New canvas

During the inaugural ceremony of the new wing of the National Gallery of Modern Art,Union Tourism and Culture Minister Ambika Soni made a reference to the innumerable architectural drawings prepared for the expansion project that was first passed in 1985.

With an exhibition,NGMA will share details of the construction of its three new blocks that took over 20 years to complete

During the inaugural ceremony of the new wing of the National Gallery of Modern Art,Union Tourism and Culture Minister Ambika Soni made a reference to the innumerable architectural drawings prepared for the expansion project that was first passed in 1985.

In the audience,architects AR Ramanathan and Snehanshu Mukherjee were recollecting the same summer,when their firm TEAM was chosen to construct neighbouring buildings for the Charles Blomfield-designed Jaipur House through a national architectural competition. It was a coveted project. We thought we wont be able to take any other work while this was on, recalls Ramanathan,a few days after two of the three new blocks opened to the public. Adding 24,700 sq meters to the existing space at NGMA,the new blocks comprise 12,000 sq meters of display area,a library,auditorium,preview theatre and 2,600 sq meter area for art storage. The museum has become truly world class, says Rajeev Lochan,who has been associated with the project since 2001,when he was appointed as the director of NGMA. The expansion has been a priority, he adds,as he readies to share details of the construction work in an exhibition that is scheduled for later this year.

Sifting through over a thousand architectural,structural and service drawings,Ramanathan is shortlisting a handful that will be on display. The idea is to share the experience of the making of the new blocks, he notes.

In the exhibition,adjacent to the sketches,might be penned anecdotes that give an insight into the project. This could include particulars of three detailed estimates that were prepared for approval by the architects and the proceedings that were undertaken to evict illegal occupants from hutments behind Jaipur House. Ramanathan might also recall the two foundation stone laying ceremonies for the new wing. In 1997 Madhavrao Scindia first laid the foundation stone and in 2003 Jagmohan participated in a groundbreaking ceremony, recollects Ramanathan,who interacted with four NGMA directors during the long haul.

Irrespective of the procedural details and the estimate cost that elevated from an approximate Rs 13-14 crore in 1985 to Rs 70-72 crore,Ramanathan notes that the design has remained consistent with the original proposal that won his firm the competition. The new extension is a contemporary public building which is in harmony with the Jaipur House, states Ramanathan,pointing out that the height of the new blocks is kept lower than the old structure as a mark of respect. While stone-blasted polished granite and Italian blue pearl has been used amid others for the flooring,red sandstone and Dholpur adorn the exterior walls. The lights came from several suppliers,including Decon Lighting that has a showroom in Khan Market. There was a lot of customisation. Artwork requires a particular kind of lighting and we had to make sure that there was a provision to display different mediums, states Livinder Singh,managing director of Decon.

Even as workers give finishing touches to the third block,Ramanathan notes that the wait of more than 20 years was a result of several factors,ranging from protracted litigation to administrative delays.

Vandana Kalra

Vandana Kalra is an art critic and Deputy Associate Editor with The Indian Express. She has spent more than two decades chronicling arts, culture and everyday life, with modern and contemporary art at the heart of her practice. With a sustained engagement in the arts and a deep understanding of India’s cultural ecosystem, she is regarded as a distinctive and authoritative voice in contemporary art journalism in India. Vandana Kalra's career has unfolded in step with the shifting contours of India’s cultural landscape, from the rise of the Indian art market to the growing prominence of global biennales and fairs. Closely tracking its ebbs and surges, she reports from studios, galleries, museums and exhibition spaces and has covered major Indian and international art fairs, museum exhibitions and biennales, including the Venice Biennale, Kochi-Muziris Biennale, Documenta, Islamic Arts Biennale. She has also been invited to cover landmark moments in modern Indian art, including SH Raza’s exhibition at the Centre Pompidou in Paris and the opening of the MF Husain Museum in Doha, reflecting her long engagement with the legacies of India’s modern masters. Alongside her writing, she applies a keen editorial sensibility, shaping and editing art and cultural coverage into informed, cohesive narratives. Through incisive features, interviews and critical reviews, she brings clarity to complex artistic conversations, foregrounding questions of process, patronage, craft, identity and cultural memory. The Global Art Circuit: She provides extensive coverage of major events like the Kochi-Muziris Biennale, Serendipity Arts Festival, and high-profile international auctions. Artist Spotlights: She writes in-depth features on modern masters (like M.F. Husain) and contemporary performance artists (like Marina Abramović). Art and Labor: A recurring theme in her writing is how art reflects the lives of the marginalized, including migrants, farmers, and labourers. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) Her recent portfolio is dominated by the coverage of the 2025 art season in India: 1. Kochi-Muziris Biennale & Serendipity Arts Festival "At Serendipity Arts Festival, a 'Shark Tank' of sorts for art and crafts startups" (Dec 20, 2025): On how a new incubator is helping artisans pitch products to investors. "Artist Birender Yadav's work gives voice to the migrant self" (Dec 17, 2025): A profile of an artist whose decade-long practice focuses on brick kiln workers. "At Kochi-Muziris Biennale, a farmer’s son from Patiala uses his art to draw attention to Delhi’s polluted air" (Dec 16, 2025). "Kochi Biennale showstopper Marina Abramović, a pioneer in performance art" (Dec 7, 2025): An interview with the world-renowned artist on the power of reinvention. 2. M.F. Husain & Modernism "Inside the new MF Husain Museum in Qatar" (Nov 29, 2025): A three-part series on the opening of Lawh Wa Qalam in Doha, exploring how a 2008 sketch became the architectural core of the museum. "Doha opens Lawh Wa Qalam: Celebrating the modernist's global legacy" (Nov 29, 2025). 3. Art Market & Records "Frida Kahlo sets record for the most expensive work by a female artist" (Nov 21, 2025): On Kahlo's canvas The Dream (The Bed) selling for $54.7 million. "All you need to know about Klimt’s canvas that is now the most expensive modern artwork" (Nov 19, 2025). "What’s special about a $12.1 million gold toilet?" (Nov 19, 2025): A quirky look at a flushable 18-karat gold artwork. 4. Art Education & History "Art as play: How process-driven activities are changing the way children learn art in India" (Nov 23, 2025). "A glimpse of Goa's layered history at Serendipity Arts Festival" (Dec 9, 2025): Exploring historical landmarks as venues for contemporary art. Signature Beats Vandana is known for her investigative approach to the art economy, having recently written about "Who funds the Kochi-Muziris Biennale?" (Dec 11, 2025), detailing the role of "Platinum Benefactors." She also explores the spiritual and geometric aspects of art, as seen in her retrospective on artist Akkitham Narayanan and the history of the Cholamandal Artists' Village (Nov 22, 2025). ... Read More

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