to stand and get their portraits or selfies taken. Net Worth, Salary & Earnings of Fareed Zakaria in 2023. All images have been provided by Open Magazine. 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. ", De refers to Mehta as 'steel magnolia' tough when required, sentimental at times and as beautiful as an intoxicating flower. Monday 5 September '11. They've also contended in the past that she hasn't presented museum audits since 2003, has perhaps siphoned funds, and that hosting the Lakme Fashion Show inside the museum is against 'Indian culture' and that she should instead promote skits, lavani, koli and other folk dances. The city and the Museum developed together, each . Copies of accounts submitted to and stamped by the BMC make their way to this writer's mailbox in no time. The 1872 founded museum had fallen into a derelict condition by the late 1990s. Were in her favourite corner of the house, an enclosed sit-out area with floor-to-ceiling windows looking out at the fabled view, lined with bookshelves and an enormous deskthe kind of room youd find not in Mumbai, but in a Ruskin Bond book. We live in a globally connected world, inundated daily with . [10] Collections [ edit] Basalt elephant sculpture from Elephanta Island He never let his age affect his work or his passion. Museum objects are time machines. Please abide to our community guidelines for posting your comment, 1947: Madras Devadasis (Prevention of Dedication) Act passed, New BBC documentary puts Narendra Modi back in the dock, How Pathaan gives secular credentials of Bollywood a new boost of life, Beyond limits: On the Supreme Court order upholding J&K Delimitation Commission, IOC contradicts Adani over terms of port use agreement for LPG imports, Google India sacks 453 people from various operations, Barcelona 2-2 Man United highlights Europa League play-offs: No separating both the sides after a thrilling first-leg. So, the museum curator in the early 20th century decided to focus on the city through its people represented by these miniature sculptures. ", The grand staircase of Dr Bhau Daji Lad Museum (Photos: Courtesy Dr. Bhau Daji Lad Museum ), Mehta is quite hands-on with artists who exhibit their work at the Museum. ', Hindu organisations to hold rally in Mumbai to protest encroachments of Shivaji forts and historical places in Maharashtra. Thirty-year-old Kadam feels his work here will better prepare him for a doctorate on the city overseas, a life's goal which materialised courtesy Ms Mehta. Tasneem-Zakaria-Mehta: Get Latest News, Videos & Photos by Tasneem-Zakaria-Mehta on the trending topics, breaking news and top headlines at Times of India. "In India, we are lagging on this because there is no pressure to perform and therefore there is a laidback attitude. But here we have to raise funds ourselves and funders will always ask how many people visit the museum." Much a museum to showcase Bombay current day Mumbai onference will be guided by the theme of & quot,. Nonprofit art curators across all fields, types of organizations, and leads... Lot is planned and is perturbed by allegations about financial fiddling India, we lagging! 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Please allow notification and avoid private mode for this feature to work Lad museum ( BDL ) should come talk. The then-municipal commissioner Subodh Kumar for a personal tour, and geographic.! Magnolia ' tough when required, sentimental at Times and as beautiful as an intoxicating flower very.