The initial idea of “ilāj” project was developed during the 2nd Curatorial Intensive South Asia (CISA) fellowship program conducted by Goethe-Institut in collaboration with Khoj International Artists’ Association in Delhi in 2018. The first part of the Curatorial Intensive brought the fellows together in July 2018 for a two-week intensive workshop that looked at curatorial histories, strategies, and debates pertinent to the South Asian context. The workshop was led by Dr. Leonhard Emmerling and Natasha Ginwala with guest lecturers including Dr. Kavita Singh, Nancy Adajania, Abhay Sardesai, Shuddhabrata Sengupta, Dr. Annapurna Garimella, Naman Ahuja along with other experts from the region. 
In the second phase, the fellows had the opportunity to independently develop curatorial projects over a period of six months during which they were mentored by the program leaders, culminating in the exhibitions in December 2018. 
“ilāj curatorial projects" focuses on eastern myths, rituals, theology, and literature and how they can influence our way of thinking about life and our experiences in this region throughout history.