The participation of India at la Biennale de Venezia is a prestigious undertaking by India. It is being conducted at the national level under the auspices of the Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi, in keeping with its status as India's National Academy of Art. Known hitherto for its yeoman service to the visual arts in this country, the Lalit Kala Akademi has a well established record of unearthing and bringing to the forefront of public knowledge several art forms of India, ranging from the classical traditions to Indian contemporary art movements through an ongoing programme of publications and exhibitions, at both national and international levels of participation. The current responsibility of the Lalit Kala Akademi as the sole organiser of the India Pavilion at the Venice Biennale has been welcomed in art circles for its inherent ramifications.

The Venice Biennale is universally regarded as one of the most prestigious international cultural institutions since its establishment in 1895. Attendance currently has reached above the 370,000 mark and is growing. In this light, being the first curated show by a national-level art institution in the country, the India Pavilion at the 54th edition of la Biennale di Venezia thus becomes a historic take-off for Indian art, at a time when the art world has come to recognize the vibrant contemporary art movement emerging from India. The 250sq m space at the site of the Arsenale, which has been allocated for the India Pavilion at the Venice Biennale, is in one of most visited areas of the exhibition, thus making India a huge focus of public attention on the international art scene. Curated by Ranjit Hoskote, the core theme of this exhibition of Indian art is, as he states, is to create "a pavilion which is an inquiry into the art of India, stretching the idea of a cultural citizenship to represent different groups and their histories."

The exhibits have thus an artistic soak-in on the effect of migrations, both diasporic and intramigratory. These movements are aesthetically dealt with through individual creative conceptualisations and meet with global standards, registering the country's art vibrations, and proving the steady growth of Indian art to a dominating level of acceptance and appreciation in global terms. As the India Pavilion is showcasing a consortium of artists instead of a solo choice, the essence of their works underlies a common utterance that collectively, "critiques the idea of a national state as something unitary or territorial," according to Ranjit Hoskote. In this light, the art from India is both global and specific to India.

The Indian participation at the Biennale platform owes its success to the untiring efforts and cooperation of a team of well-wishers and co-workers from within the Akademi as well as the Ministry of Culture, its major sponsoring authority. In particular, I would like to extend my sincere thanks to Kumari Selja, Honourable Minister of Culture, Shri Jawhar Sircar, Secretary, Ministry of Culture, Shri Ashok Vajpeyi, Chairman, Lalit Kala Akademi, my team members at the Lalit Kala Akademi, and the curator of the Venice Biennale Shri Ranjit Hoskote, for their continued support and contribution towards the success of this undertaking. My thanks are also due to members of the Venice Biennale Foundation, the Italian Embassy in India for their unstinted cooperation and help at all times, the Indian Embassy in Italy for facilitating the smooth working of the exhibition, and to our numerous partners and servicing agencies who have worked tirelessly behind the scenes to make our travel plans comfortable and hassle-free. The India Pavilion and ancillary programme of collateral events is specially intended for the viewing pleasure of art lovers from around the globe, who have converged at Venice for the 54th time in its history, and where India has made its distinguished appearance, with understandable pride and pleasure. The India entry into la Biennale di Venezia, from 4 June to 28 November, 2011, all through its duration, is thus a major transponder of Indian culture carefully pieced together with painstaking care, befitting India's position on the vibrant international art scene.

Dr Sudhakar Sharma
Secretary
Lalit Kala Akademi