Apoorva Subbanna

My curatorial practice is driven by a desire to expand how and where art lives—beyond the white cube, beyond the singular narrative, and into spaces where cultural integration feels organic and necessary. I see the role of the curator today as an agent of change: responsible for reshaping institutions and redefining their relevance within contemporary discourse, especially for those historically excluded from them.

Guided by Maria Lind’s notion of the “curatorial” as a methodology—one that begins with art but reaches into wider contexts, disciplines, and positions—I work from a place of fluidity. This fluidity reflects not just my professional interests but my lived reality. Originating from India, my curatorial lens is informed by a deeply local understanding of culture, but also expanded through global exposure and sustained critical inquiry. Having worn many hats—visual artist, writer, educator, gallery manager, entrepreneur—I bring a multifaceted perspective that allows me to empathize with the artist’s process while critically engaging with institutional systems.

My thematic focus often returns to ideas of self-representation and institutional relevance. I am interested in what happens when individuals are allowed to tell their own stories, unburdened by the gaze of judgment or expectation. These concerns are not abstract—they emerge from the need to make art spaces more relatable, accessible, and accountable to wider publics.

In my approach, collaboration is central. I believe in working with artists, not just showing their work—creating space for their voices to be heard, understood, and respected. For audiences, I seek to build experiences that are not merely viewed but felt: participatory and experiential over passive or didactic. Whether the goal is to comfort or challenge, provoke or activate, I strive to create moments of genuine connection.

My projects tend to be research-driven, often adopting experimental formats that invite the audience into the process. The choice of space—be it institutional, public, digital, or informal—is always intentional, shaped by the project’s aims and the kind of encounter I hope to foster.

Looking ahead, I am particularly interested in curating self-representational work within institutional frameworks, using that platform to question and stretch the limitations of those very structures. My broader ambition is to contribute to cultural co-option—not through assimilation, but through restructuring—towards institutions that listen better, reflect more, and speak with many voices at once.