A free weekend of Indian art and culture at the Barbican this October
The Barbican Arts Centre will host a weekend of free Indian art in October, when a paid exhibition will be open for free.
The exhibition, the Imaginary Institution of India: Art 1975-1998 is the world’s first exhibition to explore and chart a period of profound cultural and political change in India. The exhibition will include a multidisciplinary work of 30 artists and 150 pieces of art, many of which have never been shown in the UK before.
Early bird discounted tickets have gone on sale today — but there will also be a weekend when the exhibition will be free to visit.
The free tickets will also need to be booked in advance, so put a note in your diaries for Thursday October 10th 2024 when the free tickets will be available here.
The free weekend will be on 26th and 27th October, coinciding with the Darbar Festival of Indian classical music and the eve of the Hindu Festival of Lights, Diwali, and the Sikh celebration Bandi Chor Divas.
Over the same weekend, in the Cinemas, curator Shai Heredia will introduce a programme of experimental shorts, This Bit of India, which explores youth culture, feminism and urbanisation. This programme is part of the wider 3-month season Rewriting the Rules: Pioneering Indian Cinema after 1970 which has been specially curated by Dr Omar Ahmed in dialogue with the Gallery exhibition. The season spotlights the innovative work of a new wave of filmmakers in the 1970s, 80s and 90s, whose films were socially minded and politically committed.
The festival will also reprise its pop-up market, with stalls hosted by a wide range of independent businesses, as well as offering a variety of free concerts, transforming the Barbican into an immersive celebration of Indian culture.
Some of the other festival events need booking – and the full listings are here.
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