Shaunak Mahbubani

Shaunak Mahbubani is a nomadic curator and writer. They primarily curate projects under the exhibition series 'Allies for the Uncertain Futures ’ focused on exploring possibilities of co-visioning futures grounded in the pursuit of non-duality. The fourth iteration in this series, AUTOPOIESIS (2022—ongoing) has had manifestations and cross-pollinations across Mexico City, New Delhi, and Berlin. Other recent curatorial projects include The Albanian Conference (initiated by Anna Ehrentein) at the 4th Lagos Biennial (2024), Party Office at documenta fifteen (Kassel 2022, co-curated with Vidisha-Fadescha), A—ligning the Un—certain (Maxim Gorki Theatre, Berlin, 2022), Entre Sures (Mexico City, 2021, Co-curated with Eli Moon), Seeds are Being Sown (PRAF, New Delhi, 2020), Reality is Post-Produced (TIER, Berlin, 2019), and Saavdhaan: The Regimes of Truth (New Delhi, 2018). Shaunak has curated solo exhibitions by Parag Tandel, Seema Kohli, Rah Naqvi, Bhasha Chakrabarti, Mery Borah, and Varnita Sethi. They have been awarded residencies, grants, and engagements from Goethe Institut, ISCP New York, La Napoule Foundation France, The Gujral Foundation, Inlaks Foundation, and IFA India. Their art writing has appeared in NO NIIN, Artforum, Critical Collective, Mezosfera, ifa Biennale stories, STIR World, Hakara Journal and other platforms.

Since 2019, Shaunak has also been collaborating with artist-curator Vidisha-Fadescha under the moniker 'After Party Collective', creating momentum towards the affirmation of trans*, intersex, and gender-dissident bodies through curatorial and performance projects. Recent and ongoing projects include DANCE TRANS* REVOLUTION (New York, 2021), Consent of The Governed: Social Stricture, Constitution and Kink (Co-edited with Party Office, ongoing), and Trans* Futures Archive (ongoing).