Victoria Memorial hosts Bengal Biennale from 28 November 2026
Published on 11/07/2026 at 15:20 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWSBanalata brings art to Kolkata
- The Kolkata chapter of Banalata starts at Victoria Memorial Hall on 28 November 2026.
- Chander Haat and Ritika Biswas co-curate the biennale across Kolkata venues until 2 January 2027.
- Victoria Memorial was built between 1906 and 1921 and contains 25 galleries.
- Howrah, Sealdah and Kolkata railway stations are listed as the nearest railway connections.
Victoria Memorial (Victoria Memorial) in Kolkata will join the Bengal Biennale from 28 November 2026, bringing the Banalata edition to one of India's best-known cultural sites. The Kolkata programme runs until 2 January 2027 across several venues, with the biennale examining buried histories, ecological connections and collective survival.
Banalata brings its Kolkata programme to Victoria Memorial
The second Bengal Biennale is co-curated by Chander Haat, an artist collective, and independent curator and researcher Ritika Biswas. Its Santiniketan programme begins on 25 November 2026, while the Kolkata edition begins on 28 November 2026 and remains on view until 2 January 2027.
The programme is titled Banalata, a name linked to Jibanananda Das's 1942 poem Banalata Sen and to the imagery of wild forest vines. The curatorial framework connects personal, political and ecological questions through exhibitions and artistic projects at historic buildings, cultural institutions and artist-led spaces. The Kolkata programme and venues include Victoria Memorial Hall, the Indian Museum, the Alipore Museum, Lalit Kala Akademi, The Red Bari, New Empire and Kolkata Centre for Creativity.
The organisers have announced artists including Atul Dodiya, Arpita Singh, Amar Kanwar, Jitish Kallat, Jogen Chowdhury, Shilpa Gupta, Paresh Maity and Jayasri Burman. The programme also includes group exhibitions, collective projects and a photography exhibition titled Spectral Ecologies.
A historic museum becomes part of Banalata's network
The biennale's use of historic buildings gives the Kolkata chapter a direct connection with the character of the memorial. The building was constructed between 1906 and 1921, and its grounds cover 64 acres. Its museum contains 25 galleries, including collections and displays connected with colonial history, Indian nationalism and Kolkata.
That setting places Banalata's themes of memory and ecology alongside a building whose galleries and gardens already preserve several layers of the city's past. The site is beside the Maidan and Queens Way, while the official tourism listing identifies Howrah, Sealdah and Kolkata as the nearest railway stations. The official memorial profile also records the building's construction period and gallery count.
The wider biennale continues a multi-venue format first used in 2024. Its second edition brings contemporary projects into contact with collections, historic architecture and alternative spaces in Kolkata and Santiniketan, rather than presenting the programme in one conventional gallery complex.
Visiting Victoria Memorial: what travellers from Western Europe should know
- The Kolkata chapter of Banalata begins on 28 November 2026 at Victoria Memorial Hall and runs until 2 January 2027.
- The biennale is planned across multiple Kolkata venues, with Victoria Memorial Hall listed among them; the published programme does not specify a separate visitor entrance or access arrangement for this site.
- Victoria Memorial stands beside the Maidan and Queens Way in Kolkata. Howrah Railway Station, Sealdah Railway Station and Kolkata Railway Station are listed as the nearest railway connections.
- The site combines a museum building with 64 acres of gardens and 25 galleries, so the visit includes indoor galleries and outdoor grounds.
- English is widely used alongside Bengali and Hindi in Kolkata; India's currency is the Indian rupee.
- Entry requirements depend on your nationality; UK travellers can check the FCDO travel advice at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice, Irish travellers the Department of Foreign Affairs at ireland.ie.
Searching for Victoria Memorial on social platforms
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Frequently asked questions about Victoria Memorial
When does Banalata take place at Victoria Memorial?
The Kolkata chapter of the Bengal Biennale begins on 28 November 2026 and is scheduled to continue until 2 January 2027.
What is Victoria Memorial?
It is a museum and garden complex in Kolkata built between 1906 and 1921, with 25 galleries and 64 acres of grounds.
Where is Victoria Memorial and how do you get there?
The memorial is beside the Maidan and Queens Way in Kolkata. Howrah, Sealdah and Kolkata railway stations are listed as nearby rail connections.
