NEW DELHI: Within days of denotifying the area around Jantar Mantar as a protest site, the Centre has quickly moved in to select the 18th-century protected monument as one of the prime venues that will showcase exhibitions and programmes curated across over a dozen monuments and other prominent locations at “India Biennale 2026” that starts on Dec 4 and will be on till March 21.The first India Art, Architecture and Design Biennale was held at Red Fort in 2023 but its scale was limited. India Biennale 2026 is being called the second edition, but has been conceptualised by the culture ministry as a first of its kind in terms of scale and the ambition to bring together the best of art, architecture and design from across India and over 20 other countries.
Biennale: Red Fort also among venues
Nine countries, including France, Italy, Hungary, Switzerland and Sri Lanka, have already confirmed participation in ‘India Biennale 2026’.The list of monuments that will be venues for exhibitions, performances and experiences includes Red Fort, Qutub Minar, Hauz Khas, Agrasen Ki Baoli, Humayun’s Tomb, Lodhi Garden, Mehrauli, Qila Rai Pithora, Safdarjung Tomb, Sabz Burj, Firozshah Kotla, Sakri Ghumti, Choti Ghumti. These are listed for now on the website and it is learnt that Jantar Mantar too will be added to the list soon.The list of venues also includes National Museum, Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts, National Gallery of Modern Art, Lalit Kala Akademi and Sangeet Natak Akademi.Sources said that the decision to use Jantar Mantar as a venue was taken after the area surrounding it was notified as a “no protest” zone in the wake of protests for the removal of CEC Gyanesh Kumar.For over three decades, the astronomical observatory was the designated protest site, but its proximity to Parliament and important govt offices had long been cited as a concern. India Biennale may be among the first major events to be hosted at the venue, which is in the heart of the city with metro stations close by.The website of the Biennale introduces the vision in grand terms. “For 108 days, Delhi monuments become the canvas”. “From Dec 4 to March 21, Delhi’s heritage monuments, museums, galleries, public spaces and communities come together under a single curatorial vision,” it declares.