Shifting the Axis of Influence: A Keynote Panel with Kiran Nadar and Kito de Boer

Kiran Nadar has made a major contribution to shaping and inspiring the Indian art world, and has become a pivotal figure in the country's cultural landscape, with an influential vision that has increased the visibility of Indian modern and contemporary art worldwide. Her collection of over 15,000 artworks representative of all major phases of modern and contemporary Indian art are showcased in the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art, India’s first private art museum established in 2010, as an exhibition platform for new art forms, ensuring art’s accessibility to people, and driving dynamic outreach to nurture a museum-going culture among Indian youth. The KNMA is set to evolve into a landmark cultural destination with a new location, an expansive 100,000-square-meter (over 1 million square feet) architectural marvel, near the Indira Gandhi International Airport, New Delhi. It will feature multiple exhibition spaces, a performance arts centre, an education block, an archive centre, a library, restaurants, and a members’ room. Strengthening its role as a cultural epicenter, this expansion will further KNMA’s mission to be a vibrant hub for visual and performing arts, fostering artistic innovation and cultural dialogue.

Kito de Boer had a 30-year career at McKinsey, beginning in London before moving to Delhi in 1993 with his wife Jane and three children. In 2000, they relocated to Dubai to establish the Middle East office. In 2015, Kito was appointed by Secretary of State Kerry to found the Initiative for the Palestinian Economy and succeed Tony Blair as head of the Quartet, supporting the Israel-Palestine Peace Process, based in Jerusalem for over three years. Kito and Jane began collecting South Asian art in Delhi, focusing on Twentieth Century works with strong representation of Souza, Raza, Pyne, and Broota, as well as early Bengal and contemporary artists like Ayesha Sultana. They documented their journey in the book Modern Indian Painting. Now retired, Kito chairs Antara International, which raises funds for the Antara Foundation, supporting vulnerable mothers and infants in their first 1,000 days in Northern India.