25.6.2025, Mittwoch 18:00 Uhr
Book presentation: The Catalyst – How a German man, who came to India ahead of the Second World War, became the ‘kingpin’ of an art movement.
Ort:
- Extended Library, HFBK Hamburg
Based on the book The Catalyst: Rudolf von Leyden and India’s Artistic Awakening, this 45-minute presentation will shed light on a German art critic who played a pivotal yet overlooked role in shaping modern Indian art. Arriving as a refugee from Nazi Germany, Rudolf von Leyden soon became a tireless champion of India’s emerging avant-garde painters in the vibrant world of post-independence Bombay.
The lecture will capture the critic’s monumental influence on artists like K.H. Ara, M.F. Husain, S.H. Raza, F.N. Souza and Krishen Khanna – the audacious pioneers who rebelled against academic styles to forge a bold, new artistic vision for a nation reborn.
The presentation will be held in English.
Bio
Reema Desai Gehi is the Editor at ART India magazine, the country’s longest-running art publication. For over a decade, Reema has written on the arts and culture scene for the Mumbai Mirror, The Times of India, India Today, and Hindustan Times. An alumna of Cardiff University, UK, where she completed her Master’s with a special focus on arts journalism, her debut book The Catalyst: Rudolf von Leyden and India’s Artistic Awakening was published in 2024 by Speaking Tiger; its German translation has been published this year by Draupadi Verlag.
The event is part of the India Week Hamburg.