A not-for-profit gallery dedicated to science has opened its doors in Sanjay Nagar.
The space was launched in January. The aim is to spark conversations around science and art. Since it opened, the gallery has been popular with young adults, says Jahnavi Phalke, executive director.
“We’ve been getting a steady crowd, especially on weekends. People walking in have largely been in the age group of 18 to 30. We’re targeting a demographic with a growing interest in science,” she tells Metrolife. The objective of the gallery is to ‘bring science into the cultural context’.
“We want it to become a hangout spot for people to come engage with research across disciplines. Be it an accountant, historian or a physicist,” she adds.
It is a part of the Global Science Gallery Network and houses an open studio, a reading room, activity hall, exhibition halls, and open spaces for lectures, workshops, and film screenings.
The gallery opened with an exhibition titled ‘Carbon’. It features 36 exhibits by Indian and international artists — including thought-provoking sculptures, art works and interactive installations. It is on view until June 2024. “We have exhibitions that are centred on objects of scientific enquiry. For example, instead of having an exhibition on climate change, we want to identify the foundational blocks that are being researched in order to understand the bigger landscape of concerns and crises,” she states. That’s how they zeroed in on carbon, as “in ecology and economy, right now carbon is the villain”. “We aim to move away from this and encourage a more nuanced discussion around carbon,” elaborates Jahnavi.
Previous presentations and exhibitions organised by the gallery have either been online or at popular city venues — such as Bangalore International Centre, Domlur — with themes such as ‘Elements’, ‘Contagion’, and ‘Psyche’. “Every exhibition involves scientists and artists from across the world. Once the theme is decided, we put out an open call. It takes well over a year to assemble and curate each exhibition,” adds Jahnavi.
The space has already published an ‘Open call’, for its next exhibition focusing on ‘Quantum’. “This is for our 2025-2026 exhibition. People can apply to exhibit their work at the gallery,” she adds. Applications are open until February 27.
In the coming year, the gallery plans to launch seven experimental spaces. “They will be run on a one-year fellowship model, where people across disciplines can participate and the activities at the labs and experimental spaces will correspond to the theme of the ongoing exhibition,” says Jahnavi.
The gallery is open to visitors from 10 am to 6 pm, Tuesday to Thursday, and until 8 pm, Friday to Sunday. It is closed on Mondays. Entry is free.