SGI appoints Dr Jahnavi Phalkey as Founding Director of Science Gallery Bengaluru

Dr Phalkey will head the establishment of Science Gallery Bengaluru with the Indian Institute of Science as lead partner, alongside the National Centre for Biological Sciences and Srishti Institute of Art, Design and Technology as collaborative partners

Science Gallery International (SGI) announced the appointment of Dr Jahnavi Phalkey as the Founding Director of Science Gallery Bengaluru. Dr Phalkey will head the establishment of Science Gallery Bengaluru with the Indian Institute of Science as lead partner, alongside the National Centre for Biological Sciences and Srishti Institute of Art, Design and Technology as collaborative partners. Lead-in activity has already commenced, with Science Gallery Bengaluru winning their first award for Creativity at the BengaluruITE.biz fair in December of 2016. The gallery space will open in 2021.

Dr Phalkey is a historian of science and technology, and a filmmaker formerly based at King’s College London. Talking about her appointment as Director of Science Gallery Bengaluru Phalkey said, “I am delighted to be appointed the Founding Director of Science Gallery Bengaluru. Science Gallery will play the unique role of bringing together artists, and scholars from the human and natural sciences through research and conversation on questions of global concern. Such a linking across disciplines and social issues in novel ways will not only change how we view these often-disparate areas but also how we might work together. I am particularly keen on students learning alongside scholars through tinkering and experiments. Collectively, we will produce events and exhibitions to nurture a creative and critical appreciation of science – and its relationship to nature and culture – in Indian public life. Towards these goals, I very much look forward to working with the Government of Karnataka, the Indian Institute of Science, the National Centre for Biological Sciences, and Srishti Institute of Art, Design and Technology.”

Andrea Bandelli, Executive Director, Science Gallery International, spoke of the importance of the new appointment: “Phalkey brings a wealth of experience developed at King’s College London, Imperial College London, Georgia Tech, Science Museum London, Deutsches Museum, and other cardinal institutions. It is truly a great honour to be working with such a visionary woman, who now joins Lynn Scarff, Rose Hiscock, Daniel Glaser, Ariane Koek and Troy Livingston at the helm of the Science Gallery Network.”

Science Gallery is the world’s first university-linked network dedicated to public engagement with science and art. The galleries, pop-up programmes and touring exhibitions of the Science Gallery Network are founded on the belief that young people hold the creative potential to tackle the world’s biggest challenges. The pioneering Science Gallery is based at Trinity College Dublin in Ireland.