The Art of Arrival

Delhi is a city rich with artists and institutions, so, what does it mean to open a gallery here? Gallerists and designers behind Delhi’s newest viewing spaces unpack ideas, challenges, and choices behind creating a space for art that keeps them interested.

- ADITHI REENA AJITH

EVERY year, Delhi’s art scene comes alive with the India Art Fair, new exhibitions, and gallery openings, the city turns into a network of viewing, gathering, and exchange. But the question is no longer only about what is being shown, but where and how. What does it mean to hold space for art works that speak volumes — to its viewers as much as to its artists?

Among the newly opened galleries is Gallery XXL on a busy south Delhi colony. Established by the same founders as St+art India Foundation, Arjun Bahl, the late Hanif Kureshi, Giulia Ambrogi, and Thanish Thomas is well known for its public art interventions and projects across India. Gallery XXL is part of the emerging Defence Colony art district, which includes 12 other galleries. The location was chosen for its growing art ecosystem and its proximity to the Lodhi Art District. “We wanted to be part of the art district,” says Sarah Malik, curator at the gallery. “Like Mumbai’s Art Night Thursdays, we're now working towards Art Night Fridays in Delhi.”

In the same locality, gallery Latitude 28 has opened its second viewing space — inside a redbrick building distinct on the street, an extension of gallerist Bhavana Kakkar’s gallery, whose flagship remains in Lado Sarai.

Reflecting on the choice of location, Kakkar points to a shift in audience behaviour after the pandemic. “Before COVID-19, Lado Sarai was a real hub,” she says. “But post-COVID-19, people became used to staying within their own areas. The footfall was reduced.” She was also keen on retaining audiences from

neighbouring regions. “We still get a lot of visitors from Gurugram — interior designers, architects, and collectors. That’s why I kept the viewing room at Lado Sarai — I didn’t want to lose that demographic.”