Art Exhibitions & Gallery Shows in Chennai

Chennai's art scene grew out of the Madras Movement, the group of mid-century painters and sculptors who founded Cholamandal Artists' Village at Injambakkam in 1966; its museum and galleries on the ECR are open daily from 10 am to 5 pm. In the city, the Lalit Kala Akademi's regional centre on Greams Road shows painting, sculpture and photography, usually with free entry, and the Government Museum in Egmore holds the National Art Gallery and its bronze collection. The Alliance Française on College Road and the Goethe-Institut at Rutland Gate have exhibition spaces, and private galleries cluster in Nungambakkam, Alwarpet and Adyar. DakshinaChitra at Muttukadu mounts craft and textile exhibitions. The Chennai Photo Biennale places photography in public venues; dates for its next edition had not been announced as of October 2026.