Birla Academy of Art and Culture announces its 59th Annual Celebrations, to be held from 9 January to 8 February 2026 at its Kolkata campus. Established in 1967, the Academy has, for nearly six decades, played a pivotal role in nurturing artists, researchers, artisans and performance practitioners across generations.
K R Sunil Zameen, curated by Ina Puri
The central exhibition, Zameen, curated by noted writer and curator Ina Puri, brings together leading voices of contemporary Indian art, including Zarina Hashmi, Shambhavi Singh, Mithu Sen, Riyas Komu, K.R. Sunil, Sumedh Rajendran, Birender Yadav, V. Vinu, Debasish Mukherjee, Ratheesh T and Vikrant Bhise. Presented at the Sarala Birla Gallery, the exhibition examines land as memory, inheritance, loss and contested space—tracing its transformation from a shared, sustaining resource to an object of ownership, control and exclusion in the wake of colonisation, capitalism and present-day polarised politics. Through personal narratives and material investigations, the artists reflect on displacement, labour, ecology, caste, climate change and the erosion of collective civic life.
Ratheesh
Riyaas Komu
Shambhavi Singh
Alongside Zameen, the 59th Annual Exhibition (Competitive Section) at the Basant Kumar Birla Gallery showcases works by young and emerging artists from across India, reaffirming the Academy’s long-standing commitment to fostering new artistic voices and dialogue between generations.
Terra Kolkata
A key new initiative this year is “Projects”, a dedicated platform for public art installations in Bengal, expanding the Academy’s engagement beyond the Durga Puja context. As part of this section, the Academy presents Terra Kolkata | Burnt Earth and Living City, a site-specific installation by Anirban Das, conceived as a tribute to the unrecognised clay artisans of Dakshindari, West Bengal, and their enduring craft traditions. The installation will be mounted on the back lawns of the Academy.
Vikrant Bhise
The celebrations also feature a curated performance programme, including Draupadi, a mono-act by Anjana Chandak (10 January); Sharaccharu Chakram, a Sanskrit dance drama by Chidakash Kalalaya Centre for Art and Divinity (17 January); and Swar Ranjani, an evening of Khayal–Thumri by renowned vocalist Pt. Ajoy Chakrabarty (25 January). All performances will be held at 6:30 pm on the Academy lawns.
Sharaccharu-Chakram
Through exhibitions, public art, and performances, the 59th Annual Celebrations reaffirm Birla Academy of Art and Culture’s role as a vital cultural institution—one that continues to engage critically with contemporary realities while supporting artistic innovation and exchange.
Event Details
DRAUPADI – Anjana Chandak
Dates: 9 January – 8 February 2026
Venue: Birla Academy of Art and Culture, Kolkata
Exhibition Timings: 3:00 pm – 8:00 pm (Closed Mondays and National Holidays)
Zameen – Curated by Ina Puri
Featuring: Birender Yadav | Debasish Mukherjee | KR Sunil | Mithu Sen
Ratheesh T | Riyas Komu | Shambhavi Singh | Sumedh Rajendran
V. Vinu | Vikrant Bhise | Zarina Hashmi
Venue: Sarala Birla Gallery
59th Annual Exhibition
Showcasing artists selected in the competitive section
Venue: Basant Kumar Birla Gallery, 4th floor & 5th Floor
Sumedh Rajendran
Projects
Terra Kolkata | Burnt Earth and Living City
Anirban Das & team
Venue: Site-specific Installation on the back lawns of Birla Academy of Art and Culture
Performances
Saturday 10 January 2026
DRAUPADI – By Anjana Chandak
Time: 6:30 pm
Venue: Lawns, Birla Academy of Art & Culture
Pt. Ajoy Chakrabarty
Saturday 17 January 2026
SHARACCHARU-CHAKRAM – By Chidakash Kalalaya Centre For Art And Divinity
Time: 6:30 pm
Venue: Lawns, Birla Academy of Art & Culture
Sunday 25 January 2026
Swar Ranjani, an evening of Khayal-Thumri rendition by Pt. Ajoy Chakrabarty
Time: 6:30 pm
Venue: Lawns, Birla Academy of Art & Culture
