Art historian Alka Pande receives France's 'Officer of the Order of Arts and Letters' honour

New Delhi, Apr 17 (PTI) French ambassador Theirry Mathou on Wednesday conferred the insignia of Officier dans l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (Officer of the Order of Arts and Letters) on art historian and curator Alka Pande.
    The distinction recognises Pande's "outstanding achievements in the field of the arts, her lifelong commitment to showcasing the great diversity of India’s rich art heritage internationally, and her longstanding contribution to the cultural relationship between France and India", the embassy said in a statement.
    “I am delighted to confer the distinction of Officier dans l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres on Alka, whose journey illustrates the power of art to transcend borders, break down barriers, and create understanding. Through her work, she has not only deepened our understanding of India’s cultural heritage, but also contributed significantly to the cultural dialogue between France and India, strengthening our ties and enriching our cultural landscape," Mathou said.
    The event was also attended by Yannick Lintz, president of Musée Guimet, the French National Museum of Asian Arts, an institution with which Pande has been collaborating, among others in her capacity as the chief curator of the Bihar Museum Biennale 2021 and 2023.
    “This award imbues me with added confidence, strength and purpose for my single-minded quest of pursuing the study of Indian Visual arts through the contemporary lens of the traditional Indian Rasa, theory, beauty, myth and Indian philosophy," Pande said.
    The award ceremony, which took place at the Alliance française de Delhi, was followed by the release of Pande’s book, "The Kama Quartet", and a discussion on “Desires” with the author, photographer Asha Thadani, and artist Katharina Kakar, moderated by Ravi Singh, publisher and co-founder of Speaking Tiger Books.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)