Art season is upon us. Plan better with our insiders’ guide

Art season is officially underway—and it’s bigger, more diverse, and more geographically dispersed than ever before. Over the next few months, India’s art crowd will zig-zag across Chennai, Goa, Kolkata, Santiniketan, and Delhi for a series of marquee events. 

All this sits alongside the season’s regular programming—a steady stream of major retrospectives, thought-provoking gallery exhibitions, and ambitious museum projects. Highlights include Krishen Khanna at NGMA Mumbai; Tyeb Mehta at the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art, Delhi; Saviya Lopes at Art & Charlie, Mumbai; Masnavi: Lores Across Lands at Ojas, Delhi; and salt/lines by Hylozoic/Desires (Himali Singh Soin and David Soin Tappeser) at the Bhau Daji Lad Museum, Mumbai.

TL;DR: there’s a lot going on. So, we asked some of India’s most plugged-in art insiders what they’re prioritising this season—and where you’re likely to find them when they’re not looking at art.

Madras Art Weekend (December 3–6, 2025)

This one’s a concentrated weekend of talks, studio visits, collector-home tours and workshops. This year’s edition features a workshop by Shilpa Gupta, a performance by Lekha Washington, and a special collaboration between Raw Mango and Kallol Datta, among other highlights.

Pro tip: “MAW events are spread across the city, but staying in the central business district keeps you within 20 to 30 minutes of most venues. For hotels, The Leela is a great choice—ask for a room overlooking the Adyar river. For something more quaint, try the Madras Club. I love the private home tours that MAW organises; it’s fascinating to see homes designed around art and vice versa. Grab a bite at Amethyst Wild Garden Café or Una Villa. For an authentic dose of Madras, nothing beats filter coffee at Sangeetha on CP Ramaswamy Road. At night, head to MadCo for great cocktails. Radio Room and Library Blu are also perfect for a relaxed night, and Asvah 24 on ECR is great if you’re up for a drive.”—Gowri Adappa, architect and co-founder, A Design Co

Kochi-Muziris Biennale (December 12, 2025–March 31, 2026), Kochi

For the Time Being, curated this year by Nikhil Chopra and HH Art Spaces, brings together 66 artist projects from 25 countries across 22 venues. Sign up for the guided walks led by Alisha Sadikot and Nishita Zachariah of Art & Wonderment (January 23–26) for a more thoughtful and structured way to experience the biennale. Make sure to pencil in some downtime at Kashi Art Cafe and Pepper House during your visit. Serious foodies will want to pre-book Kochi Heritage Project’s Mattancherry Food Trail or head straight to the sea-facing Seagull Hotel.

Pro tip: “We love our Kochi trips. Brunton Boatyard has been our base for most editions; it is so convenient location-wise. The hotel’s bar is an amazing place to hang out during the opening days of the Biennale, as you never know who you might meet. CGH, the owners of the hotel, also have several other properties in and around Kochi worth checking out. For this edition of the Biennale, given the preoccupations of both Nikhil Chopra and HH Art Spaces, we are expecting a strong showing of performance-based and durational artworks. That means slowing down and appreciating works as they unfold in real time. So, try and schedule as much time in Kochi as possible. This will not be a biennale to run through!”—Mortimer Chatterjee and Tara Lal, founders, Chatterjee & Lal

Serendipity Arts Festival (December 12–21, 2025), Goa

Celebrating its 10th year, SAF continues to expand its lens across experimental theatre, craft, music, and the culinary arts. Don’t miss What Does Loss Taste Like?—a multisensory installation by chef Thomas Zacharias and The Locavore with Immerse and Quasar Thakore-Padamsee. Set in the year 2100, across five interconnected rooms, it’s a poignant exploration of the slow disappearance of taste, memory, and biodiversity in a rapidly shifting foodscape.

Pro tip: “I’m looking forward to Thukral & Tagra, Sudarshan Shetty, and Prashant Panjiar’s projects, as well as special commissions by Goan artists Sahil Naik and Diptej Vernekar. The crafts section is always enriching, so don’t miss that. Stay at Mateus Boutique Hotel in Fontainhas for easy access. Food is fuel at SAF: Patal bhaji at Café Tatos; desserts at Larder & Folk; Café Lento for a slow breakfast; Spice Goa in Sangolda for seafood, Slurr Bar for dancing. If you like travelling for art, don’t miss the Festivals of Goa exhibition at the Museum of Goa, Pilerne.”—Sharada Kerkar, director, Museum of Goa, and founder, Children’s Art Studio, MOG

Print Biennale (January 2026), Kolkata; Krishna Reddy at 100: Of Friendships (December 6, 2025–March 21, 2026), Santiniketan

The third edition of the Lalit Kala Akademi’s Print Biennale brings global printmakers to Kolkata. Fans should also plan a trip to Krishna Reddy at 100: Of Friendships at Tokaroun, Santiniketan—a full-circle exhibition honouring the artist who studied under Nandalal Bose, Benode Behari Mukherjee, and Ramkinkar Baij in the 1940s. 

Pro tip: “The Print Biennale is taking place in Kolkata at a time when the city is abuzz with amazing exhibitions. The spanking new Lalit Kala Akademi (the venue for the Biennale) is close to all the traditional central Kolkata food hangouts such as Aminia and Nizam’s as well as Eau Chew in old Chinatown, where you cannot leave without ordering the steaming chimney soup. Stay at Glenburn Penthouse for unbeatable views of the Victoria Memorial and the greens beyond, or Calcutta Bungalow, run by Iftekhar Ahsan, who is also the founder of the remarkable Calcutta Walks. At night, the cool kids head to Nutcase Etc for its incredible cocktails shared at a communal table, or the speakeasy Conversation Room. If you have an extra day, visit Santiniketan and catch the Krishna Reddy centenary exhibition at Tokaroun, and take in the amazing idyllic landscape of Bolpur and Visva Bharati University.”—Prateek & Priyanka Raja, founders, Experimenter

India Art Fair (February 5–8, 2026), New Delhi

The 17th edition features 123 exhibitors, including first-time participants such as Rajiv Menon Contemporary (Los Angeles) and 193 Gallery (Paris), alongside many leading Indian galleries. Expect an expanded focus on design and craft-based practices as well as a strong outdoor section featuring Judy Chicago’s What If Women Ruled The World? Participatory Quilt. 

The Manor is your best bet, if you are looking for a boutique hotel in South Delhi. Book a meal at  Café Dali or head to Dumbo Deli for some Florentine-style sandwiches in Meherchand Market for some sustenance mid-fair.

Pro tip: “I look forward to the outdoor installations and the works created by the artists-in-residence, which is always fresh. The fair is accompanied by strong parallel programming, including the Defence Colony Gallery Night, which features the galleries in the neighbourhood opening new exhibitions. In the past, must-attend parallel events have included programmes at STIR, Raw Mango, and Bodice. After hours, I grab a drink at 4S—a dive bar that plays rock music in Defence Colony. It’s where a lot of artists hang out.”—Sahil Arora, curator and founder, Method Gallery