Jodhpur is set to enter India’s cultural calendar in a landmark way with the launch of Jodhpur Arts Week: Edition 1.0, presented by the Public Arts Trust of India (PATI) from October 1–7, 2025. Themed Hath Ro Hunar: Skill of the Hand, this debut edition weaves together collaboration, heritage, and innovation, transforming the Blue City into a site of contemporary artistic imagination.
Curated by Tapiwa Matsinde (Design & Craft) and Sakshi Mahajan (Contemporary Art), the festival convenes over 20 artists and designers from across India and the world in dialogue with Jodhpur’s artisans, landscapes, and architectural legacies. Through residencies, commissions, and educational initiatives, Jodhpur’s historic stepwells, schools, palaces, and public plazas will serve as immersive stages for art to unfold.
Where to See It
The festival spans Jodhpur’s iconic venues and neighbourhoods: Daspan House, Ghanta Ghar (Clock Tower), Khaas Bagh, Mandore Gardens, Mayla Bagh Jhalra, Shree Sumer Girls Middle School, Shop No. 21 (Sadar Market), Suncity Art Exporters, Toorji Ka Jhalra (Stepwell Square), and Rajmahal School.
Highlights You Shouldn’t Miss
- Ayesha Singh (with RMZ Foundation) – A monumental installation at Mayla Bagh Jhalra, inspired by Rajasthan’s stepwells and women’s role in shaping water architecture.
- Chila Kumari Singh Burman (with British Council) – A dazzling neon commission at Toorji Ka Jhalra, marking her first-ever site-specific installation in India, evoking memories of women who once gathered at the stepwell.
- Puneet Kaushik (with Gallery Espace) – At Shree Sumer Girls Middle School, his work activates local textile traditions including tie-dye and block printing to reveal women’s histories embedded in domestic craft.
- Theo Pinto (with Gallery 1×1) – Sculptural forms in stone and wood created with Jodhpur’s master carvers at Daspan House, later travelling to Art Mumbai.
- Dhaqan Collective (with British Council) – House of Weaving Songs at Ghanta Ghar brings Somali nomadic structures together with Rajasthani textiles through soundscapes.
- Thukral & Tagra – Exhibitions developed with teaching fellows from PATI’s Creative Arts Education Programme in collaboration with LAND.
- Gaspard Combes (with Institut Français India & StoneX) – Colours of Rajasthan, a sculptural tribute at Mandore Gardens, honouring Jodhpur’s stone-carving heritage.
- Shailesh B R (IIT Jodhpur Collaboration) – A cutting-edge kinetic artwork at the intersection of art, technology, and society.
- Aku Zeliang – Expands his Huh-Tuh Basketry series at Toorji Ka Jhalra, developed in cultural exchange with Nagaland’s cane weavers and Jodhpur’s metalworkers.
- Kaimurai (Abishek Ganesh J.) (with Blueprint12) – A temple within Rajmahal School is reimagined as a space of reflection using indigo-dyed Khadi and Carnatic music.
- Saruha Kilaru – Glass matkas filled with native plant sculptures probe the forgotten histories of Gulab Rai.
- Zavier Wong (with the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands) – Works with discarded materials reinterpreted through local craft at Sadar Market.
- Richa Arya (with Exhibit 320) – Continues landscape and memory explorations with migrant embroidery communities.
- Aphra Shemza (with British Council) – shemza.digital #9 projects Islamic geometry into light installations at Ghanta Ghar.
Beyond installations, design house Raw Mango pops up with a limited-edition tie-dye collection inspired by Jodhpur.
Artworks featured: Aku Zeliang | Tekirak Collection. Image Courtesy Aku Zeliang & Anitha Reddy with Sidhhi Community, Hubballi, Karnataka. Image Courtesy Anitha Reddy
Programme Highlights
Jodhpur Arts Week is as much about dialogue and participation as it is about exhibitions. Visitors can experience panel discussions, curator walkthroughs, workshops, and cultural walks. Key events include:
- Rethinking the Living City, moderated by Ranjit Hoskote at Daspan House.
- Exploring Jodhpur’s Architectural Legacies, in collaboration with RMZ Foundation at Khaas Bagh.
- Rebel without a Pause: A Conversation with Chila Kumari Singh Burman, supported by Rajasthan Patrika at Shree Sumer School.
- Exploring Sculpture with PATI curators at Mandore Gardens.
- Documentary Filmmaking Workshop with Docustan x Rajasthan Film Collective.
- Kite Designing with Terrible Drawing Club at Toorji Ka Jhalra.
- Rao Jodha as a Living Archive, presented at Rao Jodha Park.
- Sound Workshop on Folk Instruments, with Jaipur Virasat Foundation at Shree Summer School.
Interactive food and craft walks, drop-in activities, and school collaborations extend art beyond institutional frameworks, rooting it into Jodhpur’s daily life.
A Collaborative Effort
The festival is supported by 1×1 Art Gallery, Anant Art, Art India, Blueprint12, British Council, Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Exhibit 320, Gallery Espace, India Art Fair, IIT Jodhpur, Institut Français India, Raw Mango, RMZ Foundation, Rupayan Sansthan, Samsung, Shrine Empire, StoneX, VistaJet, alongside venue partners such as Daspan House, Nagar Nigam Jodhpur, Khaas Bagh, and Suncity Art Exporters.
Voices from the Festival
Sana Rezwan, Founding Chairwoman of PATI, explains the festival’s vision:
“We want to create ecosystems where art becomes an integral part of life. From stepwells to textiles, these works celebrate heritage while pointing towards the future. While the festival is deeply rooted in Jodhpur, its resonance will be global.”
Mr. Sushant Pathak, CMO of StoneX Global, adds:
“At StoneX, we see stone not merely as material, but as a living archive of history, culture and imagination. Our collaboration with Jodhpur Arts Week for Gaspard Combes’ Colours of Rajasthan installation reflects our commitment to celebrating craftsmanship and innovation. Jodhpur’s legacy of stone-carving finds resonance with our own journey of elevating stone into art.”
About PATI
Founded in 2022 by arts entrepreneur Sana Rezwan, the Public Arts Trust of India (PATI) champions the democratisation of art and culture through residencies, commissions, educational outreach, and community exchange. With all its programmes free and accessible, PATI is committed to making art a transformative, inclusive tool for social and cultural change.
Cover Image: Barred Red, Woven cotton,wool and Jute cords, rubber latex and acrylic (2016), Image Courtesy: Gallery Espace.
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