Curating Indian Art in a Swiss Museum in the 21st Century: Museums and their staff, especially curators, are often perceived as conservative in nature - preserving ancient cultural heritage and collections. However, the job profile of a curator of Indian art today is very different from that of 25 years ago. Globally, museums have not only changed but have become agents of change themselves.
This talk will present recent developments in collecting and curating exhibitions with a focus on the Museum Rietberg in Zurich, Switzerland's only museum of non-European art. Focusing on three recent exhibitions, it will explore new challenges in an increasingly globalized world, such as acquisition policy, provenance research, restitution claims, international collaborations, as well as audience-related issues such as inclusion, community engagement and participation. The paper concludes with a critical analysis of recruitment, training, and prospects in the field of Indian art history.