Madras Day 2026: How Chennai continues to shape the art of five contemporary artists
The city of Chennai is hosting 'Contemporary Now — Edition III,' an exhibition celebrating the legacy of the Madras Movement in art. The event features 66 artists and explores how the city's unique cultural history continues to influence modern artistic practices.
Why it matters
It highlights the preservation and evolution of regional art movements in the context of contemporary global art trends.
Long before Chennai became synonymous with contemporary art, the city was forging a distinct visual language of its own. The Madras Movement of the 1960s, led by KCS Paniker at the Government College of Arts and Crafts, drew on indigenous scripts, folk forms, and abstraction rather than looking westward. Together with the Cholamandal Artists’ Village, it laid the foundations for a movement that would shape generations of artists and leave an enduring imprint on Indian modern and contemporary art.
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