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Dilapidated studios at Garhi are ready for renovation. Older artists are evicted as management screens younger talent for admission.

The procedure for renovation and revamp has begun, but on a bitter note for some artists who have been asked to vacate the premises.

The institution has been a home ground for the biggies in art — from Manjit Bawa to Subodh Gupta. Garhi Studios can boast of a line of illustrious occupants. Located in the heart of the Capital, in East of Kailash, it was the meeting point for artists, not just for practice but also for discussions. Now, the crumbling studios do no more than speak of the glorious past. The palms lining its pathway have withered and dust covers sculptures stationed at the entrance. Established in 1976 as an institution that would meet the needs of artists from across India, Garhi Studios now lies in shambles.

After years of petitions from artists to improve the state of the art at the studios, Lalit Kala Akademi — which manages the premises — is now planning a revamp. “It is supposed to be a place for innovative art practice, and we want it to be that,” says KK Chakravarty, Chairman of the Akademi, pointing out that reasonable rental rates are an attraction. The website lists rent of Rs 600 per month for an old shared studio, Rs 150 for a community studio and Rs 300 for new shared studio. More than 200 artists can be allotted studio at a time.

The procedure for renovation and revamp has begun, but on a bitter note for some artists who have been asked to vacate the premises. “There were several people occupying the studios for the last 30-35 years, allotment should be done on basis of merit,” says Satyapal, Regional Secretary of Garhi Regional Centre. Chakravarty adds, “We also want to open it up to more tribal and folk artists who need a platform.”

So the old shared studios and new shared studios are sealed. Locked doors have High Court notices asking artists to vacate. Community studios are open to artists, all of whom were given admission last year. “Space will only be allotted for a year. Only those who actively use the facility and make an impression with their work will be given a renewal. Temporary allotment will be given to visiting artists for a month,” says Satyapal, adding that a jury will screen the applicants.

Even as he waits for repair work to commence next week, the blueprint is ready. “It ranges from complete renovation in the old studios to minor repair in the community studios,” says Satyapal. Ram Kumar, an artist from Chennai, points out that though the community studios were repaired in 2011, water seepage remains a major irritant. Devidas Khatri, who first applied for a studio in Garhi over a decade ago, adds, “It is good that the old occupants have been asked to leave. It was dictatorship and illegal occupation.” He now shares a community studio with three others.

The evicted artists are, meanwhile, crying foul. Gogi Saroj Pal, who has had a studio in Garhi since 1977, says, “This equates to bullying artists. We have been working there since years. It was a space started by Jawaharlal Nehru to allow artists to work, and that is what we were doing. They can give a makeshift space during renovation, what is the need to evict us?”

In his office, Satyapal defends the decision to vacate the studios. He envisions Garhi as a space for newer talent. Cultural activities are also on the anvil — from exhibitions to film festivals and summer workshops for children. Meanwhile, Manju Tomar in the community studio has a request. “We need an electric kiln,” she says. Chakravarty has made a note. “We will be upgrading. We are also planning a library and research center and national and international residencies,”
he says.

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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