Time flies when you’re having fun… And when you’re stuck at home, apparently. 2021 went like a dream in sweatpants, or like a bad sequel to 2020, which was already not that great.

Luckily, 2021 has also been the year of new encounters, collaborations and initiatives, and overall has been a busy year. Two highlights of the year were my participation to the symposium “Eighteenth-century Persianate Albums Made in India: Audiences – Artists – Patrons and Collectors” in Berlin, during which I had the opportunity to talk about floral margins in 18th century Indian albums. The proceedings will be published this year or the next.
The second highlight was the launch of the ART Informant podcast at the end of the year, of which three episodes are already out. I debated whether to start this project for a while, as this format did not exist in the fields of Islamic art history, conservation and market. In the end, I am glad I got passed my doubts, as the feedback of the audience and guests have been particularly positive. For this, I thank you all.

What to look for in 2022

In 2022, I want to continue growing the ART Informant community and reach out to a larger audience. There are a lot of fantastic scholars, curators, conservators, collectors, experts and merchants I want to invite, let’s hope they’ll all say yes.
The content I offer via the website and the podcast represent a significant investment, and even though I do this with passion, the realities of the world remind themselves to me. For this reason, I am introducing a Paypal donation button on the site. If you like the content I offer and want to support the site and the podcast, please consider donating. Your donations will help me in growing the platforms and eventually offer more diversified content.

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I will attend London spring Islamic week, should covid let me. Last time I was able to attend was in 2019, so I’m particularly excited to meet experts and collectors, and to offer new content on the website and the podcast related to the event.

Hopefully, I will publish two papers, or at least get them accepted for publication. Because I’ve been short on time since I got my PhD in December 2015, I haven’t been able to publish my doctoral dissertation. This is still a project, but to do so I will need uninterrupted time, which your donations might be able to get me. In the meantime, I spread information in shorter bursts, such as the paper I published in The Journal of Islamic Manuscripts last year, on “Patronage and Productions of Paintings and Albums in 18th-Century Awadh“.

On a more personal note, I am aiming to finish my Diploma in Art Law offered by the Institute of Art and Law in London. I would also come back to teaching art history, which I miss dearly, and will start to look for opportunities to do so.

Rendezvous in December 2022 to see if all the above have been accomplished!

I wish you all a fantastic year, hoping the journey will be filled with success, joy and surprises.