8 Art Galleries In Bangalore To Admire Art (And Also, Conrad Your Belly)

The sprawling campus of the National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA) is a popular date spot in the city, and the building is over a century old and used to be called Manikyavelu Mansion after its original inhabitants, Vilum Manickavelu Mudaliar, a member of the Mysore Royal family. The mansion underwent restoration from 2003 and reopened in 2009 as NGMA. Apart from their collection that includes over 500 art work, they have showcased artwork from the likes of Raja Ravi Varma, Rabindranath Tagore, a rare collection of artwork titled Indian Life and Landscape by Western Artists - Paintings and Drawings from the V&A 1790 to 1927 from the Victoria And Albert Museum, London, Jamini Roy, and most recently Caravaggio’s Magdalene in Ecstasy. What’s more, they even organise engaging art walks every once in a while (which we love). On a less crowded day, you might even catch artists outside the gallery or in the quiet garden space, busy with their sketchbooks. 

Timings: 10 AM to 6 PM. Closed on Mondays

Price: INR 50 upwards

Ratings: 4.3/5 on Google

Instagram Handle: @ngma_bengaluru

Venkatappa Art Gallery was opened in 1975 as a gallery and museum that could showcase the paintings, musical instruments, and other paraphernalia of Karnataka’s most famous artist, K Venkatappa. It recently went under renovation by the not-for-profit Brigade Foundation and reopened with several artists from the state visiting it. The gallery is spread over three floors and five sub-galleries, and includes a souvenir shop as well. The ground floor will be used for revolving exhibitions, while the first floor is dedicated to the gallery’s namesake, and you’ll find around 400+ of the artists’ work, which includes 58 artworks, 122 books, and certificates and notes. The second floor is dedicated to painter K.K. Hebbar, and there are also sculptures by artist Rajaram. Beyond this, there are two canopy terrace spaces where you can chill and enjoy the verdant hues all around. 

Timings: 10 AM to 5 PM

Price: INR 50 upwards

Rating: 4.2/5 on Google

Bangalore’s most culture vultures spend a lot of time here at Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath (CKP), and also the city’s most creatively inclined students, as it also houses the College of Fine Arts. Established in 1960 by the founder and president, late M. Arya Murthy, and the founder and secretary, late Prof. M.S. Nanjunda Rao, CKP has 13 permanent museums and five exhibition galleries. Part of the permanent museum is the Nicholas Roerich Museum, which houses 117 artworks of the Russian painter Nicholas Roerich. The Mystore Traditional Museum is another permanent gallery that houses 109 artworks in the Mysore style of painting. Apart from all these, CKP also holds its annual Chitra Sante in the campus grounds and roads.

Timings: 10 AM to 6 PM. Closed on Sundays

Price: INR 50 upwards

Rating: 4.5/5 on Google

Instagram Handle: @karnatakachitrakalaparishath

Museum of Art and Photography (MAP) opened in 2023 to a lot of buzz in an already culturally rich Bengaluru. Spread across six floors that include five galleries, an auditorium, an art and research library, and a research and conservation facility, MAP is one of the most aesthetically pleasing and very Instagrammable art galleries in Bangalore we’ve visited in a while. The main collection is from Abhishek Poddar, a prominent art collector, and currently, the entire collection of MAP is in the region of 60,000+. The gallery is home to a collection that includes paintings, sculptures, textiles, photographs, and popular culture spanning across decades and centuries. In the past, they have had exhibitions that feature the works of artists such as Ram Kumar, T.S. Sathyan, Jyoti Bhat, and Jim Lambie. They also host regular events and curator walks for all ages. 

Timings: 10 AM to 6:30 PM on Tuesday to Friday, and 10 AM to 7:30 PM on Saturday and Sunday. Closed on Mondays.

Price: INR 100 upwards. Free entry on Tuesday.

Rating: 4.5/5 on Google

Instagram Handle: @mapbangalore

Touted to be India’s first sky gallery, Sublime Galleria is located on the bridge that connects the two tall towers inside UB City. The gallery was founded by Uzma Irfan as a space to celebrate Fine and Performing Arts. They have curated year-round art exhibitions through collaborations with international art galleries as well as regional artists. Apart from being just a gallery to admire work, we’ve spotted and even attended a few of their talks and interactive sessions with various artists from different art media. 

Timings: 11 AM to 8 PM

Price: Free entry

Rating: 4.1/5 on Google

Instagram Handle: @sublimegalleria

Founded in 2003 by Gitanjali Maini, Gallery G is a progressive art gallery where you can find artwork on display and for sale sourced from various established and emerging artists. Apart from just being a gallery, if you're seriously into art from a collector’s POV, then they also offer services in terms of valuation, curation, and even acquisition. The gallery is located on Lavelle Road, and they have a rotating exhibition roster. 

Timings: 10 AM to 6 PM. Closed on Mondays.

Price: Free entry

Rating: 4.4/5 on Google

Instagram Handle: @gallery_g_arts

A not-for-profit art space founded by Suresh Jayaram, a city-based visual artist and historian in 2003, 1ShantiRoad is a gallery space for emerging artists an opportunity to display their works without relying on a commercial gallery space. Apart from hosting artists from different parts of the world and showcasing their works, the studio/gallery also holds screenings, workshops, and monthly talks. They also have residency programs. 

Timings: 10 AM to 9 PM

Price: Free entry

Rating: 4.4/5 on Google

Instagram Handle: @1.shanthiroad

Gallery Sumukha started in 1996 and is currently touted to be housed in the largest private gallery space in South India. The exhibits feature contemporary artworks in varied forms, right from paintings to new-media installations and prints. Also, this spacious gallery is equipped with state-of-the-art lighting and display systems to facilitate regular lectures and interactive sessions for the art students and enthusiasts in the city.

Timings: 10:30 AM to 6 PM. Closed on Sundays

Price: Free entry

Rating: 4.4/5 on Google

Instagram Handle: @gallerysumukha