The Museum of Art & Photography (MAP) in Bengaluru has announced the appointment of Dr. Arnika Ahldag as its new Director, effective January 2026. Ahldag currently serves as Director of Exhibitions & Curation at the institution.
Dr. Ahldag holds a PhD from Jawaharlal Nehru University’s School of Arts and Aesthetics, where her research examined the representation of labour in Indian contemporary art. Her academic work explored the depiction of labouring bodies, activist engagement with workers’ unions, and the evolving concept of “art work” in the 21st century.
Currently based in New Delhi, Ahldag’s practice spans research-based projects employing video, performance and text. Recent works include “CITY AS DEMO,” “BACK TO WORK,” and “NOTES ON MOURNING,” which examine work as performance and investigate changing concepts of profession, labour, and future urban societies.
Since 2013, she has collaborated with Mobile Academy Berlin, a multidisciplinary group of artists, researchers and academics working at the intersection of art and science across media, literature, and philosophy.
Current Role at MAP
As Director of Exhibitions & Curation, Ahldag has led MAP’s curatorial strategy, exhibition-making, and publishing initiatives. Her approach focuses on creating museums in South Asia as spaces for critical reflection and collective imagination. She has developed hybrid programming that integrates digital and physical formats to engage diverse audiences.
Her exhibitions have emphasized underrepresented narratives, trans-regional histories, and social justice themes. Ahldag has also shaped MAP’s research and fellowship programmes while establishing regional collaborations connecting institutions across India.
Vision for MAP’s Future
In her statement, Ahldag emphasized her commitment to supporting artists and maintaining MAP as a space that “supports, amplifies, and stands alongside them.” She plans to leverage her academic networks to strengthen the museum’s scholarship and research capabilities while deepening critical conversations around art and its histories.
Ahldag advocates for museums to function as “dynamic, participatory spaces” rather than static displays. At MAP, she has promoted self-led initiatives that invite audiences to co-create meaning through open archives, crowdsourced stories, and interactive technologies including immersive installations, AI storytelling, and gamified learning experiences.
About MAP Bengaluru
The Museum of Art & Photography, located in central Bengaluru, houses a growing collection spanning from the 10th century to present day, including paintings, sculptures, textiles, photographs, and popular culture artifacts. The six-storey facility features art galleries, digital experience centres, a research and conservation laboratory, retail spaces, dining venues, and a rooftop restaurant.
MAP’s mission centers on harnessing art’s transformative potential to enrich lives, ignite creativity, and connect communities through accessible and engaging experiences.
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