What does it mean to be human under an ever-turning sky? How do we situate ourselves within the vastness of the cosmos and what responsibilities do we carry towards the planet and one another? These are not small questions, nor are they new ones. Yet they feel particularly urgent today. With Beneath the Turning Sky, the Museum of Art & Photography (MAP), Bengaluru’s second permanent exhibition, opens a contemplative and expansive space for visitors to pause, reflect and reconnect with art.
Opening on January 17, 2026, Beneath the Turning Sky unfolds as a three-year-long meditation on humanity’s evolving relationship with the world around it. Drawing from MAP’s rich and varied collection, the exhibition brings together artworks across time periods, regions and mediums, weaving together multiple threads that speak on how humans have sought meaning across generations. It asks us to look backwards to understand the present and forwards to imagine more hopeful futures rooted in reciprocity and care.
Structured across three interlinked sections — Wonder, Exploration & Conquest and Future, Present — the exhibition presents around sixty artworks at any given time. Paintings, photographs, sculptures, textiles and prints sit alongside one another, creating a dialogue between artistic practices and philosophical ideas. Importantly, the display is not static. Works will rotate throughout the exhibition’s three-year duration, ensuring that each visit offers new encounters and perspectives for the viewer.
From the abstractions of VS Gaitonde and the geometries of SH Raza, to the intimate, emotionally charged visions of Arpita Singh, the exhibition traverses inner and outer worlds with quiet confidence. Creation myths sit beside reflections on technological futures; ancestral knowledge converses with contemporary anxieties. Together, these works explore humanity’s continuing search for meaning, our attempts to understand the cosmos and the consequences of our choices on the earth and its diverse communities.
Designed to engage audiences with diverse needs and ways of sensing, the exhibition incorporates tactile experiences that invite visitors to engage through touch, texture and material. Audio elements, interactive components and thoughtfully designed quiet spaces allow for multiple modes of engagement. The exhibition is curated by Arnika Ahldag, director, MAP; Khushi Bansal, research curator; and Priya Chauhan, associate curator and we catch up with Priya to find out more.
Do tell us about the underlying theme that brings Beneath the Turning Sky together?
Beneath the Turning Sky traces how humans have imagined, mapped, and lived with the cosmos — from ideas of creation, making sense of the world to wonder, curiosity and conquest, consumption, ecological loss, and the urgent need for recalibration and harmony. There are many more layers, but primarily these become the entry points.
Who are some of the artists that we can look forward to in the exhibit?
The exhibition brings together artists across time and geographies, including Jangarh Singh Shyam, Jivya Soma Mashe, Jitish Kallat and Meera Mukherjee alongside many other regional practitioners, historic textiles, manuscripts and sculptures.
What were the ideas that went into curating the exhibit?
The exhibition grew out of pandemic-era induced existential questions and a long-standing curiosity about the cosmos, evolving into a narrative that connects myth, science, ecology and our fragile relationship with the planet. At the heart of it, is the concern of climate crisis.
What do you want a viewer to take away from Beneath the Turning Sky?
A sense of hope — rooted in balance, collective responsibility and a renewed awareness of our place within larger ecological and cosmic systems.
Do tell us a little bit about the nature of the exhibition?
The exhibition is designed for diverse ways of engagement, with audio guides, sound and video based artworks, tactile and sensory pieces, interactive games and quiet spaces for rest — ensuring accessibility, play and contemplation.
What is the oldest piece and the most contemporary one that one can view as a part of this exhibit?
The oldest work is a 2nd Century Head of a Buddha/Bodhisattva from Mathura in red mottled sandstone, while the most contemporary include new works by Rupali Patil (2025) and specially commissioned tactile pieces by Resting Museum, Mira Brunner and Mohit Mahato.
How often will the exhibition be updated to include new pieces?
Works will rotate every three to twelve months, balancing conservation needs with the opportunity to bring new artworks and timely narratives into the exhibition.
Will Beneath the Turning Sky also feed into other exhibits at MAP?
Yes — its themes actively extend into digital experiences, various public programmes and conversations across other displays, forming a conceptual backbone across, opening different avenues of engaging with art.
January 17, 2026 to December 3, 2028. 10 am onwards. At Kasturba Road.
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