Art doesn’t always stay on the walls. It drifts into conversations, lingers in memory, and sometimes takes over an entire city. Chennai became a canvas in motion as Contemporary Now – Edition III unfolded across its galleries, studios, and cultural spaces. More than an exhibition, it was an open platform to wander, question, and discover the practices shaping contemporary art.

For an entire month, the city itself became a gallery without boundaries. Cafés buzzed with talk of installations, studios opened their doors, and cultural spaces turned into stages for dialogue. Contemporary Now – Edition III stitched together artists, collectors, and audiences into a living fabric of exhibitions, previews, and conversations.

Chennai’s cultural calendar found a new rhythm where art lovers looked beyond the canvas and into the practices shaping India’s contemporary art ecosystem. Far from being a single exhibition, the initiative pioneered by Ashvin E. Rajagopalan, Director, Contemporary Now and Priyanjoli Basu, Director, Contemporary Now unfolded across the city, weaving together galleries, institutions, collectors, and cultural leaders in a month‑long dialogue. At its heart was the flagship show Practices in Continuum: The Work and the World, unveiled at Lalit Kala Akademi during an exclusive VIP Preview.

The exhibition brought names like Project 88, Vadehra Art Gallery, Experimenter, TARQ, Chatterjee & Lal, Chemould Prescott Road, and Ashvita’s into conversation. Their presentations explored themes of identity, ecology, memory, politics, materiality, and cultural change, urging audiences to engage not just with objects but with the ideas and contexts that animate them. What set Contemporary Now apart was its citywide ambition. From exhibitions to conversations and special previews, the programme extended beyond Lalit Kala Akademi into multiple venues, creating opportunities for collaboration and encounter. For Chennai, it was more than an art show, it was a statement of intent, positioning the city as a vital node in India’s contemporary art landscape.

By drawing together diverse practices and perspectives, Contemporary Now – Edition III underscored the power of art to reflect, challenge, and reshape the present. One of the highlights was the panel discussion, “From Mylapore to Mumbai (and Beyond): The Cultural South in the Context of Contemporary Art,” held at Ashvita’s Flagship. Featuring Ashvin E. Rajagopalan, Director, Contemporary Now; Founder, Ashvita’s; and Director, Piramal Art Foundation, K. Benitha Perciyal, and Mortimer Chatterjee of Chatterjee & Lal, in conversation with Prasad Ramamurthy, the discussion explored the growing significance of southern India in shaping contemporary artistic practice, institutions, audiences and collecting. There was also an Open House at Ashvita’s Archival and Conservation Centre, offering guests a behind-the-scenes look at conservation practices and archival work, alongside an exclusive 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.

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, “By bringing together leading galleries, artists, institutions and audiences across Chennai, we are creating meaningful encounters with the practices shaping our present and strengthen the city’s position within India’s contemporary art ecosystem.” Priyanjoli Basu, Director, Contemporary Now, added, “Edition III reflects the diversity of contemporary artistic practice today while creating new opportunities for audiences to engage with art through exhibitions, conversations and collaborations across the city. We hope these shared experiences encourage curiosity, learning and deeper connections with contemporary culture.”

-Contemporary Now – Edition III was held from 8–25 August 2026 at Lalit Kala Akademi, Chennai with citywide programmes at Ashvita’s Flagship, Ashvita’s Campus, Alliance Française of Madras, Raw Mango, Apparao Galleries, Gallery Veda, and partner venues across Chennai.