An exhibition bringing together emerging artists from India and Pakistan is set to open at the Monnaie de Paris on October 21, running through October 26, 2025. Titled “We Were Always Neighbours,” the presentation challenges the political boundaries that have defined South Asia since partition.
Curated by Sahil Arora, Gallery Director of Method, the exhibition features 14 artists from both countries displayed within Asia NOW 2025‘s Third Space section. The show presents paintings, sculptures, and site-specific installations that explore shared cultural histories and imaginaries across the two nations.
Artworks by Shivangi Kalra and Kunel gaur
The exhibition includes works by Fatima Kaleem, Shamir Iqtidar, Tazeen Fatima, Ammama Malik, and Jibran Shahid from Pakistan, alongside Indian artists Shivangi Kalra, Gargi Chandola, Darshika Singh, Viraj Khanna, Tarini Sethi, Sehaj Malik, Kunel Gaur, Mohd. Intiyaz, and Sajid Wajid Shaikh.
Works range from intimate paintings and small sculptures exploring feminine spaces and mythology to larger architectural interventions installed throughout the Monnaie de Paris. Some pieces arrived as unstretched canvases and portable objects, while others were created specifically for the historic venue’s corridors and courtyards.
The project represents a collaboration between Method’s Mumbai and New Delhi galleries and partner institutions including Rajiv Menon Contemporary in Los Angeles, Tao Art Gallery in Mumbai, and the nomadic platform Art Manzil.
“We Were Always Neighbours is rooted in an ethos of connection—across borders, across practices, across disciplines,” Arora stated, noting Asia NOW’s commitment to showcasing young emerging voices as a departure from traditional art fair practices.
The exhibition positions France as a continued site for South Asian cultural dialogue, referencing the country’s historical engagement with the region through diplomatic and artistic exchanges dating back to colonial-era Pondicherry.
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