About Us
The Sculpture Park
The Sculpture Park, first inaugurated on December 7, 2017, with a landmark group exhibition of 24 sculptors, has established itself as a cornerstone of contemporary art in Rajasthan. Previously housed within the Madhavendra Palace at Nahargarh Fort, this year’s edition transitions to the iconic Jaigarh Fort, specifically the Vijay Garhi structure at the sprawling complex's entrance.
Under the aegis of the Jaigarh Public Charitable Trust, the new venue stands in contrast to Madhavendra Palace. While ancient, it offers a minimalist, austere aesthetic, with stark spaces that lend themselves to a fresh interpretation of artistic display. Believed to have been a jail and later an ammunition storehouse, the building has remained unused for over 120 years, now reimagined as a vibrant space for cultural engagement.
Jaigarh Fort, steeped in nearly a thousand years of history, provides a majestic backdrop for this year’s Sculpture Park. Traditionally dated to the reign of Kakil Dev in 1037, the fort’s origins likely rest upon even older foundations. Constructed as a defensive stronghold, its massive walls, towering battlements, and watchtowers embody its formidable character. Positioned atop the Aravalli hills, Jaigarh was designed to protect the Palace and settlement of Amber below while offering a commanding view of the terrain and safeguarding against external threats.
As the last redoubt of the Kachhawahas well into the twentieth century, Jaigarh Fort stands as a testament to Rajasthan’s regal heritage. Its preservation and management are entrusted to the Jaigarh Public Charitable Trust, established in 1982 by the Late His Highness Maharaja Sawai Bhawani Singh, MVC. The Trust is dedicated to maintaining the fort’s architectural splendor and historical significance, opening its gates to the public as a living monument to Rajasthan’s illustrious past.
Saat Saath Arts
The foundation was started by Aparajita Jain (born 1980, Kolkata, India) in 2010, envisioning it as a not-for-profit initiative meant to foster a platform for creative dialogue between Indian artists and the international art world. The foundation has received international acclaim for its Curatorial Research Grant program, conceived along with Diana Campbell, artistic director of the Dhaka Art Summit, which endows international curators with resources to extend their research on the Indian art scene, thus nurturing a vital exchange of knowledge between India and the rest of the world. The first recipients of the grant, Laura Raicovich (Director of Global Initiatives, Creative Time, NY), Mari Spirito (Founding Director of Protocinema, Istanbul/New York), Lauren Cornell (Curator, 2015 Triennial, Digital Projects and Museum as Hub), and Dr. Helen Pheby (Senior Curator, Yorkshire Sculpture Park,UK) visited India in 2013 and 2014. The foundation helped customise their itineraries to suit their research interests, while providing them with resources to ensure an efficient and productive trip. In 2015, Catherine David (Deputy Director, Centre Pompidou, Paris) and Dieter Roelstraete (at the time on the team of dOCUMENTA14) were awarded the grant to nurture their ongoing research on contemporary Indian artists. The foundation also supports exhibitions by Indian artists, most recently responsible for the mounting of Jitish Kallat's poetic piece, Covering Letter, at the CSMVS (formerly the Prince of Wales Museum) in Mumbai and the exhibition "Matter," featuring the work of Bharti Kher at Vancouver Art Gallery. SSA launched the Sculpture Park at Madhavendra Palace, Nahagarh Fort, Jaipur in collaboration with the Government of Rajasthan in 2017.
The Curator
Peter Nagy (born 1959, USA) is a graduate of Parsons School of Design in New York with a BFA in Communication Design. He was co-founder of Gallery Nature Morte in New York's East Village in 1982, where it continued until 1988. Active as an artist in the 80s, he has been based in New Delhi since 1992, where he resurrected Nature Morte in 1997, championing young Indian artists and experimental art forms. Since then, Nature Morte has become one of India's most prominent commercial galleries, representing many of the most important Indian artists who have come into prominence since the 1990s. Nagy created The Sculpture Park at Madhavendra Palace in 2017 along with Aparajita Jain, the founder of the Saat Saath Arts Foundation.
Jaipur Center For Arts (JCA)
The Jaipur Center for Art, co-founded by HH Maharaja Sawai Padmanabh Singh of Jaipur and Noelle Kadar, reflects Jaipur’s rich artistic and cultural heritage while establishing the Pink City as a global hub for contemporary art. JCA’s mission aligns with that of The Sculpture Park, transforming historic spaces into dynamic platforms for artistic dialogue and participation.
Drawing from his illustrious family legacy of artistic patronage, HH Maharaja Sawai Padmanabh Singh of Jaipur is a passionate champion of the arts and a dedicated custodian of Jaipur’s artistic, architectural, and cultural heritage. A key element of his overarching vision is to dynamically engage today’s youth with museums and palaces, transforming iconic historic spaces into places of participation. An endeavor like JCA is one of the many steps being taken to ensure that heritage spaces continue to serve the people as living monuments of creativity.
Jaipur Centre for Art is supported by Artize, M.A.S.H., Raffles Jaipur, Museum Studio and Skira.
Our Partners
