Join Dr. Simone Wille, art historian and author of Cold War Art Worlds: South Asian Art and Artists in Prague, 1947–1989, for a conversation exploring the movement of artists, artworks, and ideas between South Asia and Central Europe during the Cold War.

Drawing from her recent book, Dr. Wille will discuss the artistic networks, cultural exchanges, and connections that brought South Asian artists to Prague between 1947 and 1989. The session examines how artists navigated shifting political and cultural landscapes, offering new perspectives on artistic exchange, decolonisation, and global modernism. The talk will be followed by a moderated discussion with Premjish Achari, Senior Curator, KNMA.

About the Speaker

Dr. Simone Wille is Senior Scientist at the Institute of Art History, University of Innsbruck. Her research focuses on artistic exchange, cultural mobility, and transregional connections between South Asia, West Asia, and Europe in the modern era. She is also the author of Modern Art in Pakistan: History, Tradition, Place and has led major research projects on the mobility of artists and artworks between South Asia and Central Europe.

While you are here, we invite you to explore KNMA’s two ongoing exhibitions, In-Rhythm and Inheritors of Earth.

Image credits: Detail of Shakir Ali, ‘Birds in Flight and Flowers’, 1966, 167×470 cm. Inv.No. VU 100/67, LAC, Lidice Memorial. Photo Lukáš Havlena. (Leuven University Press)