top of page
_PNG.png){kind=small}
From the Founder’s Desk
A scientist who makes films. A filmmaker who writes books. An artist who built a global gallery.
This is a space where boundaries don't exist — much like the man behind it. Here, our founder, Niladri Sarker, shares his unfiltered thoughts on art, science, cinema, humanity, and everything in between.
Recent Stories
Impact of AI on Social Media
AI has inundated our lives in such a way that you’ll see a post by an AI bot on X followed by mindless yes-men comments lining the replies that also all turn out to be AI bots. Is it time to move on permanently from social media, then? Melting pot that it is, AI has now joined the cacophony of bickering voices online and has taken center stage. Our own posts and comments get filtered down to promote AI content – writing, art, think pieces, and snarky comments – all written
Niladri
Jun 301 min read
Takeaways from FOCUS Art Fair 2026
After several days at FOCUS NYC 2026, one thing became clear – we were going to need a bigger food spread for our appetites. Thankfully, the bar in the back was well stocked with snacks and refreshments. Now that the whirlwind of FOCUS NYC is over, we can take a moment to reflect. Every physical exhibition and fair we attend, we come away with new things that we’ve learned. One thing that we saw this time around was the return of the human connection. People still deeply val
Niladri
Jun 252 min read
These Three Careers Are Secretly The Same Job.
WRITING CHILDREN'S BOOKS, SPECULATIVE FICTION, AND RUNNING AN ART GALLERY ARE THE SAME JOB. HERE'S WHY. At first glance, these three worlds seem far apart. Consider a children’s book that can travel to meet some of Earth’s strangest and most vulnerable creatures — the Northern Bald Ibis of Morocco, the giant wetapunga of New Zealand, the solenodon of Cuba. The questions a child asks could explore conservation, evolution, extinction, and the fragile wonder of life. Speculative
Niladri
Jun 182 min read
Impact of AI on Social Media
AI has inundated our lives in such a way that you’ll see a post by an AI bot on X followed by mindless yes-men comments lining the replies that also all turn out to be AI bots. Is it time to move on permanently from social media, then? Melting pot that it is, AI has now joined the cacophony of bickering voices online and has taken center stage. Our own posts and comments get filtered down to promote AI content – writing, art, think pieces, and snarky comments – all written
Niladri
Jun 301 min read
Takeaways from FOCUS Art Fair 2026
After several days at FOCUS NYC 2026, one thing became clear – we were going to need a bigger food spread for our appetites. Thankfully, the bar in the back was well stocked with snacks and refreshments. Now that the whirlwind of FOCUS NYC is over, we can take a moment to reflect. Every physical exhibition and fair we attend, we come away with new things that we’ve learned. One thing that we saw this time around was the return of the human connection. People still deeply val
Niladri
Jun 252 min read
These Three Careers Are Secretly The Same Job.
WRITING CHILDREN'S BOOKS, SPECULATIVE FICTION, AND RUNNING AN ART GALLERY ARE THE SAME JOB. HERE'S WHY. At first glance, these three worlds seem far apart. Consider a children’s book that can travel to meet some of Earth’s strangest and most vulnerable creatures — the Northern Bald Ibis of Morocco, the giant wetapunga of New Zealand, the solenodon of Cuba. The questions a child asks could explore conservation, evolution, extinction, and the fragile wonder of life. Speculative
Niladri
Jun 182 min read
Should Art Comfort Or Confront?
Does art exist to decorate culture? Or disturb it? Banksy’s recent sculpture is of a flag-blinded figure walking off a ledge. In the current political landscape, this has incredible depth and symbolism, touching on subjects like nationalism, ideological blindness, and political obedience. As always with Banksy’s work, the piece utilizes simple but striking imagery to make its point and create immediate discomfort. Agitational art forces viewers to confront uncomfortable reali
Niladri
Jun 171 min read
My Honest Take On Working With Gen Z.
To be honest, I have the utmost respect for Gen Z, even though I do not always fully understand every aspect of their thinking or worldview. However, in many ways, I have confidence that they will be far better custodians of our planet than my generation ever managed to be. They seem to outcompete earlier generations in many important areas: they are more inclusive, more open-minded, more technologically fluent, more environmentally conscious, and deeply aware of social chang
Niladri
Jun 161 min read
Can Art Represent Our Feelings?
Face-to-face with a Rothko painting, most people can’t help but have an emotional reaction. I was in a similar boat many years ago when confronted by one of these massive, larger-than-life color fields. It’s an overwhelming emotion, one that starts at your fingers and works its way up to behind your eyes. It’s hard to put a finger on it, at least for me. It felt like an emotion in a similar vein as those extreme shades, revelation, or desperation, or teetering on the brink of
Niladri
Jun 152 min read
To My Mother, Beyond Time and Memory.
The first woman I ever knew in my life was my mother. She also happened to be the woman with whom I had my first love affair, and the first woman with whom I spent an entire night. At twenty-two, I published my first collection of Bengali poems. While the book has since vanished into the dredges of time, I remember the word “Mother” anchoring its title — a quiet portent of a lifelong devotion. And I still envision the moment my PhD acceptance arrived; the memory is not of the
Niladri
Jun 152 min read
Nobody Told Me Fes Would Teach Me This.
Sleep-deprived, carsick, and tired to my bones—yet somehow, completely alive. That’s how I arrived in Fes after a long, exhausting drive from Marrakech via Casablanca, during my solo trip to Morocco in 2018. Fes felt less like a city and more like a place that had slipped out of medieval times. Its medina was a spider’s web of alleys where getting lost required no special talent. Every turn seemed to open into another mystery: stark walls, silhouetted figures, rooftops overlo
Niladri
Jun 121 min read
The Unexpected Relationship Between War And Art.
