A new contemporary art hub in Chennai

Second edition of 'Contemporary Now': How Chennai is building a new art collector base Anindo Sen 4 min read23 Aug 2026, 05: 00 PM IST.

Key points

• 'Contemporary Now's' second edition in Chennai proves India's art market is branching out to centres beyond Delhi and Mumbai.
• After its debut last year, a lot was projected from the second edition of Contemporary Now.
• This is a Mint Premium article gifted to you.

What happened

This is a Mint Premium article gifted to you. Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.

After its debut last year, a lot was projected from the second edition of Contemporary Now. The art event, organised by Ashvita, opened on 7 August in Chennai and is projected to go on till 25 August. The galleries from the inaugural edition-Chatterjee & Lal, Ashvita's, Chemould Prescott Road, Experimenter and Vadehra Art Gallery-have been joined by Project 88 and TARQ this time.

The bottom line

Taken together, the developments around a new contemporary art hub in Chennai point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.