The Museum of Art & Photography (MAP) in Bengaluru offers art enthusiasts a diverse lineup of four compelling exhibitions this October, ranging from modernist introspection to mythological celebrations and colonial-era design history.
1. Shape of a Thought: Letters from Ram Kumar
On view through October 26, 2025
Marking the centenary year of acclaimed modernist Ram Kumar, this intimate exhibition pairs the artist’s contemplative paintings with personal letters written to a friend. Curated by Arnika Ahldag and Priya Chauhan, the show explores themes of alienation, loneliness, and existentialism that defined Ram Kumar’s work.
The artist, who began his career in economics and writing before discovering art at Delhi’s Sarada Ukil School in the 1940s, developed a distinctive visual language during his studies in Paris under André Lhote and Fernand Léger. His later works, often left untitled, invite viewers to feel rather than interpret.
The exhibition includes the film “The Spaces in Between” by Naveed Mulki and interactive activities encouraging visitors to write letters and create their own labels for abstract artworks. Supported by HSBC, this show closes on October 26.
Artwork featured: Untitled (Ruby Forest), Ram Kumar, 1976, Oil on canvas
2. In Celestial Company
September 13, 2025 – February 15, 2026
This festive season offering shifts focus from deities to their divine companions—the mythical beings, celestial helpers, and wondrous animals that populate religious and cultural traditions. Curator Priya Chauhan has assembled sculptures, textiles, brass figurines, paintings, chariots, and wooden artifacts from MAP’s collection of over 100,000 pieces.
The exhibition spotlights familiar figures like Garuda, Nandi, and Airavata alongside more obscure characters such as Dhumavati with her crow, the Ganas, Gandharvas, Apsaras, and Kinnars. The show prioritizes accessibility with a tactile book for visually impaired visitors, audio guides, and an immersive 360-degree storytelling booth featuring Garuda’s adventures—perfect for families and children.
Artworks featured: Gandharva | Late 19th century-early 20th century | Wood & Somnandi Vahana | Late 19th century-early 20th century | Polychromed wood
3. Ticket Tika Chaap: The Art of the Trademark in the Indo-British Textile Trade
March 22 – November 2, 2025
This fascinating exploration of colonial-era branding examines the chromolithographed paper labels that accompanied cloth bolts in 19th and early 20th-century Indian bazaars. Curated by Nathaniel Gaskell and Shrey Maurya in collaboration with MAP Academy, the exhibition features nearly 300 textile tickets alongside historical photographs, paintings, and printed ephemera.
These visually striking labels—featuring everything from Hindu deities to British royals—served as trademarks, advertisements, and cultural artifacts that shaped consumer behavior. The exhibition reveals how these tickets borrowed from Indian miniature paintings and international artistic traditions, creating a unique visual language that defined commercial image-making of the era.
Made possible through partnership with Bank of America, the show demonstrates how century-old advertising techniques continue to resonate in today’s brand-dominated culture.
Artworks featured: Textile Label | Late 19th–early 20th century | Chromolithograph & Textile Label | Late 19th–early 20th century | Chromolithograph
4. Visible/Invisible: Representation of Women in Art
Ongoing since February 2023
MAP’s opening exhibition continues to offer a comprehensive exploration of women’s representation in South Asian art. Founding Director Kamini Sawhney curated this exhibition around four interconnected themes: Goddess and Mortal, Sexuality and Desire, Power and Violence, and Struggle and Resistance.
Featuring over 130 works from MAP’s permanent collection, the exhibition includes contemporary artists like Mrinalini Mukherjee, Bhupen Khakhar, and Arpita Singh, alongside celebrated photographers such as Gauri Gill, Chitra Ganesh, and Pushpamala N. Commissioned works by Arshi Ahmadzai, Rahee Punyashloka, and others showcase underrepresented voices, addressing gender, caste, and sexual minority communities.
Artworks featured: Indian Telephone Factory, Bangalore | T. S. Satyan | Bengaluru, Karnataka | 1980s & Royal woman on a terrace |Mewar, Rajasthan | 20th century | Opaque watercolour on paper
Museum of Art & Photography (MAP) is located in the heart of Bengaluru and houses a growing collection of over 60,000 artworks spanning from the 10th century to the present. The seven-story museum includes galleries, an auditorium, library, sculpture courtyard, and rooftop restaurant.
Cover Image: Textile Label | Late 19th–early 20th century | Chromolithograph
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