Mumbai Gallery Weekend kicks off on Jan 11, here’s what is in store

This year, the festival is returning with its 11th edition, featuring an exciting line-up of 34 participating galleries and design venues, spanning from Colaba to Juhu. Expect esteemed galleries like Chemould Prescott Road, Chatterjee & Lal, and DAG with newer entrants such as Art & Charlie and Nine Fish. Notable additions to this year’s event include Akara Contemporary, Gallery XXL, Method Juhu, and Vida Heydari Contemporary.

‘Bombay Tilt Down’ by CAMP features a massive 100-foot screen exploring the city’s evolution and paradoxes within it (Photo source: Special Arrangement)

The four-day festivities beginning January 11 will feature a variety of art-related events, all open and free to attend, including off-site exhibitions, talks, pop-ups, and gallery hops. Some highlights include a series of talks at the CSMVS museum in association with India Art Fair, a Young Collectors Program at Kathiwada City House curated by Teesta Bhandare, an off-site exhibition titled Bombay Tilts Down by CAMP and presented by Experimenter Gallery that celebrates 15 years, a performance by Tushar Adhav at Sassoon Docks, a special promotion at Kala Ghoda café for Art Night Thursday, and a curated gallery hop with Art & Wonderment.

The festival has evolved significantly over the years. Describing its journey as a “quiet start to quite active”, Gandhy shared that the festival has brought in a newer audience while retaining the old ones with every edition.

‘Goat People’ is oil on masonite board by Anjolie Ela Menon (Photo source: Special Arrangement)

“Older collectors are interested in seeing artists from outside India, like artists Ian Malhotra and Ricky Vasan who are coming to Galerie Isa. The younger audience who are getting exposed to art through social media are engaging more and more with the ‘cool’ aspect of art. Events like Art Night Thursday have already become an activity that’s enjoyed round the year, even in the leaner monsoon month of July and August, and is an activity where young couples come for a date,” shared Gandhy, adding, “Unlike art fairs which are very business-driven considering the art galleries pay a huge amount for a booth there and the focus is on serious collectors, here the gallerists have the time to indulge the visitors and give them a walk through.”

While each session is interesting, Gandhy is particularly excited about MGW Talks. “This year, the focus is on the burgeoning art scene in the Middle East, which is seeing a lot of relatively young and new art institutions. Then there is the Bombay Tilt Down exhibition at Sassoon Dock, featuring a massive 100-foot screen exploring the city’s evolution and paradoxes within it. Noteworthy exhibitions include Anand Joshi’s return after seven years at Chemould Prescott Road and Anjolie Ela Menon’s exhibition at Art Musings — it is quite an eclectic mix of art scene around the city,” she concluded.