Around 66 artists will showcase their work over twenty days at 10 venues in Chennai as part of the ‘Contemporary Now Edition III’, where leading galleries from across the country have come together to celebrate artistic practice and dialogue.

Ahead of the exhibition, which opens on August 8, 2026, at Lalit Kala Akademi, a conversation, ‘From Mylapore to Mumbai (and Beyond): The Cultural South in the Context of Contemporary Art’ was held on Friday featuring Ashvin E. Rajagopalan, founder of Ashvita’s and director of Piramal Art Foundation, Benitha Perciyal K., an artist whose work has been exhibited at the Centre Pompidou and Ashvita’s, and Mortimer Chatterjee of Chatterjee & Lal, in conversation with lifestyle journalist Prasad Ramamurthy.

The conversation revolved around trust and transactions in the art word, pros and cons of social media for artists and art collectors, and the accessibility of original art, among other things. “How do you build a bridge between the Chennai art scene and the more financially successful Delhi and Mumbai art scenes? Since 90% of the art shows are happening in those cities, there are more opportunities there as well as artists. So, when we bring all that here in Chennai, there will be more engagement and dialogue,” said Mr. Rajagopalan.

An artist practising in Chennai, Ms. Perciyal said art was something that needed to be experienced rather than seen through a screen, which she said was the purpose of Contemporary Now. “When we are talking about art fairs, it becomes more like a market, but shows like these explore the artist’s practice,” she said.

Mr. Chatterjee added that there had been a deficit in India with access to art, especially modern art. “We have been overly reliant on auction houses to be able to access quality original art, because we haven’t had institutions that have stepped up since Independence, in a serious fashion, to actually acquire and house that all of us can go and enjoy,” he shared.

Published - August 08, 2026 12:46 am IST