Rediscover the city through the eyes of its artists with this 15-day art festival by DAG gallery that has transformed the entire metropolis into a museum
Pic courtesy/DAG
A city is a living legacy of its history and culture, and the idea behind this festival is that art is all around us,” muses Ashish Anand, CEO and managing director at art gallery DAG, as he introduces The City as a Museum—a 15-day festival being held at historic sites across Mumbai. Celebrating art and its integral connection to the histories of each site, the festival will make audiences travel across the city— exploring the lives of its iconic modern artists, as well as experience its layered and complex histories anew.
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The festival will take place across different iconic sites in the city, from JJ School of Art to Elephanta caves, where the rock-cut caves inspired this painting by English painter Thomas Daniell. Pics courtesy/DAG
While the festival has been an annual feature in Kolkata since 2021, Anand describes the heart of Mumbai’s debut edition as, “the people—artists, architects, scholars—who know the city inside out. Our first step was to rediscover the city through their diverse perspectives, multiple conversations and lots of walks”. “This led us to unexpected places and histories, such as the connection between Tyeb Mehta and a cinema hall like Alfred Talkies. Along the way, the one historic site that we knew would be essential was the Sir JJ School of Art,” he adds.
Much of the art on display shows how the city has served as a muse for British artists such as Charles Gerrard, whose painting here depicts the garden at the JJ School of Art director’s residence
As a centre of trade and commerce, Mumbai’s cosmopolitanism has influenced its artists through centuries, “be it the early Indian students of the JJ School who blended their myths and fables with a mastery of European academic painting styles, the colonial administrators who were inspired by local architecture and customs, or the artists at the cusp of Independence who epitomised secular ideals while also embracing the influence of émigré artists like [Austrian artist] Walter Langhammer, who inspired a search for a new visual language,” shares Anand.
MF Husain
Alongside the city’s urban landscape, its cave temples were also featured in several artistic views. Art historian and senior vice president at the DAG, Giles Tillotson will lead a tour to the Elephanta Caves, where “we will look at images of paintings, photographs and sketches made by British artists from the late 18th century onwards to explore the reasons why these caves served as a source of fascination and inspiration”.
The exhibition will feature works by the city’s modern artists, such as this untitled painting by NR Sardesai that shows an artist studying a monument
The festival, held jointly with Sir JJ School of Art, Architecture and Design, will also take visitors into the classrooms and studios of the school’s early years, exploring how foundational methods of art education were shaped. For budding artists, this offers a rare opportunity to trace the lineage of artistic pedagogy, providing insights into why we are taught to draw the way we are in schools and colleges today.
“There are so many more chapters in this city’s rich cultural history left to explore, so we are looking forward to being back with many more editions,” hopes Ashish Anand.
Art and cinema
Tyeb Mehta
A discussion titled Places Of Imagination Part 1: Tyeb, Husain, And Their World Of Moving Pictures explores how Tyeb Mehta and MF Husain’s cinematic influences shaped their painting practices.
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WHEN March 22, 11 am to 1 pm
WHERE Alfred Talkies, Grant Road
Walk with Tyeb Mehta and MF Husain
Mohammedi Manzil
The closing event is a walk, titled Places Of Imagination Part 2: Tyeb, Husain And Their City, through the historic neighbourhood of Mohammed Ali Road, which has deep links to Tyeb Mehta and MF Husain. The walk ends at Mohammedi Manzil, offering a view of the city from a terrace opposite Lehri House, where Mehta once lived.
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WHEN March 23, 7:30 pm to 9 pm
WHERE Mohammedi Manzil Mohammed Ali Road
Drawing from life
Artists Snehal Pradhan and Soumava Das lead this workshop, re-examining the practice of life drawing through archival materials from colonial-era art schools.
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WHEN March 18 to 19, 11 am to 4 pm
WHERE Sir JJ School of Art, Architecture and Design
New directions
A roundtable discussion on the role of research in contemporary artistic practice, highlighting the significance of archives in shaping new perspectives on Mumbai’s artistic history.
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WHEN: March 19, 5 pm to 6:30 pm
WHERE: Sir JJ School of Art, Architecture and Design
Evolution of art education
The fortnight-long exhibition, The Shifting Visions: Teaching Modern Art At The Bombay School, traces the transformation of art education at Sir JJ School of Art—with rare artworks and photos—from its early years to the emergence of the Bombay Group in 1941.
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WHEN On till March 23, 10 am to 6 pm (closed on March 14 and 15 for Holi)
WHERE Sir JJ School of Art of Art, Architecture and Design
Why museums are important
Join museum directors Tasneem Zakaria Mehta and Kaiwan Mehta for a discussion and workshop at the Dr. Bhau Daji Lad Museum. The session will examine how museums, archives, and cultural institutions can reshape public engagement with Mumbai’s artistic and architectural history.
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WHEN: March 20, 2 pm to 6 pm
WHERE: Dr Bhau Daji Lad Museum
The school and the city
Architects Mustansir Dalvi and Vikas Dilawari take audiences on a walk through Sir JJ School of Art and its neighbouring heritage landmarks, including the iconic BMC building. The discussion will examine how the School’s students and faculty shaped the city’s architectural landscape.
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WHEN March 17, 4 pm to 7 pm
WHERE Starting from Sir JJ School of Art, Architecture and Design
The Festival at a glance
The muralists
Join artist and head of the painting department, Dr. Douglas John, on a walkthrough of the historic murals at Sir JJ School of Art. This session explores how mural painting became a foundational pillar in the city’s artistic landscape.
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WHEN March 11, 5 pm to 6:30 pm
WHERE Sir JJ School of Art, Architecture and Design
Views from Elephanta
Art historian Dr Giles Tillotson leads an immersive visit to the Elephanta Caves. Through paintings, photographs, and archival sketches, this session explores how these ancient rock-cut caves inspired artists for centuries.
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WHEN March 13, 2 pm to 6:30 pm
WHERE Starting from the Gateway of India
To register: dagworld.com/events-programmes
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