Explore two must-visit art exhibitions across India

As the year winds down, Indias art spaces are opening portals into worlds shaped by philosophy, memory, and imagination. Two compelling exhibitions, one in Mumbai and the other in New Delhi, invite viewers to experience contemporary art. Mumbai Floating World At the Grand Hyatt Mumbai Hotel and Residences, an ambitious new exhibition titled Japanoise: In the Shadow of the Floating World reimagines how Indian and Japanese artistic sensibilities converse. Bringing together a dynamic lineup of artistsAnju Dodiya, Astha Butail, Dayanita Singh, Manjunath Kamath, Meenakshi Nihalani, Mithu Sen, Parul Gupta, Remen Chopra Van Der Vaart, Shaurya Kumar, Shilpa Gupta, Thukral and Tagra, and Vinita Mungithe exhibition resists the familiar frame of Japonisme. It highlights deep intersections: ephemeral gestures, atmospheric textures, and the poetic embrace of imperfection. Visitors will encounter works shaped by Japanese aesthetic concepts such as ma (the beauty of negative space), wabi-sabi (the acceptance of transience), kintsugi (repair as renewal), and the floating worlds meditative attention to the everyday. Sculptures, paintings, installations, and mixed-media pieces collectively evoke stillness, subtle movement, and the quiet drama of natural cycles. The curation leans into shared material affinities and philosophical resonances, inviting audiences to perceive the familiar through a more contemplative lens. On view: Until 3 January 2026 Where: Grand Hyatt Mumbai Hotel and Residences New Delhi Celestial Canvases In New Delhi, Berlin-based contemporary artist Paul Kuntze presents his first solo exhibition Modern Fresko, in Indiaan evocative blend of Baroque grandeur and modern abstraction. Presented at Black Cube Gallery in Hauz Khas, the show recalls the sweeping drama of Baroque frescoes: illusionistic skies, divine figures, and architectural expanses that seem to open up into other worlds. Yet Kuntze departs from strict historical fidelity, embracing gestural spontaneity and intuitive mark-making that roots his work firmly in the present. The result is a canvas that feels both ancient and urgent. Soft washes and bold strokes tug between precision and improvisation, echoing the artists own philosophy of blending control with intuition. He describes his process as creating forms that evoke frescoes while inserting intuitive elementsespecially figuresto nudge viewers toward their own imaginative interpretations. The paintings carry a sense of suspension, as though fragments of a celestial ceiling have drifted lightly down into contemporary space. Dates: 5–27 December Venue: Black Cube Gallery, G12A Hauz Khas, New Delhi Timings: Tuesday to Saturday, 12–6 pm