Of being and becoming

Founded in 1986 by Geetha Mehra, Sakshi Gallery, one of India’s pioneering contemporary art galleries, marks its 40th anniversary celebrations with a major exhibition curated by Manan Shah at the historic Travancore Palace, New Delhi, opening in September 2026. The anniversary programme began in January with Mumbai Gallery Weekend, followed by a presentation in London at the Mall Galleries in June, and will continue with subsequent presentations in Vadodara, Bengaluru, and Chennai. Of being and becoming brings together over 50 artists across generations, including Vivan Sundaram, Gulam Mohammed Sheikh, Nalini Malani, Rekha Rodwittiya, Ranbir Singh Kaleka, Navjot Altaf, Shilpa Gupta,Thukral and Tagra and others. The exhibition presents site-responsive works and installations that trace the evolution of artistic vocabularies, material practices, and conceptual inquiries from the 1980s to the present. The show positions the gallery not merely as a site of display, but as a dynamic space for dialogue, experimentation, and reimagination. The exhibition reflects on how artistic vocabularies, material concerns, and modes of image-making have evolved in response to shifting social conditions and economic realities. The participating artists share longstanding relationships with Sakshi Gallery and have collectively contributed to shaping the trajectory of Indian contemporary art. The exhibition serves both as a celebration and as a critical reflection on the gallery’s enduring contribution to contemporary art in India, reaffirming its commitment to artistic experimentation, sustained dialogue, and intergenerational exchange. Manan Shah, curator of the exhibition says, Of being and becoming, introduces audiences to the changing visual syntax of the last four decades, showcasing together both early and recent works by artists who have significantly shaped the landscape of visual arts in India. In doing so, it presents itself as an archive of historical events and a witness to shifting power and political dynamics, tracing how these forces have shaped contemporary visual aesthetics. By bringing together three generations of artists in a single presentation, the exhibition is a visual narration of how the aforementioned factors have influenced this visual transformation.”