Raqs Media Collective was formed in 1992 as a collaboration between Jeebesh Bagchi, Monica Narula, and Shuddhabrata Sengupta Raqs is a word in Persian, Arabic, and Urdu, and means the state that "whirling dervishes" enter into when they whirl It signifies and embodies the practice of a kinetic contemplation of the world

Defying easy classification, the collective enjoys a plurality of roles, often appearing as artists, media practitioners, curators, researchers, editors or as catalysts of cultural processes The inter-disciplinary group is renowned for working across different media as they create art, make films, curate exhibitions, design sculptures and multi-media installations The collaborative and experimental nature of their work often unpacks questions of identity, location, myths, and histories, to produce work that compels the viewer look at the world from a new perspective

Their work has been exhibited at Documenta, the Venice Biennale, Manifesta, and the Istanbul, Shanghai, Sydney, and Taipei Biennials They have also had solo exhibitions at Tate Exchange, London; Foundacíon Proa, Buenos Aires; Laumeier Sculpture Park, St Louis; and the Whitworth Art Gallery, Manchester

As curators, Raqs curated “The Rest of Now” for the 7th edition of Manifesta: The European Biennial of Contemporary Art and “Steps Away from Oblivion” for the international roving exhibition "Indian Highway” initiated by The Serpentine Gallery, London, both in 2008

The collective is based out of New Delhi