A landmark group exhibition of art made in response to India’s changing cultural-political landscape during pivotal years.
Featuring artwork by over 30 Indian artists, this major exhibition is bookended by two transformative events in India’s history: Indira Gandhi’s declaration of a state of emergency in 1975 and the Pokhran nuclear tests in 1998. The fraught period between these years was marked by social upheaval, economic collapse, and rapid urbanisation.
Within this turbulence, ordinary life continued, and artists made work that distilled historically significant episodes as well as intimate moments and shared experiences. Across a range of media, the vivid, urgent works on show – about friendship, love, desire, family, religion, violence, caste, community, protest – are deeply personal documents from a period of tremendous change.
This is the first institutional exhibition to cover these definitive years, with many works never before seen in the UK.
Content note
This exhibition contains some graphic imagery, including a photograph of a father burying his daughter in Bay 6 of the upper Gallery (25 on the Exhibition Guide).
For further information and guidance on where these are in the Gallery, please get in touch or speak with a member of staff during your visit.
This exhibition is organised by the Barbican in collaboration with the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art, New Delhi.
Booking fees
£1.50 booking fee per online/phone transaction.
No fee when tickets are booked in person.
Booking fees are per transaction and not per ticket. If your booking contains several events the highest booking fee will apply. The booking fee may be reduced on certain events. Members do not pay booking fees.
Participating artists
Pablo Bartholomew, Jyoti Bhatt, Rameshwar Broota, Sheba Chhachhi, Anita Dube, Sheela Gowda, Sunil Gupta, Safdar Hashmi, M.F. Husain, Rummana Hussain, Jitish Kallat, Bhupen Khakhar, K.P Krishnakumar, Nalini Malani, Tyeb Mehta, Meera Mukherjee, Madhvi Parekh, Navjot Altaf, Gieve Patel, Sudhir Patwardhan, C.K.Rajan, N. N. Rimzon, Savi Sawarkar, Himmat Shah, Gulammohammed Sheikh, Nilima Sheikh, Arpita Singh, Jangarh Singh Shyam, Vivan Sundaram, J. Swaminathan.
Exhibition Guides
Your Audio Guide
Listen to our free exhibition tour on your mobile in the gallery or at home anytime.
Let our curators and some of the participating artists introduce the exhibition's themes and some of the key artworks.
Exhibition Guide
Discover the artworks on display, a timeline of key events and a glossary of key terms relating to the period.
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Watch
Meet the artists
Many of the 30 artists exhibiting in The Imaginary Institution of India spent their youth together in India, responding to the massive changes in political and social climate.
We spoke with six of them during the exhibition opening...
Walk through the exhibition with Anita Rani and Shanay Jhaveri
We invited presenter and broadcaster Anita Rani to take a tour of The Imaginary Institution of India with curator Shanay Jhaveri.
See more art for less
Access
During the run of The Imaginary Institution of India, we have a variety of access resources and information to help support your visit.
If you have any access requirements that you would like to discuss ahead of your visit, please email [email protected] or call 020 7101 1188 (Mon - Sun 10am-4pm).
Wheelchair Access
The Imaginary Institution of India is accessible by the Main Centre Lifts to Level 3. There is a passenger lift (107 x 140cm) inside the gallery to access the upper level.
BSL Tour & Relaxed Viewings
Audio Guide
You can listen to a free exhibition tour on your mobile in the gallery, or at home anytime. Listen now.
Visual Story
A visual story of The Gallery can be requested here under the Visual Stories section.
Communication Cards – Pre planning your journey
We have communication cards to help you find your way around the building. We have digital copies you can access and/or print at home as well as printed copies in the Centre available at our info desk on Level G. Please ask a member of staff if you need support locating your nearest pack.
Large Print Exhibition Text
We have large print guides of our exhibition text. These are available both digitally and printed. You can collect a printed version from our invigilator desk at the entrance of The Gallery.
