Threshold Art Gallery and the Hermitage Museum Present Landmark Exhibition of Contemporary Indian Art

A major exhibition of contemporary Indian art will open at the in St. Petersburg, Russia, on 4 June 2026. Titled Sediments of Becoming: Fossilised Present, Summoned Pasts, the exhibition runs until 4 October 2026 and marks the first dedicated presentation of contemporary Indian art in the museum’s 260-year history.

A Historic Institutional Milestone

Organised by in collaboration with the State Hermitage Museum, the exhibition introduces contemporary Indian artistic practices into one of the world’s most historically significant museum collections.

Founded by Catherine the Great in 1764, the Hermitage houses more than three million objects spanning ancient to modern cultures. The exhibition places new Indian artworks within this wider international and historical context, creating a dialogue between present-day artistic production and the museum’s extensive collections.

Curatorial Framework

The exhibition is curated by Marina Schulz and Tunty Chauhan.

Their curatorial approach examines how contemporary artists engage with memory, history and material culture. Rather than presenting India through ethnographic or purely historical frameworks, the exhibition foregrounds artists as interpreters of their own social and cultural narratives.

Participating Artists

The exhibition brings together works by eleven artists from across India:

Several of the works were newly commissioned after the artists took part in a residency at the Hermitage in 2025.

Dialogue with the Museum Collection

A central aspect of the exhibition is the placement of contemporary artworks alongside historical objects, manuscripts, frescoes and decorative arts from the Hermitage and other Russian institutions.

This approach allows the artists to respond directly to museum collections, creating conversations across time and geography.

Exhibition Highlights

• Newly commissioned works created after the 2025 Hermitage residency
• Interdisciplinary practices spanning painting, sculpture, installation, performance and digital media
• Dialogues with historical collections from Russia and beyond
• A cultural exchange between Indian and Russian institutions

Threshold Art Gallery and Its Role

Based in New Delhi, Threshold Art Gallery has worked for more than two decades with established and emerging artists from India and abroad. The gallery regularly organises exhibitions, talks and collaborative projects and has participated in major art fairs, including India Art Fair and Art Dubai.

Visitor Information

The exhibition opens to the public on 4 June 2026 and continues through 4 October 2026 at the State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg.

Visitors are advised to check the museum’s official website for current ticket information and visiting hours.

Cultural Exchange Between India and Russia

At a time when museums are rethinking how national and global histories are presented, Sediments of Becoming offers a platform for contemporary Indian artists to engage with one of the world’s leading cultural institutions. The exhibition highlights how artistic practice can create new understandings across borders and connect historical memory with present-day perspectives.

Takeaway

Sediments of Becoming: Fossilised Present, Summoned Pasts offers a significant moment in the ongoing dialogue between contemporary art and historical memory. By bringing Indian artists into conversation with one of the world’s most important museum collections, the exhibition creates new perspectives on how cultures interpret their past and imagine their future. It invites audiences to consider the role of art as a space for reflection, exchange and shared understanding across national and historical boundaries.