23. Atmosphere

On Thursday, September 13, 2018, Asia Society hosted the glittering Season of India Gala in celebration of the opening of The Progressive Revolution: Modern Art for a New India, a landmark exhibition of works by members of the Progressive Artists’ Group.

26. Boon Hui Tan, Dr Zehra Jumabhoy, Sunil Hirani, Josette Sheeran

More than 300 guests came together at the luxurious Pierre New York in traditional Indian and Indian-inspired attire for the glamorous and festive gala. The exhibition will be on view to the public at Asia Society from September 14, 2018 through January 20, 2019.

6. Mirai Doshi, Nauman Piyarji 7. Ajoy Mani, Cecile Hohenlohe

Hari Sreenivasan served as the Master of Ceremonies, and the event was co-chaired by Sangita Jindal and Sana H. Sabbagh. The gala began with a cocktail reception, followed by a program with dinner and a reception with dessert and dancing to DJ Ashu Rai.

35. Vijay Iyer, Rudresh Mahanthappa

The exhibition examines the founding ideology of the Progressives and explores the ways in which artists from different social, cultural, and religious backgrounds found common cause at a time of massive political and social upheaval. It comprises more than 80 works coming mostly from private collections, primarily oil paintings­ from the 1940s to 1990s, from the Group’s core founders and others closely affiliated with the movement.

 34. Agnes Hsu-Tang 22. Boon Hui Tan

“This gala is especially meaningful–it marks the opening of the first comprehensive U.S. exhibition dedicated to the work of the Progressives Artist Group in more than three decades,” said Vice President Global Arts and Culture Boon Hui Tan. “We are thankful for widespread support coming from across the US, India, London, and beyond, and we hope everyone enjoyed a fantastic event celebrating diverse traditions and modern Indian society.”

 16. Robert Oxnam, Josette Sheeran, Dr Zehra Jumabhoy, Vishakha Desai, Sangita Jindal

Notable attendees included: Dutchess Lily of Marlborough, Princess Cécile zu Hohenlohe-Langenburg and Ajoy Mani, H.H. Prince Tikka Raja Shatrujit Singh ji of Kapurthala, Farida Khelfa, Dr. Zehra Jumabhoy, HRH, Prince Charles-Henri de Lobkowicz, Josette Sheeran, Charles and Sheryl Kaye, Boon Hui Tan, Asheet and Kirtna Mehta, Victor J. Menezes, Joan Hardy Clark, Sunil and Bianca Hirani, Oscar and Agnes Tang, Kiran Nadar, Danny Russel, Deepanjana Klein, Vinita Jain, Harold Newman, Anu Ghosh-Mazumdar, Lal Dalamal, Nauman Piyarji, David Owsley, Dr. Vishakha N. Desai, Sundaram Tagore, Sheila Karnani, Vikram Rajadhyaksha, Suhel Seth, Dinesh Paliwal, Carolyn Hsu-Balcer and René Balcer, Nitin Bhayana, Ayesha Bulchandani, Taimur Hassan, Dinesh and Minal Vazirani, Bibhu Mohapatra, Ravi Reddy, Anu Khosi, Hemendra Kothari, Ravi Trehan, Nishith Desai, Purnendu and Amita Chatterjee, and many more.

 33. Kiran Nadar, Sunil Hirani, Agnes Hsu-Tang 32. H.H. Prince Tikka Raja Shatrujit Singh ji of Kapurthala, Sangita Jindal

In addition to the gala, and as a part of Season of India, Asia Society will produce a series of programs and special events on arts, culture, business, and policy, from September 14, 2018 through January 20, 2019. The Season of India offers a rare opportunity to highlight the diverse traditions that have enriched and created the dynamic, modern society of India, engage the diasporic Indian community in the United States, and spur discussion of what the world can expect to see India focus on and achieve in the future.

25. Atmosphere

About Asia Society
Asia Society is the leading educational organization dedicated to promoting mutual understanding of Asia in a global context and strengthening partnerships among peoples, leaders and institutions across the fields of arts, business, culture, education, and policy. Founded in 1956 by John D. Rockefeller 3rd, Asia Society is a nonpartisan, nonprofit institution with offices in Hong Kong, Houston, Los Angeles, Manila, Mumbai, New York, San Francisco, Seoul, Shanghai, Sydney, Washington, DC, and Zurich.

About Asia Society Museum
Asia Society Museum presents a wide range of traditional, modern, and contemporary exhibitions of Asian art and Asian American art, taking new approaches to familiar masterpieces and introducing under-recognized arts and artists. The Asia Society Museum Collection comprises a traditional art collection, including the initial bequests of Mr. and Mrs. John D. Rockefeller 3rd, and a contemporary art collection. Through exhibitions and public programs, Asia Society provides a forum for the issues and viewpoints reflected in both traditional and contemporary Asian art, and in Asia today.

Founded in 1956, Asia Society is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, educational institution based in New York with state-of-the-art cultural centers and gallery spaces in Hong Kong and Houston, and offices in Los Angeles, Manila, Mumbai, San Francisco, Seoul, Shanghai, Sydney, Tokyo, Washington, D.C., and Zurich.

Asia Society Museum is located at 725 Park Avenue (at 70th Street), New York City. The Museum is open Tuesday through Sunday from 11:00 A.M. to 6:00 P.M. and Friday 11 A.M. to 9 P.M. (mid-September through June). Closed on Mondays and major holidays. General admission is $12, seniors $10, students $7; and free for members and persons under 16. Find out more at AsiaSociety.org/NY and @AsiaSocietyNY.

Photos by AnnieWattAgency.com – Annie Watt / David DuPoy; Recap via Sharp Communications