CHENNAI: Bringing together artists, galleries and audiences from across the country, Contemporary Now returns to Chennai for its third edition from August 8 to 25.
The contemporary art festival will feature works by 66 artists represented by seven galleries, alongside talks, workshops, artist walkthroughs and open houses across the city. "Contemporary Now was conceived as more than an exhibition.
It is a platform where artists, collectors, curators and audiences come together to engage with contemporary art through meaningful conversations. We want people to feel that art is approachable, regardless of whether they're seasoned collectors or first-time visitors,” says Priyanjoli Basu, director of Contemporary Now.
The third edition brings together seven galleries including Ashvita's, Chemould Prescott Road, Chatterjee & Lal, Experimenter, Project 88, Tarq and Vadehra Art Gallery.
Together, they present works by 66 artists working across different mediums and artistic practices. The curatorial theme for this year’s exhibition is Practices in Continuum: Tracing the Present. The exhibition also explores themes such as memory, migration, ecology, politics, identity, language and lived experience through the works on display.
Ashvin E Rajagopalan says the festival is also an opportunity to bring artistic voices from across the country to the city.
"Chennai has always had a thoughtful and deeply rooted relationship with art. With Contemporary Now, we wanted to create a platform that brings together artistic voices from across India. It's about giving audiences here access to diverse practices and perspectives from across the country," he tells DT Next.
The exhibition will be held at Lalit Kala Akademi, while partner programmes will take place at venues across Chennai.