Whitefield Art Collective inaugurates its 9th edition of the month-long Public Art Festival in Bengaluru

Bengaluru, March 15, 2026: The Whitefield Art Collective, supported by the Yuj Foundation, inaugurated its ninth edition on March 13, marking the beginning of a month-long public art festival themed ‘Tomorrow, Altered!’. Environmentalist and Grammy Award-winning music composer Ricky Kej, recipient of the Padma Shri 2025, inaugurated the festival with a traditional lamp lighting ceremony and the unveiling of the ‘Kala Car’.
The inauguration was followed by an exclusive viewing of the art installations across VR Bengaluru. The evening also featured a live musical concert by Ricky Kej and a wearable art fashion show titled ‘A Rose for Khadi’.
Over 300 installations, sculptures, paintings, and photographs are displayed at the festival. The installations are by students of Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath, Vogue Institute of Art & Design, Bangalore University, and JD Institute of Design. This year’s Kala Car features a special collaboration in which a TESLA has been transformed by artists into a moving canvas of contemporary expression, bringing together art, technology, and sustainability in a unique way.
Over the next month, VR Bengaluru will transform into a hub for artistic programming, with installations, fine art, photography exhibitions, music, art cinema, workshops, young artists competition, and an artisanal bazaar.
This edition features a series of significant collaborations, each contributing to the festival’s broader vision. In partnership with UNESCO, the festival presents ‘Pockets of Hope’, a photography exhibition that draws attention to marine ecosystems, their ecological value, and the growing pressures they face.
Diverse artworks including paintings from Gita Hudson's ‘Cinema Reimagined’ series and German artist Nele Martens’ ‘Elements’ offer unique perspectives. Re:Reading Bangalore, an exhibition by the MOD Foundation, reinterprets the city through archives, maps, books, and visual narratives, with large suspended archival maps offering visitors a visual exploration of Bengaluru’s layered history. Complementing this is Bengaluru in Focus, a photography competition that features works by both established and amateur photographers. The competition received over 2,000 entries, of which 150 selected photographs are on display, presenting varied perspectives on the city and its evolving urban landscape.
A key highlight at the festival is an artwork that presents four interpretations of the same visual idea, two displayed as digital prints and two reinterpreted on canvas, allowing viewers to see how an AI generated image transforms when translated into paint. Inspired by pointillism, where individual dots form an image much like pixels, the work explores the relationship between digital creation and traditional painting. Created by students from Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath, the artwork originates from an original painting by artist Mansi Pipaliya, which served as the conceptual source for four AI generated variations.
“The Whitefield Art Collective is rooted in the deep cultural foundations of Karnataka and the creative energy of Bengaluru, contributing to a vibrant ecosystem where artists, institutions, and communities engage with contemporary ideas. Over the past nine years, the art festival has created significant local impact, strengthening community pride and supporting the city’s creative economy. As the Whitefield Art Collective evolves, the focus remains on encouraging experimentation across disciplines, mediums, materials, and technologies, alongside sustainable practices and new formats that respond to the changing world around us. Through sustained collaborations and a commitment to nurturing student artists, the Whitefield Art Collective continues to grow as a platform for public art, cultural dialogue, and community engagement in Bengaluru,” said Sumi Gupta, curator of the Whitefield Art Collective.
“Climate resilience begins with climate literacy. Empowered communities are built on understanding, and understanding grows through shared stories and accessible knowledge. ‘Pockets of Hope’ is a new illustrated book project by UNESCO that brings to life the World Network of Biosphere Reserves, with its terrestrial, coastal, and marine ecosystems, and the communities who call them home. Through its photography exhibition at Whitefield Art Collective and an illustrated journey across all Biosphere Reserves in South and Central Asia, ‘Pockets of Hope’ highlights the urgency of responsible ecosystem management and conservation. By placing science and nature within cultural spaces, public art becomes a bridge, expanding participation, deepening awareness, and inspiring more informed and collective climate action,” said Dr. Benno Böer, Chief, Natural Sciences Unit, UNESCO Regional Office for South Asia.
Throughout the month, the festival will feature a range of activities celebrating different art forms. The Whitefield Literary Society will curate literary sessions for book lovers, creating opportunities to engage with writers, ideas, and the world of words. The Young Artists Program will offer students a platform to experiment, learn, and express themselves across a range of artistic mediums
Khadi takes a bold, contemporary turn at the Whitefield Art Collective. The collection by Reves La Veste and Reves Art Gallery, curated by Prasad Bidapa, with Ricky Kej as the showstopper, reimagines khadi through a contemporary lens. The fashion walk reflects the evolving possibilities of sustainable fashion, bringing together artistic expression and thoughtful design.
The festival brings together a diverse mix of artistic expressions, talent, and creative projects. With participation from local artisans, the Art Bazaar will showcase traditional and contemporary crafts, focusing on sustainable, handmade and locally crafted products. Cyanotype and clay modelling workshops will engage visitors of all ages through interactive experiences.
The Whitefield Art Collective has partnered with Caring with Colour, a not-for-profit initiative  that is working towards improving the quality of education in schools through introducing experiential learning in classrooms. Building on its collaboration with Art Reach, the Whitefield Art Collective has also launched a three year programme aimed at creating sustained creative engagement for children from marginalised and underserved communities. Shaped by participant needs, local context, and the festival’s curatorial theme, the programme will use hands on learning to develop foundational art skills and self-expression, with participating children presenting their works and creative process at the festival. Together, these engagements extend the Whitefield Art Collective’s commitment to creating meaningful opportunities for young participants to engage with art and share their perspectives within the festival framework.
The ninth edition of Whitefield Art Collective is made possible through collaborations with TESLA, MOD Foundation, Art Reach, Million Dreams, Paint Café, Flea 080, AKAB Innovation, Reves La Veste, Reves Art Gallery, Gita Hudson, Crossword, PVR, The Whitefield Arms and The Waverly Hotels & Residences.
The Whitefield Art Collective, established in 2016, is a vibrant showcase of the diverse creative expressions, thought-provoking collaborations, and engaging experiences. By transforming public spaces into dynamic art hubs, the festival highlights its commitment to making art more accessible while celebrating Bengaluru’s cultural identity.
 The festival has drawn over 2.5 million visitors. It is supported by The Yuj Foundation and is also part of VR Bengaluru’s Connecting Communities© initiative that aims to encourage civic pride, strengthen the local economy, and enhance the city’s national and international image.