Art South Asia Project (ASAP) and Asia Art Archive in India (AAA-I) announce an open call for Assembling Art Archives: Workshops for South Asia, a ten-month-long online programme on archiving within the field of modern and contemporary art from South Asia.
ASAP partners with AAA-I to host Assembling Art Archives: Workshops for South Asia, a ten-month-long online programme on archiving within the field of modern and contemporary art from South Asia. The first of its kind in the region, this programme hopes to foster learning exchange of methods, frameworks, and techniques for the building of art archives, with sessions facilitated by archivists working in diverse institutional contexts across the Global South and beyond.
Assembling Art Archives is designed for participants working in arts organisations and institutions, artist estates and studios, and independent arts spaces in the region. Scheduled to commence in August 2025, the programme consists of a maximum of twenty participants selected via open call from Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. The online programme will be accompanied by an in-person gathering in Nepal in November 2025.
We look forward to receiving applications from individuals working within:
- Arts Organisations and Institutions (Museums, Non-Profit Arts Organisations, Non-Commercial Galleries, and Cultural Centres)
- Artist Estates and Foundations (Preserving and Managing Artist Legacies)
- Independent Arts Spaces (Alternative and Grassroots Initiatives focused on Visual Arts)
- Educational and Research Institutions that host Visual Arts Archives and/or Museums
- Archival and Heritage Organisations (Organisations focused on documentation and preservation of Visual Arts)
The programme consists of two to three online sessions per month. Selected participants are expected to commit six to eight hours per month. These sessions are held on weekdays and include various lectures by archival specialists. Participants must also be available to travel to Nepal in November for the in-person workshop. This programme is conducted in English.
Eligibility
- Background in art history or related fields
- Three to five years of experience related to a visual arts organisation/institution in Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, or Sri Lanka
- Resident of Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, or Sri Lanka
- Ability to commit to the programme for ten months and travel to Nepal during the programme
APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS
A completed application form which includes CV and letter from the affiliated organisation. Please submit the completed application form by Friday, 30 May 2025.
We encourage applicants to reach out to us at info@artsouthasiaproject.org prior to submitting the application to discuss any questions, clarifications, or concerns. Late submissions will not be considered.
Timeline
- Tuesday, 1 April – Open Call Launch
- Thursday, 17 April – Art Murmur Introduction to Assembling Art Archives
- Friday, 30 May – Open Call Ends
- June 2025 – Reviewing Applications
- Mid-July 2025 – Confirmation of Selected Participants
- August 2025 to May 2026 – Assembling Art Archives Workshop
- November 2025 – Assembling Art Archives In-Person Workshop in Nepal
This project was made possible with a grant from Hauser & Wirth Institute.
ABOUT ART SOUTH ASIA PROJECT
Art South Asia Project (ASAP) is a UK-based, non-profit arts education and development platform, established in 2021. We support the infrastructure of modern and contemporary visual and applied arts in South Asia by facilitating and expanding regional and international networks of collaboration and research. ASAP fosters regional partnerships between the countries of Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Working between South Asia and the UK, we offer grants and create opportunities for engagement through collaborative programmes focused on research, archiving, and publications. We also promote professional development through workshops, talks, symposia, and fellowships, highlighting the narratives and histories of South Asian art.
ABOUT AAA IN INDIA
Asia Art Archive in India (AAA-I) is an independent registered Public Charitable Trust established in 2013 in New Delhi, with the goal of building resources for research on the region’s dynamic contemporary art scene. It accomplishes this mission by digitising artist and scholarly archives, developing research projects, and organising programmes. AAA-I’s digitised research collections can be accessed from its space in New Delhi, which has been open to the public since 2016.
