Which are Delhi's Top 7 Contemporary Art Galleries? - Suggest Artist Shantala Palat

Today Delhi organizes some of the world’s best art events, fairs and exhibitions that act as a great treat for all art lovers in the city. These exhibitions witness participation from new as well as from professional artists from all dimensions of art. These events are also creating a booming art market in the city. These art exhibitions have been made possible due to Delhi’s excellent art galleries. Today in this article, we will be talking to Delhi’s contemporary artist Shantala Palat and will be exploring with her to identify the top 7 contemporary art galleries of the national capital.

1. National Art Gallery

The National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA) is the premier art gallery under Ministry of Culture,

Government of India. The Government of India established the main museum at Jaipur House in New Delhi on March 29, 1954. Its collection of more than 14,000 works includes works by artists such as Thomas Daniell, Raja Ravi Verma, Abanindranath Tagore, Rabindranath Tagore, Gaganendranath Tagore, Nandalal Bose, Jamini Roy, Amrita Sher-Gil as well as foreign artists, apart from sculptures and installations by various artists. Some of the oldest works preserved here date back to 1857. With 12,000 square meters of exhibition space, the Delhi’s National Gallery of Modern Art is one of the world's largest modern art museums.

2. Delhi Art Gallery

Located in the vibrant Hauz Khas village, Delhi Art Gallery is a reputed art gallery in New Delhi.

Opened in 1993, the gallery owns one of the most exhaustive collections of Indian modern art. From early modernist works to contemporary, experimental art forms and from the earliest British painters and Bengal School of Art to the Progressive Artists Group and the leading painters of today, the collection covers the entire history of modern art in India.

3. Indian Habitat Centre – Visual Art Gallery

Indian Habitat Centre, situated in the heart of New Delhi offers an amalgam of various factors that make it an ideal art gallery. IHC attracts more than thousands of people every day in form of foreign delegates & tourists, elite IHC members from the surrounding posh localities, visitors of theatres, conferences, business centres, restaurants and many more.

Indian Habitat centre today has made its presence felt across the globe. In the last couple of years, it has become the centre of contemporary cultural, economic, business and social events. The concern for the habitat and its environment works as the backbone of this pulsating complex.

Hence Ms Shantals Palat considers IHC Visual Arts gallery, which is spread across 5000 square feet of space, is on number three in the list.

4. Exhibit 320

Exhibit320 is located in the heart of Lado Sarai, in the capital city, India providing a dynamic and creative hub for artists, the arts and its audience.

Exhibit320 showcases contemporary art from India and the sub-continent and creates a platform for new thoughts and ideas. The emphasis of the exhibition space is on art that engages in new means, both in terms of thoughts and material. It has opened this organizational space for creative endeavors, aesthetic explorations, and furthering visual dialogues.

5. The Stainless Gallery

The Stainless Gallery is spread over 5500 sq ft and located in Delhi’s New Friends Colony. It is a state of the art gallery that force to reckon with in the contemporary space of art. The Stainless is one of its kind gallery that provides not just an exhibition venue but also infrastructural support to create these artworks. The Stainless Gallery began its journey with an enigmatic exhibition held in 2007, titled ‘The Lazy Forest’ by an eminent designer Alex Davis. The Gallery continued its journey with ‘Saptarishis’ showcasing works of seven eminent sculptors of the country, followed by ‘Ashtanayika’, an all-women show exhibiting artworks of eight female artists.

6. Gallery Espace – for contemporary

Gallery Espace was established in New Delhi (India), in 1989 by Renu Modi with an exhibition of autobiographical works of MF Husain, Modern India's most celebrated artist and one of the founder members of the path-breaking Progressive Artists Group. Soon success followed success, and the Gallery's name became synonymous with representing artists, whose works defined the 1980s-Jagdish Swaminathan; Manjit Bawa, Krishen Khanna, Bhupen Khakhar & Vishwanadhan).

From its early inception when the circulation of art was limited to informal efforts, Espace has constantly traversed borders and boundaries, showcasing the art of primarily Indian artists from multiple generations in diverse mediums. Efforts through the early and mid 1990s were concentrated on anticipating trends, spotting latent talent and giving a much-needed platform to many previously unknown talents (Subodh Gupta- Group Show (1991) Solo Show (1993); Ashim Purkayasta - Young Contemporaries (1995), Solo Show (1999) - some artists who today rank amongst the most prolific of the younger generation.

6. Art Konsult - for folk and tribal art

‘Art Konsult’ is a premier art gallery in New Delhi, established nearly two decades ago with a view to promote Indian Contemporary Art to the Indian and global audience. Since its inception, Art Konsult has come a long way; not just moving with the times but also constantly being an industry leader by anticipating trends and spotting talent. It has established itself as a locus for cultural activity, offering a credible platform to display the best in creative talent.

Art Konsult has held over 300 exhibitions till date of various prominent artists of both Indian and foreign origin, in-house as well as in prestigious institutions like NGMA (New Delhi) and Indian Museum (Kolkata) to name a few. Art Konsult has also curated several exhibitions on the iconic works of some of the great masters from the Bengal School such as Jamini Roy, Nandalal Bose, Ramkinkar Vaij & Hemen Majumdar among several others.

We have produced documentary films under the banner of ‘Art & Deal’ on the indigenous tribal & folk arts of India as well as on prominent Indian Contemporary artists such as Arpana Caur & G R Iranna.

7. Ojas Gallery - for Folk and tribal art

Ojas Gallery is a good art centere located in Mehrauli in South Delhi. The center has got a very good collection of modern, folk and tribal artl.