The collective focusses on increasing the visibility of artists from South Asia and its diaspora in Europe
Tak Contemporary, a contemporary art collective dedicated to promoting artistic practices across borders, has opened its first space in Paris and as its inaugural show it has opened a group exhibition featuring Abirami, Salik Ansari, Gvantsa Jishkariani, Pavan Kavitkar, Spandita Malik, Muriel Moreau and Sujith SN.
In a press statement, Tak Contemporary says that the collective focusses on increasing the visibility of artists from South Asia and its diaspora in Europe while introducing international artists to audiences in India. Its programme explores histories, territories and cultural exchanges, from colonial and postcolonial legacies to relationships between non-aligned countries and the wider Global South.
The statement adds that through exhibitions, collaborations and artistic initiatives, Tak Contemporary brings diverse geographies and artistic practices into dialogue within the international contemporary art scene. In 2026, the collective has presented five exhibitions in India and France in collaboration with galleries and institutions.
In 2025, it presented the work of Sumakshi Singh in Paris for the first time, followed by her presentation at Asia Now in collaboration with 193 Gallery Paris. Singh is currently exhibiting at the Venice Biennale. Tak Contemporary is also scheduled to participate in Asia Now: New Voices and Paris Photo: Voices Sector in 2026.
The inaugural exhibition takes its title from the French expression Répondez s’il vous plaît, commonly used to request confirmation of attendance. The title also serves as a call to respond, be present, appear and act together within a collective space.
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Drawing on philosopher Hannah Arendt’s concept of the ‘space of appearance’, the exhibition examines how individuals interact to produce a shared sense of reality. It considers how the choice to appear is never neutral, as structures of access, dominance and power determine whose presence is recognised and whose absence remains unseen.
The statement says that the seven artists collectively explore structures of power and dominance while examining how spaces of appearance are inseparable from struggles over land, resources and individual survival. The collective’s name, Tak, means ‘until’ in Hindi and refers to a point along the trajectories of time and space. It represents a temporal meeting point for art across different geographies and histories.
According to the statement, Tak Contemporary approaches art as a tool for exploration, resistance and renewal, encompassing political, aesthetic and emotional dimensions. Its programme places particular emphasis on conceptual, socially engaged and decolonial practices, treating art not only as a product of culture but also as a response to it.
The collective describes contemporary South Asia as a growing, diverse and dynamic artistic landscape that contributes to a rebalancing of global art history. Its conceptual and visual foundations remain connected to a cultural heritage shaped by thousands of years of artistic evolution.
The collective’s programme for the remainder of 2026 includes participation in Asia Now: New Voices from October 19 to 24, alongside the group exhibition Bageecha. From November 12 to 15, Tak Contemporary will participate in Paris Photo: Voices Sector with a two-person exhibition featuring Karan Shrestha and Spandita Malik. The presentation will mark the collective’s first participation in Paris Photo. A solo exhibition by Salik Ansari, titled Altars of Celebrations, is also scheduled for November and December this year.
