Mumbai’s art galleries and museums are buzzing with a slew of fresh and ongoing exhibitions, whether it’s a global street art icon’s first solo in India or a retrospective of a venerable Indian painter. Here’s our selection of shows you shouldn’t miss.
Ancient Sculptures at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya (CSMVS)
This outstanding collection of original sculptures straddling India, Egypt, Assyria, Greece, and Rome aims to demonstrate the interconnectedness of the ancient world. Covering the three themes of nature, divinity, and beauty, the sculptures range from a sandstone rendition of the Egyptian god Hapy (900 BCE) on loan from The British Museum (London) to an Italian funerary vessel (330 BCE) from The J. Paul Getty Museum (Los Angeles) to marble statues of perfectly proportioned Greek gods from the Staatliche Museum (Berlin)—all juxtaposed with a selection from CSMVS and other Indian museums. Get the audio guide for additional commentary and context.
When: Until October 1, Monday to Sunday 10.15 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Where: 159-161, Mahatma Gandhi Road, Fort
Entry: Rs150
Archipelago of Storms and Spirits at Jhaveri Contemporary
Set in the long, dark nights of the Sundarbans, Pranay Dutta’s debut solo is a collection of eerie paintings that accompany his video essay ‘Neti’. The eight-minute video chronicles the mystical, colonial, and ecological histories of the delta drawn from a range of histories and hearsay that Dutta collected over years of family trips. The haunting imagery of tree stubs, water-polished barks, and broken edges of land reminds us of the looming climate catastrophe while the mystical play of light and shadow suggests the supernatural.
When: Until April 20, Tuesday to Saturday 11 a.m. to 6.30 p.m.
Where: 3rd Floor, Devidas Mansion, B K Boman Behram Marg, Apollo Bandar, Colaba
Entry: Free
Follow the Bunny at Gallery XXL
Easter may be over but AIKO’s iconic Bunny can still be found at Gallery XXL. This is the first solo exhibition in India for the acclaimed Tokyo-born, NYC-based graffiti and street artist. AIKO set up her studio at the gallery for a couple of weeks to create new artworks, splashing the Bunny across the gallery walls, on maps of Mumbai’s local trains, and on found metal sign boards. A small on-site shop offers show-inspired merchandise like postcards, stickers, and spray-painted t-shirts.
When: Until April 28, Tuesday to Sunday 11 a.m. to 7.30 p.m.
Where: 1st Floor, Arsiwala Mansion, 21 Wodehouse Road, Colaba
Entry: Free
Kaarawaan and Other Works at Chemould Prescott Road
Artist, poet, and art historian Gulam Mohammed Sheikh presents his first solo in Mumbai after 20 years comprising a series of large canvases and evocative kaavad works (portable wooden shrine of sorts). His enduring motifs like the tree of life and map of the world find expression in the new exhibition — particularly the eponymous Kaarawaan, which is a large-scale painting of an imposing ark with kindred artists and poets and precious cargo of cultural memories negotiating turbulent waves.
When: Until May 11, Monday to Saturday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Where: 3rd floor, Queens Mansion, Ghanshyam Talwatkar Marg, Azad Maidan, Fort
Entry: Free
Liminal Gaps at Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre (NMACC)
The newly opened exhibition explores the transitional and expanding boundaries of Indian culture and identity through large-scale immersive installations by contemporary Indian artists. Curated by TRIADIC, the exhibition features works by Ayesha Singh, Raqs Media Collective, Asim Waqif, and Afrah Shafiq. Spread over four floors, each installation offers new ways of looking at the familiar, whether it’s architecture, time, space, nature, and technology. Don’t miss the show-inspired art workshops (on select days) like ceramic bowl painting, sand art, origami, etc.
When: Until June 9, Tuesday to Sunday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. (timed tickets)
Where: Art House, Jio World Centre, G Block, Bandra Kurla Complex, Bandra East
Entry: Rs299
Measuring Life With Coffee Spoons at APRE Art House
Featuring nine Indian contemporary artists — including Ravi Kumar Kashi, Megha Joshi, and Mayuri Chari — this group show draws from the poems of T.S. Eliot and Allen Ginsberg to delve into the interplay between private realms and the external socio-cultural milieu. As T.S. Eliot's "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock'' reminds us, "I have measured out my life with coffee spoons," we often measure our domestic existence by quotidian rituals and objects — whether it’s Kashi’s depiction of kitchenware on cast cotton rag pulp or Chari’s fabric installation, which is a commentary on Dalit feminist identity.
When: Until May 15, Monday to Saturday 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Where: Plot no. 28, Sanghvi House, 3rd Pasta Lane, Colaba Market, Colaba
Entry: Free
Metamorphosis at Nature Morte
In this solo exhibition, Italian artist Lorenzo Vitturi references his biographical roots in Italy and Peru, and showcases his collaboration with artisans in Murano, Italy, at the Jaipur Rug Foundation in India, and indigenous communities in Chinchero, Peru. Created in Jaipur, these mixed media artworks employ Murano-fused glass, Peruvian yarns, fishing nets, Indian handmade rugs, eucalyptus wood, and other materials — most of which are sourced from waste, making this a sustainable body of work.
When: Until April 27, Monday to Saturday 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Where: 3rd Floor, A Block, Dhanraj Mahal, Railway Colony, Apollo Bandar, Colaba
Entry: Free
Off Margins: Miniatures in the Postmodern at Art and Charlie
Curated by Khushboo Jain, this group show questions whether contemporary miniature art should be given a new name to move away from its colonial influences. After all, today’s artists are breaking new ground and renewing the miniature art form through experimentation with techniques, materials, iconographies, and narratives. Like Divya Pamnani who shifts from traditional colour and composition, offering new renditions of ancient Indian games. Or Gargi Chandola’s works introducing themes of feminism through a humorous approach on the masculine ideas of territory and power.
When: Until April 13, Wednesday to Sunday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Where: 71A Pali Village, Off Pali Mala Road, Bandra West
Entry: Free
Varna Mythri at National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA)
Often referred to as ‘van Gogh of India’, Rumale Chennabasaviah captured nature’s vibrant colours in his signature style of mixing paints directly on canvas (not on the palette). The painter laureate’s retrospective at NGMA features 80-odd works spanning cityscapes, landscapes, and spirituality over three decades of his artistic career. His water colours and oil on canvas works of Bengaluru’s trees and blossoms are particularly eye-catching. Plan your visit to coincide with the curatorial walkthroughs offered by the museum (daily at 11.30 a.m. and 4 p.m.).
When: Until April 15, Tuesday to Friday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday and Sunday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Where: Sir Cowasji Jahangir Public Hall, M G Road, Fort
Entry: Rs20
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