Picture this: You’re scrolling through your curated feed on your social media of choice. Posts pop up as you thumb through them: Advertisement about losing weight quickly. Videos of disproportionate human suffering. Post from that one friend who just got married and can’t stop talking about it. A woman — talking about how her child is starving. Advertisement about sleeping less but being more effective. Children in body bags. Advertisement. Human suffering. So on and so forth
Niladri
Jun 102 min read
Lessons from NASA I couldn’t ignore.
Back in the early 2000s, I collaborated with NASA/JPL in analyzing the chemical components of Saturn’s moon, Titan. It was an exciting and uncertain time. I was more naïve than ever, bolder, and even perhaps more romantic. But what I learned then — rigor, documentation, accountability, integrity, and above all — truthfulness, lived in me when I built TERAVARNA. Assumptions are a dime a dozen in science, and more so in space research. Here, facts are few and far between, and s
Niladri
Jun 102 min read
The one habit that changed everything in my art.
No one talks about this enough. The one habit that changed everything in my art was studying art history intentionally. This was something that started in childhood: being taught the difference between de Kooning and Kline, the period of Picasso’s life through paintings, and seeing how Dadaism shaped the Surrealist movement. I had a very enriching experience with art during my childhood, and my interest in art history only deepened with the years. Later, delving into Baroqu
Niladri
Jun 22 min read
Incomplete knowledge is extremely dangerous
Half knowledge can do full damage. Thanks to the internet and AI, everyone seems well-informed on everything. Who needs a doctor, right, when you can Google your symptoms and let the algorithm decide your medication? Wrong. While it is far easier in the digital age to find information, it is harder to be genuinely knowledgeable. Search engines can help you identify symptoms, but tailoring medication to your specific needs requires a human medical professional — at least fo
Niladri
Jun 22 min read
Why Artists Must Break Out of Creative and Skill Bubbles
Jack of all trades, master of none. But better than being master of one. Or so the saying goes. Is it really true, though? The Artemis II mission captured the hearts of people globally with steadfast commitment and bravery. But did you know the astronauts also received photography training? This was so that they could better capture the moon for scientists to see. And we get to enjoy the photos from home as well! Without the proper training on how to best utilize aperture and
Niladri
Jun 22 min read
The Rise of the “Experience Economy” in Art Galleries
With the modern rise of the “experience economy” seeping into every facet of our lives, it’s only logical that we can see the rise of it in art galleries as well. With the push for experiences to go along with services for clients, art galleries have also been adapting to meet these new needs. It can be argued that a more immersive experience leads to a heightened experience of the artwork. But not all of it without criticism. The Van Gogh Immersive Exhibition in LA was heavi
Niladri
Jun 22 min read
Why Handmade Art Matters?
I assumed we all agreed on this already. The most radical thing you can do in 2026 is make something imperfect by hand. Why Handmade Art Matters Now More Than Ever? In a world as volatile as 2026, the act of creating by hand offers something screens simply cannot — certainty. The tactile experience of handmade art triggers dopamine release, grounds you in the present moment, and forges a tangible bond between you and your creation. That intimacy offers a tangible sense of ach
Niladri
May 262 min read
Why Sustainability Is Becoming a Moral Responsibility for Galleries?
Historically, galleries have judged works they accept based on personal taste and cultural value. But as modern problems arise, modern solutions must also be considered: the question of environmental impact is one. Galleries around the world now have to factor in the added equation of considering the sustainability angle in their approach. It’s the logical “next evolution” of what it means to be a responsible gallery. Our environmental footprints as galleries, as artists, as
Niladri
May 261 min read
How to Handle Rejections?
Winning isn't the whole story. This is the part they don't show you. From an artist who has been outside the "winner's circle" — this is for every artist who feels they're not enough. A result doesn't define your work, or your worth. Every submission takes courage, and what's chosen reflects perspective, not value. The jury sees one version of your work; the world will see the rest. Many artists who aren't selected today will be selected tomorrow — by the right jury, the righ
Niladri
May 262 min read
Your Art Won’t Be For Everyone
I wish someone had said this to me when I was just starting as an artist. You can’t live a creative life and stay universally liked. Not all art is universally enjoyed; that is a rule of art. Meaningful art challenges norms, whether aesthetic, cultural, or political. Whenever an artist says something new, someone is bound to disagree. The tension that exists between the work and the view is a sign of originality being present in the work. Making work that everyone likes leads
Niladri
May 262 min read
Five Mistakes To Avoid If You Wish To Start A Company
Before you start a company, stop doing these things. Everyone is eager to tell you how to build a company. But, very few will tell you how they nearly didn’t. Failure, in that sense, is a far more honest teacher. To build something that lasts, you must be willing to look at the wreckage of others' mistakes so you don’t repeat them. Remember: you will fail, but failing smart is the ultimate competitive advantage. First, stop procrastinating under the guise of "planning." You
Niladri
May 262 min read
Why Your "Worst" Work Still Matters.
Is bad art an ART? Who decides what “bad art” even means? Something that we can all agree on is that art is totally subjective. What may appear masterful to some may look amateurish to others – the execution of an idea may land for some and fall flat for others. But what about art that is objectively BAD? For example, the proportions are off, the foreshortening is inaccurate, and the perspective is wonky. What about art that’s 𝘸𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘨? In my opinion, art that is technicall
Niladri
May 252 min read
Why Are Climate Conversations Entering the Art World?
Artists are very familiar with the fact that nature is both a muse and a resource to be pulled from. The best artists know how to do this respectfully. Art has always relied on natural, often exploited resources. What’s changing now is awareness and accountability. As modern conversations about ethical and ecological approaches to using resources arise in the art world, it’s topical to look back at instances where these natural resources weren’t used ethically. Indian Yellow
Niladri
May 133 min read
bottom of page
