Prajna’s thinking and work unfolds at the intersection of culture, environment, and progressive storytelling for change. She is committed to exploring and sharing how visionary cultural practices bend, meet, and mingle in transformative ways with rapidly changing practices of work, productivity, and knowledge production. Over the past fifteen years, her... Read more
The Multiplication of Perspectives: Circulation. Introduction by Prajna Desai I
Sudhir Patwardhan in Conversation with Prajna Desai
The Multiplication of Perspectives: Crossings in New York. Introduction by Prajna Desai
Prajna’s thinking and work unfolds at the intersection of culture, environment, and progressive storytelling for change. She is committed to exploring and sharing how visionary cultural practices bend, meet, and mingle in transformative ways with rapidly changing practices of work, productivity, and knowledge production. Over the past fifteen years, her journey has involved research and leadership positions within the corporate art world in diversity-driven institutional initiatives, gallery exhibitions, and scholarship; in academia through teaching and publishing; and by way of large-scale public programming and curatorial for non-profit organisations, in places as varied as Latin America, Japan, the United States, and India. Some of these projects include her work for Venice Architecture Biennale 2021, Contemporary and Modern Art Perspectives and the Department of Architecture & Design, MoMA, New York; Focus Photography Festival Mumbai; and Dharavi Biennale, Mumbai, which evolved into a well-received book on diversity, aesthetics, and food histories, The Indecisive Chicken: Stories and recipes of eight Dharavi Cooks (Dharavi Biennale with Wellcome Trust UK, 2015).
Prajna holds a PhD in the History of Art from Yale University with a specialisation in Architecture as well as Masters in Art History and English Literature respectively from Southern Methodist University and Mumbai University. She is a Curatorial/Research Fellow alumnus of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA, New York), Delfina Foundation (London), Oslo Open, Dharavi Biennale (Mumbai), and Total Museum of Contemporary Art (TMCA, Seoul). She has taught at post-graduate programmes in the School of Visual Arts (New York), University of Southern California (Los Angeles), Stern College for Women, Yeshiva University (NYC) and CSI, CUNY (New York), and Rachana Sansad Academy of Architecture (Mumbai). Her writing has appeared in art world and academic anthologies, international art magazines & journals, as well as long form publications devoted to contemporary culture and politics, such as but not limited to Artforum, Art in America, Frieze, Aperture, opendemocracyUK, Guernica, and Caravan.
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You can book Prajna Desai through London Speaker Bureau by submitting the enquiry form on this page or calling our team. One of our consultants will respond promptly with Prajna's current availability, speaking fees and any specific requirements for your event.
Prajna Desai's speaking fees depend on the event format (in-person or virtual), the location, the length of the engagement and the level of customisation required. Please contact London Speaker Bureau for an up-to-date fee quote for Prajna tailored to your event.
Prajna Desai speaks on a range of business, leadership and industry subjects. Talks can be shaped around your audience, industry and strategic objectives - share your event brief with London Speaker Bureau and we will work with Prajna to align the content with your delegates and goals.
London Speaker Bureau can book Prajna Desai for events worldwide, subject to Prajna's schedule. Please send us your event date, location and format and we will confirm availability and handle travel and logistics on your behalf.
Virtual and hybrid keynotes are now a standard part of the speaking industry. Please contact London Speaker Bureau to confirm whether Prajna Desai is available to deliver a virtual session for your event and on which platform (Zoom, Microsoft Teams, a bespoke studio or your own).
Most keynote speeches run between 45 and 60 minutes, often followed by a 15-30 minute Q&A. Other formats - shorter conference slots, panel appearances or longer workshop sessions - may also be possible. Share your agenda with London Speaker Bureau and we will confirm what Prajna can accommodate.
London Speaker Bureau will brief Prajna Desai on your audience profile, sector and objectives so the keynote can be shaped around your event. The level of customisation possible depends on the speaker and the lead time - contact us with your brief and we will confirm what Prajna can offer.
Prajna Desai delivers keynotes in English, Hindi. This profile may not list every language available; ask London Speaker Bureau to confirm. If you require simultaneous interpretation or a multilingual format, please mention this in your enquiry and London Speaker Bureau will arrange it for you.
Prajna Desai's areas of expertise include a range of business, leadership and industry subjects. To get a clear sense of Prajna's style, credentials and how they engage an audience, please review the biography, popular talks and any videos or testimonials shown on this page, or request a detailed speaker brief from London Speaker Bureau.
Prajna Desai can be booked through London Speaker Bureau for corporate conferences, leadership events, internal team meetings, association gatherings and private client engagements where expertise in a range of business, leadership and industry subjects is relevant. Details of Prajna's background and previous engagements are included in the biography above; contact us if you would like a more detailed list of past clients or case studies.
Beyond keynote speeches, many of the speakers on our roster also take part in workshops, executive masterclasses, panel discussions and fireside chats. Contact London Speaker Bureau with your preferred format and we will confirm what Prajna Desai is able to offer alongside or instead of a keynote.
We generally recommend enquiring at least three to twelve months in advance to secure your preferred date with Prajna Desai, particularly during peak conference seasons. Where possible we also accommodate shorter lead times - please contact London Speaker Bureau to check Prajna's current availability for your dates.