With the onset of December, Chennai prepares to once again transition the cityscape into a vibrant cultural hub as the Madras Art Weekend (MAW) returns for its 4th edition from December 3rd to 6th, 2025. The MAW is an annual cultural festival celebrating the vibrant intersection of art, design, and culture, founded by Upasana Asrani, who is also the Founder of the International Foundation for the Arts (IFA), and has swiftly carved a niche for Chennai on India’s cultural map. This has emerged as one of South India’s most influential platforms for artistic dialogue, creative innovation, and inclusive cultural expression.
The Vision
The theme of this upcoming edition is “Madras Reimagined”. It invites artists, designers, architects, and thinkers to engage with the city’s past and future simultaneously, reinterpreting Chennai’s cultural identity through contemporary artistic lenses. Since its founding in 2022, MAW has significantly expanded its scope. This edition is one of the most ambitious ones since it includes 100+ artists, leading galleries, immersive exhibitions, interdisciplinary panels, heritage walks, and community engagements, making this one of the most ambitious editions yet. In Upasana’s words, the goal is to “inspire a more nuanced understanding of Chennai, its stories, its makers, and its evolving identity.”
The theme is intentionally planned not solely to drive historical preservation, but to reinterpret, remix, and project it forward in different trajectories, offering diverse viewpoints to the city’s tale. It basically seeks to bridge the timeless spirit of Chennai with contemporary artistic expressions of art and design.
Exhibition Details
| Event | Details |
|---|---|
| Festival Dates | December 3rd to 6th, 2025 |
| Central Theme | “Madras Reimagined” |
| Founder & Visionary | Upasana Asrani (Also Founder of IFA) |
| Key Venue | Taj Coromandel, Chennai (for Gallery Exhibit and panels) |
| Core Commitment | Inclusivity, accessibility, and promoting emerging/underrepresented artists |
| Programming Scope | Exhibitions, talks, poetic performances, Collector’s Home Tours, Art x Craft x Design showcase |
A Closer Look at MAW 2025
Rooted in the cultural, architectural, and artistic fabric of Chennai, the festival seeks to reimagine the total cityscape from its colonial-era edifices and classical art traditions to contemporary design practices and creative subcultures. It is a very graspable way of conveying and inspecting how “Madras” continues to influence “Chennai”, and how artists can project the city’s future.
Hitherto, the MAW has focused on democratizing the contemporary art space, prioritizing accessibility, community engagement, and representation. The legacy continues this year by integrating NGO partnerships, platforms for artists with disabilities, and spaces for emerging and underrepresented voices. Upasana Asrani states, “Madras Art Weekend has always been about celebrating the creative pulse of this city. With Madras Reimagined, we seek a deeper, more intimate reinterpretation of Chennai, its stories, its people, and its ever-evolving creative spirit.”
MAW’s commitment to inclusivity shines through its efforts to create space for emerging and underrepresented voices. Past editions have included partnerships with NGOs like Kairassi (for artists with disabilities) and NalandaWay Foundation’s Art Vandi (for children from marginalised communities), demonstrating a consistent effort to expand the reach of art beyond traditional settings.
Key Highlights
- Exclusive Art, Craft, Design showcase by Jaipur Rugs
- VIP Preview & Opening of the gallery exhibit at Taj Coromandel on 3rd December
- Participation of leading Indian galleries, placing South Indian art on the national map
- A rich lineup of talks, thematic panel discussions, and walkthroughs
- Innovative conversations on patronage, curatorship, design disruption, conservation, and textile storytelling
- Major sessions hosted at iconic cultural venues such as the British Deputy High Commission and Wild Garden Café Amethyst
- A poetic finale performance by Lekha Washington
- Collector’s home tours offering insider glimpses into private art collections
The Discourse of The Events
The first day (December 1) schedules a panel discussion on “The Impact of Private and Public Patronage”, moderated by Deepali Goyal at Taj Coromandel. Another segment called “Designer as Disrupter” at the British Deputy High Commission will feature designers like Tahir Sultan, Nimish Shah, and Vivek Karunakaran. The next discourse (December 2-4) includes three major events- a curatorial cartography panel, a design-forward conversation, and an exhibition walkthrough christened: “Truths Our Clothes Told Us” by Kallol Datta.
Day 3 (December 5) includes a panel discussion on “Art of Restoration” featuring Abha Narain Lambah, one of India’s most celebrated conservation architects. There will be a poetic performance by Lekha Washington of her “Unbecoming or Ways to Survive the Apocalypse”. Day 4 (December 6) schedules an open gallery walkthrough at Taj Coromandel for the general public. It will include collector home tours offering rare access to private art spaces in Chennai.
Shaping Chennai’s Cultural Future
The growth of the Madras Art Weekend, from its inception in 2022 to its fourth edition in 2025, builds a collaborative ecosystem for artists and visitors alike. Upasana’s vision extends beyond hosting a mere event; it is much more focused on creating an annual legacy for Chennai. The inclusion of heritage walks, collector’s home tours, and events in diverse public and private spaces ensures that the festival is truly city-wide and accessible to the wider community. The “Madras Reimagined” theme perfectly captures the vibe of the city as it evokes a constant sense of nostalgia, introspection, and innovation. It is a must-visit for everyone who seeks to rediscover the colonial city through a different lens.
