Photography: Upasana Pandey
SHALINI AND HER ART
From loving art, collecting it, supporting emerging art- ists and interviewing them, to taking photographs and practicing philanthropy, art has been an integral part of Shalini Passi’s life. With an extremely eclectic and diverse collection, Shalini is not only an avid collector, she believes in giving back to the community through her foundation Shalini Passi Art Foundation (SPAF) and My Art Shalini (MASH), her digital art platform that explores the arts in all its genres.
I connected with her to know more about her choices, her biggest learning since her romance with art began and more.
Tell us about your relationship with art?
My relationship with art started at a very young age when I was introduced to exhibits and museums, globally. Art and design are allies to my personal journey. They empower me to learn about various cultures, art forms, artistic practices, socio-political demographics, as well as enrich my life. My interests range from Medieval Architecture to ground-breaking contemporary art and design. As a photographer, architecture really inspires me. Recently, I invested in a Leica camera that enabled me to dwell more into the genre.
You are heavily invested in philanthropic work as well. Can you tell me a little about that aspect of your life?
The philanthropic work I do is a way of giving back to society. SPAF and MASH are some of the ways I engage with the field. MASH explores the intersection of architecture, art, craft, design and fashion, in an accessible and engaging format, in line with the mission of SPAF. The Foundation endeavours to create a new paradigm for artistic expression in India, by supporting, educating, and encouraging experimental new practices in the field of arts — including art, craft, design, architecture, fashion and jewellery — that take inspiration from India’s rich cultural traditions to create a contemporary aesthetic.
“'Art and Design are allies to my personal journey. They empower me to learn about various cultures, art forms, artistic practices, socio-political demographics as well as enrich my life.'”
Since the time you started collecting and engag- ing with art, up until now, what has been your biggest learning?
Being in the creative field, one learns something new everyday. My biggest learning has been understanding that an artist’s work is a dialogue, voicing the notions of the times that they live in.
Any piece of advice you would like to give young collectors?
To commence the journey, I would advise young collectors to be out and about at art shows, galleries, museums, art fairs, attend talks, engage with artists in their studios and listen to podcasts like The Great Women Artist Podcast and MASH Podcast. Art fairs like Frieze, FIAC, Art Basel and India Art Fair are some art fairs that present the curators with a multitude of new-age artistic practices and opportunities.
Lastly what kind of art are you drawn towards? Is it normally love at first sight or a relationship needs to build before you decide on adding it to your collection?
The art that I am drawn towards ranges from minimal to maximal, polar ends. It is really contingent on the context and execution. Sometimes it is love at first sight, and from time to time, I research about the artworks and artists. Many a times, I look up artists from diversified backgrounds, like currently I am looking at Latin American artists, to understand their context and background. Works that make it to my collection are interconnected. It is more like collecting pieces for my jigsaw puzzle. If a certain work fits the puzzle, I make sure to collect it.
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Text Shruti Kapur Malhotra
Date 04-02-2022