BFA in Sculpture from College of Art, Chandigarh

MFA in Sculpture from College of Art, Delhi

General Council Member Sahitya Kala Parishad, Delhi (2018 – 2020)
Visiting faculty, Ambedkar University, Delhi (2016 – 2017)
Guest Faculty, Curatorial Intensive South Asia, (2017 & 2023)
Director, Delhi Walk Festival (2015- ongoing)
Director, Delhi I Love You, movement, (2015 – 2017)
Programming, Dept. Of Culture, Embassy of Switzerland (2015 – 2017)
Board of Director, 90.4MHz Community Radio Henvalvani, (2011 – ongoing)
Image Editor, The Khoj Book: Contemporary Art Practise in India (2010)
Curator, Khoj International Workshops in Patna, Kashmir, Kolkata (2005-2007)
Coordinator, Peers student residency programme (2004-2011)
Community Art Curator, Khoj International Artists Association (2004-2011)

Aastha’s research integrates artistic practice with educational and community-focused initiatives, reflecting a commitment to examining the intersections of art with social and cultural contexts. They investigate the impact of public art on communal spaces and its role in fostering engagement and dialogue. Their work frequently explores socially engaged art practices, using creative approaches to address societal issues and empower communities through participatory projects. Additionally, they delve into curatorial practices and cultural programming, analyzing how these frameworks contribute to shaping cultural narratives and amplifying diverse voices. In education, they focus on innovative pedagogical approaches in art and design, aiming to enhance teaching methodologies and inspire creativity among students. They also explore radio and audio programming as mediums for artistic expression and community storytelling. Their research encompasses the dynamics of multicultural festivals and cross-cultural communication, studying how these events foster cultural exchange and enrich artistic practices. With a focus on contemporary art in India, they investigate emerging trends and their broader cultural implications. By engaging in interdisciplinary collaboration and examining the relationship between geography and emotion through psychogeography, their work aims to deepen understanding of art’s role in shaping societal and educational landscapes.

Published Texts :
Pay as you go: the birth of South Delhi’s {Khirkee17}, 2017, 4A Papers
Blurred Lines- Art, Activism, Popular Culture and Social change, Tate Research Centre, 2015 https://tinyurl.com/2duwhz46
India’s racism towards Africans: The one issue Modi’s jamboree for Africa’s leaders forgot, Quartz, India, 2015 http://tinyurl.com/nkbtney
Somnath Bharti and the terrible, everyday racism of a south Delhi mohalla, Grist Media, 2014 https://tinyurl.com/4mxvxdme

Aastha teaches Undergraduate and Post Graduate students at Srishti. Their teaching practice integrates artistic practice with education and community engagement, with a focus on the intersection of art with social, poliricaand cultural contexts. It emphasizes socially engaged art and participatory methods that address societal issues, innovative pedagogical approaches in art and design, and public art initiatives. They explore curatorial practices, radio and audio storytelling, and cultural exchange, particularly through multicultural festivals and cross-cultural communication. With an interest in psychogeography and interdisciplinary collaboration, their practice aims to deepen students’ understanding of art’s role in societal and educational landscapes, preparing them to engage thoughtfully with art in a broader context.

Currently Aastha teaches courses under the MA Contemporary Art Practise.  8th Semester Graduation Project  and Trans Disciplinary Project.

8th Semester Project (Jan – May 2024) with NIMHANS
Effective communication bridged the gap between scientific research and public understanding in mental health and neuroscience. Creative communication dispelled myths, reduced stigma, and empowered informed decisions about mental well-being. This interdisciplinary project with NIMHANS aimed to break down barriers through creative expression.

Interim Project – Yellelu Yelli Festival (Jan 2023)
Yellelu Yelli Festival was a one-day neighborhood habba in SFS, Yelahanka New Town. This was a pedagogic exercise with socially engaged art and design at its core, bringing the community together through creative interactions and educational activities.

Transdisciplinary Research Project with Henvalvani Community Radio (October 2023)
This transdisciplinary course explored the intersection of media, technology, and socially engaged art practices through a collaborative project with 90.4MHz Henvalvani Community Radio in Chamba, Uttarakhand. It examined how community radio could be a platform for innovative, socially engaged art that addresses local issues.

Selected Public Art Projects
Yellelu Yelli, (2023)
Is a neighborhood habba, in SFS, Yelahanka New town. This is a pedagogic exercise that has socially engaged art and design at its core.
Delhi Walk Festival, partnership with Ministry of Culture, Government of Delhi. (2016-2018)
Annual event that brings together experts from fields of journalism, writing, architecture, activism, to lead walks in the city.
Khoj Dus -Tak (2012)
The project consists of an exhibition (in the studios of Khoj and the street in Khirki Extension) of various community based projects done at Khoj as an array of new participatory and interactive projects by artists and the Khirki residents.
Your Street, socially engaged urban design project (2012)
An urban design project that deals with alternative mobility solutions and pedestrianization of existing urban neighbourhoods in Delhi. Collaboration between Resident Welfare Associations, South Delhi Municipal Corporation, architects, urban designers, artists and local institutions.
International Khirkee, festival/ block party (2014)
A festival/ block party with multicultural cuisines, live music, dance, theatre performances, film screenings and a photography exhibition to celebrate the diversity that lives and works in the neighbourhood of Khirkee.
Extension Khirkee, Street Art Festival (2012)
A street art festival that brought together creative practitioners from diverse backgrounds of art, architecture, media and hip-hop. The three- week festival took place in the neighbourhood of Khirkee ext. in New Delhi.

Selected Community Radio Projects
Lala Tampa, Radio Programme (2011)
An audio programme, based on a series of interviews conducted with the creator and director of a local radio station in the Province of Biella, Italy.
Home remedies and Free advice: Khirkee, Radio Programme (2009)
Radio content generated from conversations and interviews with the communities living in the area of Khirkee. The major thrust of the programming was local Gharelu Nuskhe (home remedies) & Muft ki Salah (free advice) for alternative medicine and setting up an FM transmitter to broadcast the same.
From Patan Durbar Square, Radio Programme (2006)
Conversations and interviews with 27 local tourist guides of the Patan in Nepal resulted in a half hour radio show about their lives, adventures and stories, this was broadcast on their local community radio station, Radio Sagarmatha.

Grants, Workshops and Residencies
The Himalayan Fellowship, Foundation of Contemporary Art, (2024)
The Living Sculpture at the DLF Cabral Yard, Kochi-Muziris Biennale, (2023)
Brooks Fellowship, Tate Modern and Delfina Foundation, (2014)
UNIDEE in Residence and INLAKS fellowship, Cittadellarte-Pistoletto Foundation, (2011)
Negotiating Routes: Ecologies of the Byways, Grant supported by the Norwegian Embassy with Khoj International Artists Association, (2010)
1mile2, Grant supported by Visiting Arts, British Council (2009)
SUTRA International Artists Workshop. Nepal, (2006)