Matribhumi Samachar English
Chennai, August 2026: Contemporary Now · Edition III successfully concluded its opening week, transforming Chennai into a dynamic hub for contemporary art through a citywide programme of exhibitions, conversations, walkthroughs, institutional collaborations and cultural exchanges. Running until 25 August 2026, the third edition has brought together leading galleries, artists, collectors, cultural practitioners, institutions and audiences across more than ten venues, reinforcing Chennai’s growing significance within India’s contemporary art landscape.
The opening week commenced with the preview of Practices in Continuum: The Work and the World at Lalit Kala Akademi, the flagship exhibition of Contemporary Now · Edition III. Bringing together presentations from Project 88, Vadehra Art Gallery, Experimenter, TARQ, Chatterjee & Lal, Chemould Prescott Road and Ashvita’s, the exhibition explores contemporary artistic practices through themes of identity, ecology, memory, politics, materiality and cultural change.
Extending beyond the exhibition space, Contemporary Now activated venues across Chennai through a wide-ranging programme that brought together galleries, foundations, artists’ studios, archival centres and cultural institutions. Across the opening week, audiences engaged with exhibitions, previews, conservation initiatives, artist-led walkthroughs and public discussions, reflecting the platform’s commitment to creating meaningful encounters with contemporary art through multiple points of access.
A key focus of the week was its programme of conversations examining the intersections of artistic practice, publishing, patronage and cultural ecosystems. Highlights included “From Mylapore to Mumbai (and Beyond): The Cultural South in the Context of Contemporary Art,” featuring Ashvin E. Rajagopalan, K. Benitha Perciyal and Mortimer Chatterjee in conversation with Prasad Ramamurthy, which explored the growing influence of southern India in shaping contemporary artistic practice, institutions, audiences and collecting.
The programme also included “The Many Lives of the Photobook: A Contemporary Lens to Publishing Practices & Shared Futures,” presented by the Chennai Photo Biennale Foundation and Ashvita’s, featuring Brendan Embser of Aperture, artist Indu Antony and photographer-filmmaker Balaji Maheshwar in conversation with Shuchi Kapoor. The discussion examined the photobook as an artistic form and a mode of circulation, considering how photographic work evolves through publishing and readership.
The opening week concluded with “On Patronage: Public Impact, Private Collections,” presented by India Art Fair in collaboration with Avtar Foundation for the Arts and Contemporary Now. Featuring Anu Menda, Meha Patel, Jaiveer Johal and Siddharth Somaiya, moderated by Umah Jacob, the conversation explored the evolving role of collectors and private patronage in shaping India’s cultural landscape and supporting long-term artistic ecosystems.
Alongside these discussions, audiences experienced a range of partner exhibitions and special programmes across the city. These included Continuiverse: Sculptures by C. Krishnaswamy at Ashvita’s Campus; In Dialogue with Nature | Limited Edition Photographs & Portfolios, presented by the Chennai Photo Biennale Foundation and WWF-India at Avtar Foundation for the Arts; I have a dream, a studio exhibition by George K presented by Apparao Galleries; How Long Will We Live? Or When Will We Die? by K. Benitha Perciyal at Ashvita’s Flagship; Madras Abstraction at Gallery Veda; and Masters in Madras, curated by Sharan Apparao. Visitors were also invited behind the scenes through the Open House at Ashvita’s Archival and Conservation Centre, which offered insights into the processes of archiving, preservation and conservation that sustain artistic and cultural histories.
The opening week further included a preview of Unruly Bodies: Sighting the Body Politic from the Avtar Collection, curated by Suchitra Vijayan and presented by the Avtar Foundation for the Arts at Alliance Française of Madras, extending Contemporary Now’s engagement with questions of identity, representation and the body politic. Together, these programmes reflected the platform’s commitment to expanding conversations around contemporary art beyond the exhibition space through collaborations with institutions and cultural partners.
Artist and curator-led walkthroughs formed an important part of the opening week’s engagement programme. George K guided visitors through his studio exhibition, while Benitha Perciyal K. led a walkthrough of How Long Will We Live? Or When Will We Die? at Ashvita’s Flagship. At Lalit Kala Akademi, Ashvin E. Rajagopalan introduced audiences to the curatorial framework underpinning Contemporary Now · Edition III, offering deeper insight into the exhibition’s exploration of contemporary practice through interconnected narratives of artists, galleries, artworks and audiences.
Speaking on the occasion, Ashvin E. Rajagopalan, Director, Contemporary Now, said:
“Contemporary Now · Edition III invites audiences to look beyond the artwork as an individual object and engage with the larger practice, context and ecosystem from which it emerges. The response to the opening week has been incredibly encouraging, demonstrating a growing appetite for meaningful engagement with contemporary art across Chennai. By bringing together galleries, artists, institutions and audiences, we hope to continue creating conversations that strengthen the city’s role within India’s contemporary art landscape.”
Priyanjoli Basu, Director, Contemporary Now, added:
“What has been particularly exciting about this edition is the way audiences have moved across the city, engaging with exhibitions, conversations, studios, archives and institutions as part of a shared cultural experience. Contemporary Now was conceived as a platform for discovery, dialogue and exchange, and the opening week has demonstrated the potential of Chennai to support ambitious and collaborative contemporary art initiatives.”
With more than 15 events across over 10 venues, the opening week underscored Contemporary Now’s vision of positioning the city itself as a site of artistic engagement and cultural exchange. Through exhibitions, conversations, institutional partnerships and public programmes, the platform continues to create opportunities for learning, collecting and encountering contemporary art in new ways.
Contemporary Now · Edition III continues until 25 August 2026, with exhibitions and public programmes taking place across Lalit Kala Akademi and partner venues throughout Chennai.
Contemporary Now · Edition III
Dates: 8–25 August 2026
Main Exhibition: Practices in Continuum: The Work and the World
Venue: Lalit Kala Akademi, Chennai
Citywide Programmes: Ashvita’s Flagship, Ashvita’s Campus, Ashvita’s Archival and Conservation Centre, Avtar Foundation for the Arts, Gallery Veda, Apparao Galleries, George K Studio , Alliance Française of Madras and partner venues across Chennai.
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