Geeta Kapur Discusses Marxism, Art, and Indian Politics in 2014 Interview
In a 2014 interview published by ARTMargins Online, critic and curator Geeta Kapur reflects on Marxism, cultural theory, and contemporary Indian art. The conversation, conducted via email by Ameet Parameswaran and Rahul Dev, explores Kapur's evolving positions on imperialism, communalism, and the nation-state. She discusses the relevance of terms like 'Third World' and 'postcolonial' in an era of global capitalism, noting the ideological shifts since the fall of Soviet socialism in 1989. Kapur references her involvement with the Journal of Arts and Ideas (1982-1999), an early platform for cultural studies in India, and her curatorial work for the Kochi-Muziris Biennale in 2014. She analyzes the 2014 Indian parliamentary elections, which brought the BJP to power under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, expressing concern over the rise of Hindutva ideology and its threat to secular democracy. Kapur cites thinkers like Prabhat Patnaik, Stuart Hall, and Susie Tharu, while examining concepts such as disjuncture and avant-garde art. The interview was part of a book project on Marx in Malayalam, edited by TV Madhu, and published in November 2014. Kapur, awarded the Padmashri in 2009, is a Delhi-based critic whose writings include 'When Was Modernism' (2000).
Key facts
- Interview published on ARTMargins Online on 03/11/2015
- Geeta Kapur is a Delhi-based critic and curator awarded the Padmashri in 2009
- Interview conducted in 2014 by Ameet Parameswaran and Rahul Dev
- Discusses the 2014 Indian parliamentary elections and rise of BJP under Narendra Modi
- Kapur references her work with Journal of Arts and Ideas (1982-1999)
- Interview part of a book project 'Marx Vayanakal' edited by TV Madhu
- Kapur involved in Kochi-Muziris Biennale 2014 curatorial seminar 'Terra Trema'
- Analyzes concepts like imperialism, communalism, and disjuncture in art
Entities
Artists
- Geeta Kapur
- KP Krishnakumar
- Anand Patwardhan
- Amar Kanwar
- Rasheed Araeen
- Gerardo Mosquera
- Okwui Enwezor
- Fredric Jameson
- Stuart Hall
- Paul Gilroy
- Gayatri Spivak
- Homi Bhabha
- Arjun Appadurai
- Partha Chatterjee
- Dipesh Chakrabarty
- Susie Tharu
- Kancha Illiah
- BR Ambedkar
- TV Madhu
- Ameet Parameswaran
- Rahul Dev
- Jawaharlal Nehru
- Gandhi
- Fanon
- Mao
- Castro
- Hồ Chí Minh
- Edward Said
- Irit Rogoff
- Terry Smith
- Nancy Condee
Institutions
- ARTMargins Online
- Journal of Arts and Ideas
- Kochi-Muziris Biennale
- Indian Radical Painters and Sculptors Association
- Tulika Books
- Oxford University Press
- Duke University Press
- Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)
- Congress Party
- Rashtriya Sevak Sangh (RSS)
- Ambedkar University
- HarperCollins Publishers
- Nehru Memorial Museum and Library
- University of Calicut
- Third Text
- Marg
- Johannesburg Biennale
- Tate Modern
- House of World Cultures
- Chemould
- Venice Biennale
- Dakar Biennale
- Sharjah Biennale
- Guggenheim Museum
- Asian Art Archive
- Institute of Advanced Study
- Clare Hall
- University of Cambridge
- Jawaharlal Nehru University
- Getty Research Institute
- University of Göttingen
- University of California-Los Angeles
- Orient BlackSwan
- Indian People’s Theatre Association (IPTA)
- School of Arts and Aesthetics
- Visual Studies Program
- National Museums of Staatliche Museen Zu Berlin
- Graduate School of Humanities
- Asia Art Archive
- School of Creative and Cultural Expressions
Locations
- New Delhi
- India
- Kerala
- Kochi
- Malabar Coast
- Arabian Sea
- Indian Ocean
- East Africa
- West Asia
- Delhi
- Bombay
- Mumbai
- Berlin
- Hong Kong
- Shimla
- Cambridge
- Los Angeles
- Johannesburg
- London
- Durham
- Havana
- Bandung
- Vietnam
- China
- Cuba
- UK
- Europe
- US
- Soviet Union
- Bengal