Rahaab Allana Honored with Prestigious French Award

Curator and author Rahaab Allana received the Officier dans l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres from the French government for his contributions to art, culture, and Indo-French artistic cooperation. His work in contemporary South Asian photography and numerous collaborative projects has significantly influenced the art world.

Curator and author Rahaab Allana was awarded the prestigious Officier dans l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres at the French Embassy on Tuesday. The distinction is conferred by the French government to individuals who have significantly influenced art, culture, and literature.

Allana, associated with the Alkazi Foundation for the Arts, was honored for his contributions to contemporary South Asian photography and Indo-French artistic collaboration. French Ambassador Thierry Mathou praised Allana for his deep interest in French visual art history, highlighting his two-decade-long career that began with the Alkazi Collection's exhibition at the Arles Photo Festival in 2007.

Allana has curated notable exhibitions like 'Mutations' in 2018 and 'Convergence' in 2022 under the Bonjour India festivals. He also co-curated 'Terra Nullius: Nobody's Land' at the Serendipity Arts Festival in Goa in 2022, showcasing French artists working with AI. His work has earned him a place among notable Indian recipients like Pt Hariprasad Chaurasia, Raghu Rai, and Shahrukh Khan.

(With inputs from agencies.)