Photographer and archivist Aditya Arya, visual artist Rajyashri Goody and chief archivist at Godrej and Boyce Vrunda Pathare, in conversation with social anthropologist Monisha Ahmed will probe how the multitude of voices from an archive can be interpreted through differing cultural perspectives. They will also probe the role of technology in shaping the archive and how everyone preserves and passes on collective histories and discuss the evolution from oral traditions to material archiving and subsequently to digital archiving. This panel will also touch upon the role and future of business archives as cultural touchstones.
This discussion is part of a series of talks around Sarmaya’s newly opened exhibition of 19th century colonial photography titled "Nation of Portraits/Portrait of a Nation" currently on display at Pundole’s.

The exhibition is an attempt to give a new narrative and diversify the meaning and relevance to portraits apart from the existing meaning. Portrait now has expanded and progressed beyond classic meaning to new understanding of artistic expression. The reinterpretation of this word portrait and its diversification into all living and non-living things derives its inspiration from the Vedic literature of Navarasa.
Photographers who visited and documented India during the 19th century were receptive and expressive to the Navarasa emotions of the landscape, its people, its monuments and its rulers; it is very evident from their creations and will, form the basis of this planned exhibition.
"Nation of Portrait/Portrait of the Nation" is an endeavour to showcase the marvelous collection of historical photographs of the time which created a new history to present day's generations to reveal the changing landscapes and discover the ancestral familiarity, features and linking to the generations that passed by long ago.
The exhibition is constructed on the portrait beginning from 1857, the year that changed the history of the world and travels to the end of the 19th century. During this journey, the exhibition goes through the art of photography and the history and story of the portraits it captures; it is the story of silent and resilient nature landscape, it is of royals in the palace to the common folks in the streets and farms; it is of monuments that were built and destroyed.
Join the experts as they discuss the role of the archive and the stories it tells in making sense of your past, present and future.

Sarmaya: The word 'Sarmaya' means property and in their context, "collective wealth." Their passion is rediscovering and reimagining tangible & intangible heritage through immersive experiences and new ways of engagement. At Sarmaya, they endeavour to make art, heritage and culture more accessible, inclusive, engaging and educational to the broadest array of audiences. They plan to do it by innovatively combining art, technology, design & experience and by engaging with talented young people and diverse cultural communities to bring their museum to life beyond the traditional confines of a conventional space. Sarmaya's special emphasis is to focus on younger audiences across the economic spectrum. The eventual goal is to have a physical museum in India that will house all their art collections and make them come alive with more personalised experiences and engagement with the public. A welcoming space that transports and opens them up to different periods and cultures and immerses in diverse ways of perceiving, thinking and being and in the process perhaps be a little renewed and transformed.
Avid Learning, a public programming platform and cultural arm of the Essar Group, has conducted over 750 programs and connected with more than 65,000 individuals since its inception in 2009. Driven by the belief that learning never stops, AVID’s multiple formats like workshops, panel discussions, gallery walkthroughs, and festival platforms create a dynamic and interactive atmosphere that stimulates intellectual and creative growth across the fields of culture & heritage, literature, art and innovation.

Pundole’s is an India based fine art auction house specializing in Indian art, decorative arts and estate sales.