- At the NDTV Masterstroke Art Awards, Congress Leader Shashi Tharoor opened up about the role of art in society
- He noted that across centuries and civilisations, art has consistently challenged the status quo
- "Across civilisations and centuries, art has done something wildly radical," he said
At the NDTV Masterstroke Art Awards, Congress Leader Shashi Tharoor opened up about the role of art in society and the urgent need to safeguard cultural dialogue in a rapidly changing world.
Art As An Imaginative Mirror
Tharoor described art as one of humanity's most profound forms of expression.
"Art, after all, is not merely a product of talent or technique. It is amongst humanity's most enduring expressions. A mirror held up to society, a publication to conscience, and a legacy that travels across generations long after political slogans have faded and economic cycles have turned," he said.
He noted that across centuries and civilisations, art has consistently challenged the status quo.
"Across civilisations and centuries, art has done something wildly radical. It has refused to accept the world only as it is. Instead, it has sought to imagine the world as it could be - fairer, stronger, more compassionate, and more truthful," Tharoor added.
However, he warned that despite this extraordinary influence, meaningful engagement with art is increasingly at risk.
"And yet, despite this extraordinary power, we find ourselves at a moment when art - and more importantly, serious engagement with art - risks slipping from the centre of public life, not because artists are less daring or less necessary, but because the spaces that once sustained thoughtful cultural dialogue are steadily eroding," he observed.
Commercial Forces Reshape Artistic Value
Tharoor expressed concern over how commercial forces are reshaping artistic value and visibility in contemporary times.
"Independent, rigorous, even-handed cultural criticism - the kind that treats art not as lifestyle content or Page 3 stuff, but as intellectual inquiry - has never been more essential and, paradoxically, never more vulnerable in a world driven by speed, spectacle and commercial visibility," he said.
He pointed out that art is increasingly judged by its marketability rather than its meaning.
"Art is increasingly valued not for what it asks of us, but for how efficiently it can be sold, branded or rendered instantly legible," Tharoor remarked.
According to him, this has led to the concentration of influence in the hands of a few.
"When this happens, a subtle but profound shift takes place. A small number of commercially powerful actors begin to dominate the narrative. Certain artists are repeatedly amplified, certain aesthetics endlessly circulated, until they appear to represent the entirety of contemporary practice," he explained.
He also highlighted how marginalised voices often remain invisible.
"Meanwhile, countless other younger artists, Dalit artists, regional voices, tribal artists, experimental practitioners - those unwilling or unable to conform to market expectations - remain unseen, unheard and unsupported. This is not merely a failure of fairness. It is a failure of imagination," Tharoor said.
Reflecting on India's artistic heritage, he added, "We are a nation defined not by uniformity, but by plurality - of histories, materials, traditions and ways of seeing, from cave paintings to courtly miniatures, from folk practices to modernist rupture."
Calling the NDTV Masterstroke Art Awards "necessary," Tharoor stressed the importance of recognition in sustaining artistic communities.
"This is why I think the NDTV Masterstroke Art Awards are not simply timely, but necessary. It matters also because recognition itself is a form of justice," he said.
He acknowledged the struggles faced by many artists.
"Too many artists labour for years, sometimes decades, without acknowledgement beyond a small circle of the devoted," Tharoor noted.
By celebrating excellence publicly, he said, institutions like NDTV help restore dignity to creative labour.
"By placing their work at the centre of public attention today, by elevating excellence and celebrating it openly, platforms such as NDTV affirm that artistic labour has value, dignity and consequence," he stated.
He further highlighted the shared ethical foundation between journalism and art.
"In many ways, journalism and the arts share a common ethical core. Both ask us to look again. Both resist simplification. Both insist that truth is rarely singular and never simple," Tharoor said.
Concluding his speech, he said, "If we fail to protect this space, our world does not become more efficient or more modern. It becomes thinner, less curious, less humane. But if we succeed, if we restore room for thoughtful engagement, critical dialogue and imaginative risk, we open doors for artists working at the fringe of attention, and we enrich the cultural lives of all."
About NDTV Art Awards
The NDTV Masterstroke Art Awards were conceived as a platform to honour artistic excellence and recognise those who strengthen India's cultural ecosystem. Rooted in the belief that art reflects society while also shaping its future, the initiative celebrates creativity as both a personal expression and a public responsibility.
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