Union Culture and Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat announced on Friday that tribal artists will also be part of the Indian contingent to the prestigious Venice Biennale 2026. He declared considering their massive contribution to the art and culture of India, their works will also be showcased in important arts festivals like the one in Venice.
Mr Shekhawat was speaking at a National Conference on `Tribal Arts and India’s Conservation Ethos: Living Wisdom’ organised by Sankala Foundation, a non-profitorganisation, in partnership with Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Manav Sanghralaya, Bhopal, and the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), New Delhi.
The Venice Biennale is one of the world’s most prestigious cultural events, showcasing contemporary art, architecture, and other disciplines such as cinema, dance, and theatre. Considered the ‘arts Olympics’, it serves as a platform for discussing global social and cultural issues through art.
Stating that India would be participating in the Venice Biennale after many years, Mr Shekhawat said that the emerging tribal artists will be given space at the festival. He said that the government is making efforts to boost the Orange Economy, deriving value from the creative arts – painting, sculpture, music, dance, cinema, and design. He said to sustain any form of cultural and artistic heritage, there is a need to link it to livelihood and economic opportunity.
The minister stated that tribal communities are the custodians of our environment, natural resources, and rich cultural heritage. He added that India, with its immense diversity, has a unique opportunity to monetise its creative strength.
The conference was part of the fourth edition of the annual tribal art exhibition, `Silent Conversation: From Margins to the Centre.’ This exhibition is supported by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), a statutory body under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, and the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA). The minister appreciated the efforts of various artists who participated in the conference. He suggested that the annual exhibition `Silent Conversations: From Margins to the Centre’ be moved to spaces like the National Gallery of Modern Art and Lalit Kala Akademi.
In his address, Justice V. Ramasubramaian, Chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission, India, said the country recognises nearly 700 tribes, and these communities preserve and transmit invaluable traditional knowledge across generations. They protect the forests of India. However, a dilemma persists in bringing tribal children into the mainstream, with aspirations to become doctors, engineers, or judges. Their traditional knowledge also needs to be transferred to generations in the peaceful forests and hills.
The keynote speaker at the inauguration, Mr Bharat Lal, highlighted that India’s ancient texts were created through contemplative engagement with the natural world, and that tribal art and artifacts represent ongoing silent conversations between humans and their environment. He stressed the vision to advance India’s conservation ethos nationally and internationally.
Mr Lal outlined that tribal communities exemplify sustainable practices rooted in coexistence, restraint, and reverence for nature, offering lessons for contemporary environmental stewardship. Forests, beyond their ecological role as carbon sinks, provide climate stability, water security, and urban resilience, and fostering interaction between forest communities and urban populations is key to sharing responsibility for ecological preservation, he shared.
Chairing the first session on `Tribal Communities – Conservation Ethos,’ Mr Rajeev Kumar, former Election Commissioner, raised critical questions about the effectiveness of constitutional provisions of the Fifth Schedule, asking whether they are truly being fulfilled in spirit.
Mr Pravir Krishna, former Secretary, Ministry of Tribal Affairs and Advisor (Social Sector), Bodo Territorial Council, Assam, said the larger question before us was how to reimagine development in tribal regions, and whether areas such as Bastar can aspire to growth rates comparable to centres such as Bangalore, while preserving their ethos. It is widely recognised that forests in India have survived only where tribals have lived. About one–third of India’s landmass is under forest cover, and these forests are overwhelmingly located in tribal regions across 30 states.
Dr S.P. Yadav, Director General, IBCA, said the local artisans need to be encouraged and their art and culture to be brought into the national stream. He also advocated for more research and study on the art and culture of the indigenous groups.
Prof Amitabh Pande, Director, IGRMS, the social capital of tribal communities needs to be tapped for their overall upliftment. The conservation beliefs of tribal societies are being negatively affected by market forces; hence, dominant urban societies have to respect tribal societies and their conservation beliefs.
The second session on `Tribal Arts and Culture—Way Forward’ was chaired by Mr Raghavendra Singh, former Secretary, Ministry of Culture and Textiles, and the other speakers included Mr P. Kumaran, Secretary (East), Ministry of External Affairs; Mr Sushil Awasthi, DG, Forest, Ministry of Environment and Forest, and Climate Change; Dr Alka Pande, Curator, India Habitat Centre, Mr Raja Murugan, MD, (TRIFED), Ministry of Tribal Affairs, and Mr Sanjayan Kumar, Member Secretary, NTCA.
