Philanthropy and charity are often paired in the same pod. However, they are very different in their outcomes and end goals. For me, philanthropy is much more than charity, where in the latter is driven by a need with a final outcome. Philanthropy on the other hand is more boundless in its intent which carries with it humanitarian and social achievements and solutions. I have learnt that there is a strong legacy factor aligned with philanthropy. I picked up so much from my parents first and then later through Mohit Gujral’s family where generations have supported and funded cultural ideas, greater beliefs and seeded thoughts that hold futures and grow opportunities. Through this I developed my tenants of philosophy: treasure, time, talent and ties. These tenants build a DNA of inclusiveness, collaboration and most importantly of appreciation – and this is also what we have aimed to do through The Gujral Foundation.
Personal Outreach and Expansion
Hope, funding, a dignity of livelihood and mentorship are core values for me and The Gujral Foundation, where we support the growth of intent and the future of ideas. My happy quotient lies in the expansion of giving and watching these idea seeds grow into much larger projects and careers. For instance, ‘Artdemic’: It was a project that began during the pandemic with a very small open call to fund young artists. We started with two to three micro grants per week and three years in, we continue to fund artists every month and are now looking to establish Artdemic as a much larger platform that really nourishes young artists’ futures in a very competitive and fast-growing art world.
Preamble 2 Ways by reD, showcased at a sculpture park led by The Gujral Foundation at CEPT University.
I have always supported the arts beyond just an initial understanding of it belonging to a fine arts studio. For me, art moves beyond painting, dance, theatre and cinema. The Gujral Foundation has an ongoing relationship with the Ahmedabad based architecture school, CEPT, where we have supported students for a yearly architecture prize while also collaborating with the school over winter and summer where applicants who are not from the academic circuit, apply to learn and attend credit courses that they would otherwise not have access to.
Risham Syed’s work “Vaila K’vaila” (Time Un-timed), displayed at Gujral Foundation’s exhibition This Night Bitten Dawn.
We have also through The Gujral Foundation partnered with other institutes, festivals and biennales such as The Kochi-Muziris Biennale and the Venice Biennale to present and champion primarily Indian and South Asian artists in a global context. As a foundation our focus is highlighting the local on an international stage. It is in these spaces of art power play what I believe that art can change people’s minds. Art is not elitist – it breaks barriers even of cinema and sound – it is for the push one can give through philanthropy and support to create these new pools of audiences who will carry forward a cultural learning to their future generations. I believe it is the intent rather than the outcome that philanthropy needs to focus on. Over time, if more people in India become culturally inclined, we will have a way to create more ideas and cultural incidents that push new ideas into realised projects which in turn elicit change! As a nation, India has a steep history that involves a natural affinity to the arts and my endeavour is to revive that in whatever way I can. I believe that the highest form of mental endeavour is to be an artist!
Intentions and a Future
In the motions of supporting projects and culture through philosophy, I firmly believe that EVERY IDEA IS GOOD FOR A TIME. As times change, The Gujral Foundation must continue to be a dynamic, relevant, strong and unique institute. We see the need of the hour and adapt the foundation’s structure around now. The foundation is dynamic, flexible and strong. Ideas that are seeded here grow into long term projects and young practitioners come to us to learn and build careers. I like to look at IKEA and Samsung as comparative examples of growth which is not stunted by an end result or limit. IKEA transformed from a pen company Samsung from a grocery store, and now as The Gujral Foundation is headed into a 2.0 version of itself, we are in the stages of a complete overhaul. While we are in the process of establishing a new space for the foundation, we will continue to innovate and recreate new ways of programming that cut across disciplines and practices while also bringing in academic knowledge to creation. We will focus on continuing our Viewdemic festival which stems from our online film festival during COVID and will now continue to grow into an archive of moving images. There will also be multiple other big and small platforms and collaborations which India and South Asia will see mushrooming under the aegis of The Gujral Foundation.
Legacy Building
I come from a family of freedom fighters, politicians and artists. I grew up in parts of the world where culture and museums were a part of my every day. On returning to India, I was motivated to create and do more in the cultural sector that would increase opportunities for artists as well as access to an audience to engage in more creative practices. I was inspired by my family where everyone was essentially a change maker. I was keen to continue with something they believed in strongly and carry forward a message that is deeply embedded in my belief of how I think and work, that is: INDIA IS MY FATE.
For my children, I do not impose my art and culture obsession onto them. The fact remains though that the Gujral Foundation is institutionalised and it is for the next generation to carry it forward based on their inclinations and ideas for the organisation. I have imbued this from the learnings of my earlier generation and continue to do so with the foundation. For instance, 2025 will focus on my father-in-law Satish Gujral’s centennial year celebrations across the country while reviving many other parallel exhibitions that draw back to family collections and endeavours.
Installation from The Gujral Foundation’s show Property of a Gentleman Stamps from the Nizam of Hyderabad’s Dominions. Image Credit: The Gujral Foundation.
When I think about how philanthropy carries on, it is through passed knowledge. The current and future generations hold a social consciousness at the centre of navigating their everyday life. As global citizens, I believe that we are in a position to influence change. The next generation is globally aware and mindful of the world and its news that trickles into the way messages move beyond language. Communication is beyond borders and is highlighted through local cultures in global contexts. By celebrating micro stories of macro worlds, I strive to make these personal narratives precious again.
In a world that is increasingly divisive, funding needs to be directed towards a more public outcome where a feeling of self-giving is supported by others. The internet has given us access to ways of more philanthropy via crowdfunding platforms and similar links that allow one to support kick-starters for creative pursuits, other organisations, free press, natural disasters and so much more! This is a way for the next generation too, to become naturally philanthropic.
An India for Tomorrow
I am fascinated with how post-war Germany stopped the funding for the production of armaments and instead directed it entirely towards culture. Due to this, every small town has a Kunsthalle or an arts centre that allows for some form of cultural activity to take place. My desire is to create and see cultural community centres and gathering spaces set up in different towns and pockets of India as spaces that allow for discussions, dreams, gatherings and cultural events. That is my small-big dream.
