What is Soft Power: Art’s Hidden and Powerful Legacy in Shaping Nations

About the video:

“What is Soft Power: Art’s Hidden and Powerful Legacy in Shaping Nations” delves into the profound significance of art as a historical indicator, reflecting humanity’s journey from ancient cave paintings to modern masterpieces. The video highlights the astronomical sale of Leonardo da Vinci’s “Salvator Mundi,” emphasizing art’s multifaceted value, including ownership of history and cultural heritage. The concept of “soft power,” introduced by Joseph Nye, is explored, illustrating how art and culture can positively influence nations without force. Museums are presented as vital institutions housing a nation’s cultural wealth, contributing significantly to soft power and economic revenue.

The video contrasts the financial contributions of American museums to cultural budgets with India’s limited annual budget for culture, underscoring the need for greater investment in India’s art heritage. Gallerist Aparajita Jain gives a riveting talk on India’s intangible art heritage, questioning what is holding us back from appreciating and furthering it. Join us on this thought-provoking journey and discover the indescribable value of art as soft power.

About Aparajita Jain:

Art purveyor Aparajita Jain is amongst the leading names in the Indian art world, putting the country’s contemporary art on the international map. In 2005 she founded gallery Seven Art Limited to showcase cutting-edge ideas in Indian art, discovering pioneering artists like Asim Waqif and Aakash Nihalani. The gallery went on to host the first-ever Indian contemporary art show in China (in MOCA, Shanghai) and opened doors for Indian artists to the Lisbon Biennale. Jain is today the co-founder of Delhi’s most avant-garde art space, Nature Morte, showcasing names like Subodh Gupta, Jitish Kallat and Anita Dube. Her non-profit endeavour, Saat Saath Arts Foundation (SSAF), is a first-of-its-kind initiative built to catalyse international art exchange between India and the world. SSAF, working with the Rajasthan government, has created the first permanent International Art Space in the state, at Nahargarh Fort. Jain was listed as one of the 50 icons of Indian Art by Platform, is on the board of the Delhi Chapter of YPO and a founding member of the Harvard South Asia Institute Arts program.