Anant Art Gallery will present FLOWS, a group exhibition curated by Ravi Agarwal, in New Delhi from 26 November 2026 to 13 January 2027. Bringing together nine artists, the exhibition examines water as an ecological, cultural, political and lived system, exploring its connections with landscapes, communities, histories and human experience. The exhibition preview is scheduled for 25 November 2026, from 6:00 to 9:00 PM.
Water as a Network of Interconnected Systems
FLOWS approaches water as a force that moves across geographical boundaries and connects different forms of life. Rather than treating rivers, glaciers, wetlands and groundwater as isolated subjects, the exhibition considers the continuous movement of water between landscapes and communities. It also extends the idea of flow to memory, language, migration, labour, care and social relationships, examining how these processes shape human and ecological systems.
Nine Artists Explore Different Perspectives
The exhibition features works by Anuja Dasgupta, Debasish Mukherjee, Divya Singh, Ishita Chakraborty, Katyayini Gargi, Monica Ursina Jäger, Mrugen Rathod, Neerja Kothari and Vikrant Bhise. According to the exhibition announcement, the artist list may be expanded.
Bringing together these nine practices, FLOWS moves between scientific and poetic interpretations of water, connecting personal experiences with wider environmental and political concerns. The exhibition does not propose a single narrative, instead presenting multiple perspectives on how water shapes relationships between people, places and ecosystems.
The South Asian Monsoon as a Point of Departure
The South Asian monsoon provides a central framework for the exhibition. Its movement from the Indian Ocean towards the north connects oceans, mountains, forests and the atmosphere, while influencing agriculture, livelihoods, celebrations and everyday anxieties.
The exhibition considers these relationships through the interdependence of natural systems. Forests contribute to rainfall, glaciers feed rivers, wetlands help slow floods, and mangroves mitigate storms. These connections highlight how changes in one part of an ecosystem can affect distant environments and communities.
Water, Access and Social Inequality
Beyond ecology, FLOWS examines the historical and political dimensions of water. Across South Asia, stepwells, tanks and other traditional water systems reflect generations of knowledge and adaptation to local environments. However, access to water has also been shaped by caste, class, geography and power.
Questions of who can access a well, whose land is submerged by a dam and which neighbourhoods face flooding reveal the unequal consequences of water management. The exhibition also considers colonial canal systems, urban expansion across floodplains, disappearing wetlands and changing coastlines as examples of how human decisions have redirected natural systems.
Climate Change and the Limits of Control
The exhibition situates these concerns within the wider context of climate change. Retreating glaciers, unpredictable monsoons, rising seas and intensifying floods demonstrate the consequences of changing landscapes and water systems.
Curator Ravi Agarwal brings a background in interdisciplinary art, environmental campaigning, writing and photography to the exhibition. His practice addresses the relationship between nature and society through photography, video, text and installation, with previous projects and exhibitions examining environmental change and river ecologies. Ravi Agarwalhas also curated projects including Embrace Our Rivers and Imagined Documents.
Venue and Visitor Information
| Event | Details |
| Name | FLOWS |
| Curator | Ravi Agarwal |
| Artists | Anuja Dasgupta, Debasish Mukherjee, Divya Singh, Ishita Chakraborty, Katyayini Gargi, Monica Ursina Jäger, Mrugen Rathod, Neerja Kothari and Vikrant Bhise |
| Opening Date | Wednesday, 25 November 2026, 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM |
| Exhibition Dates | 26 November 2026 – 13 January 2027 |
| Viewing Hours | 11:00 AM – 6:00 PM, except Sundays and public holidays |
| Venue | Anant Art Gallery, B-5/3, Safdarjung Enclave, New Delhi 110029 |
| Organiser | Anant Art Gallery |
| Entry / Tickets | Ticket prices and registration details have not been specified. |
| Website | Anant Art Gallery Official Website |
An Invitation to Consider Interdependence
Through its exploration of ecological connections, social inequalities and environmental change, FLOWS invites visitors to reconsider their relationship with water. By bringing artistic perspectives into conversation with questions of climate and collective life, the exhibition offers a space to reflect on shared ecological responsibilities. Its central concern is the interdependence of human communities and the natural systems on which they depend.
