The world of dating has changed irrevocably. The newer generation isn’t meeting for coffee or dinners, it’s meeting at places of shared interests. Like at a concert of an music artist they both enjoy. Or perhaps over a gin tasting session. Or maybe even a go karting experience. Some choose to pour over an artist’s work together. In fact, pop art itself seems to have garnered a lot of interest, driven perhaps by the popularity of artists like Andy Warhol. His iconic work is a source of inspiration for many, and the style is now found on everything from posters to Vespas.
It only makes sense to head over to an art gallery for a date. Takes the pressure of forced conversation off, so you can choose to meander, discuss a painting or perhaps share a fun fact.
What’s most interesting is that contemporary art finds various mediums of expression. Sure, you have the painting, but you’ll find it in sculptures, on album covers and fascinatingly enough, even during political movements.
If you feel fiercely about contemporary art as a movement, or are studying it, or want to take your date on an exploratory journey, here are some galleries that regularly have pop art exhibits or a permanent place for them.
1. The Designera, Mumbai
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The Designera Gallery said to be the first pop art gallery in India and is a unique venture launched by Amrita Deora. The gallery is located at One Lodha Place. The most recent exhibit at the gallery is titled Juxtaposition by Amrita Deora. For fans of art, this gallery promises to be engaging. Expect a diverse presentation of a remarkable blend of time-honoured and cutting-edge artistic methods and a riot of vivid hues and life-size graphics. If you’re looking for a place that’s great to break the ice, this is it.
2. Chemould Prescott Road, Mumbai
This gallery was among the earliest art galleries in India to focus on modern and contemporary art, founded in 1963 by renowned gallerists Kekoo and Khorshed Gandhy, a husband and wife duo. (Is this where sparks fly?) The gallery is currently run by Shireen Gandhy, the daughter of the founders, who relocated it to a loft-like setting in a historic structure on Prescott Road in 2007. Chemould is renowned for its contemporary programmes, which feature works by established artists as well as emerging, mid-career, and senior artists. Currently, you can visit the gallery to witness ‘Deep Rivers Run Quiet’ by Reena Saini Kallat.
3. Chawla Art Gallery, Delhi
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The Chawla Art Gallery was created as a venue for the enthusiastic presentation of works of art that are of superior calibre and have lasting significance. Being India’s most well-known art galleries, the gallery has gained a lot of respect from the art-loving society. Head here after nibbling on some cheese and sipping on some wine. And then prepare to be introduced to the works of famous Indian art masters.
4. TARQ, Mumbai
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A one-story space in Fort, South Mumbai, this place focuses on fostering meaningful discourse about art and its numerous meanings and settings. A heritage walk before stepping in here would be a great way to start getting to know each other. The gallery prioritises outreach initiatives, educational workshops, seminars, and gallery tours in addition to exhibitions. It serves as a useful training ground for emerging artists by attempting to connect with a broad audience and cultivate knowledgeable audiences for contemporary art. Their current show is Ephemeroptera: Time After Time. A collaboration with Gallery XXL that features 6 different artists.
5. MAP, Bangalore
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Founded by Abhishek Poddar, The Museum of Art and Photography (MAP), which recently opened in Bengaluru, is a veritable informational gold mine that traces and records many threads of India’s broad and varied history. They also have this interactive digital exhibit where pop culture is showcased is one of the most fun ways. There’s a screen where you can scan a QR code and light up a diya which will have your name on it. Or maybe your date’s, you know, if you’re flirting. Another screen allows you to browse through historical pop culture moments – advertisements from the early 1900s, matchbox art, movie posters.
6. 47a.design, Mumbai
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The art gallery was established as a joint venture between Baro Market and Chatterjee & Lal. It is housed inside a restored 19th-century villa designed in the Portuguese colonial style. One of the earliest design galleries in South Asia, 47-A’s programming explores a wide range of modern and historical design movements that are active in India, featuring both well-known and lesser-known designers. When visiting, stroll through the district to experience a bygone age. If you are interested in traditional Indian fabrics and crafts this gallery is showcasing a presentation name KACHCHH BORN AGAIN which gives and artist insight into Kachchh’s rich history.
7. DAG, New Delhi and Mumbai
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DAG is more than just a gallery, it is an institution from the very beginning, boasting a substantial collection of works by Indian painters from the nineteenth century onward. By purchasing the studios and estates of artists, it paid homage to their legacy and gathered a sizeable collection of twentieth-century creators and works that, when viewed collectively, tell the story of Indian art through renowned exhibitions that were curated to give art historical overviews and record India’s encounter with modernism. Read up on it and impress your date?
