Tao Art Gallery:
The inspiring Art Space in Mumbai

Rajendra

Tao Art Gallery, one of the most reputed and influential galleries in Mumbai, is celebrating its 15th anniversary in February this year. The mega art gallery with more than 8000 square feet space including storage facility housed in a picturesque seafacing building at Worli, Mumbai is known for presenting a steady flow of impressive and thought provoking exhibitions by young, up-and-coming artists as well as big celebrated names in the art field. Kalpana Shah, founder and managing director of Tao art gallery, an artist herself and an avid art collector, has created a niche and taken Tao art gallery to a stature rare to achieve in fifteen years of journey. The immaculately safari-clad men greet the visitors at the gates of Tao, the most lavish gallery with Italian lights, imported marble and unique grandeur; then arrives a group of whiteclad Chauffeurs, who offer valet parking, even on crowded exhibition preview days to all the visitors. Every bit of space from façade, to ground floor display-space to basement storage evokes an inspiring ambience. Rajendra speaks to Kalpana Shah, on many issues concerning contemporary art and takes us through the fifteen years of the successful journey of Tao Art Gallery…

Rajendra: Where do you see, Tao art gallery heading today after fifteen years in this vulnerable transitional time for art galleries?

Kalpana Shah: I will answer your question in a different context, away from the rigid commercial gallery setup; first of all, Tao art gallery for me is my passion turned into reality, a creative space. Having said this, yes we do around eight exhibitions in a year and I enjoy being surrounded by beautiful thought provoking artworks. Visitors do walk in, appreciate and enjoy the art, business follows on its own.