Above: “Still Asleep” by Navin Thomas, from the Devi Art Foundation’s inaugural exhibition.

Mother-and-son hoteliers Lekha and Anupam Poddar have diverse tastes in art: she likes Indian folk and tribal work, and he has a passion for cutting-edge pieces from across the subcontinent. Their combined collection of more than 7,000 artworks forms the basis of their new Devi Art Foundation (deviartfoundation.com); a 700-square-meter gallery in the Delhi satellite city of Gurgaon. Somewhat incongruent with the multinational headquarters and gleaming malls that surround it, the nonprofit space is dedicated to nurturing emerging Indian talent. Until the end of February 2009, an exhibition entitled Where in the World will focus on the art students at Jawaharlal Nehru University, showcasing their paintings, installations, videos, and photography.

Originally appeared in the December 2008/January 2009 print issue of DestinAsian magazine (“Modern Love”)