Bengal Biennale 2026: Banalata edition opens in Santiniketan on November 25
By Ishita SenCulture & Heritage Editor, Peepals Sanskriti
Representative image: StockSnap / Pixabay
The second Bengal Biennale, Banalata, opens in Santiniketan on 25 November and Kolkata on 28 November 2026, running to 2 January 2027.
What Happened
The second Bengal Biennale, titled Banalata, will open in Santiniketan on Wednesday, 25 November 2026 and in Kolkata on Saturday, 28 November, and will run until Saturday, 2 January 2027, according to the latest reports on the programme. The art festival is organised by the Gameplan Foundation and co-curated by Chander Haat, an artist collective and community space in Sarsuna, Kolkata, and independent curator and researcher Ritika Biswas. Its theme is drawn from Banalata Sen, the 1942 Bengali poem by Jibanananda Das, and from the ecology of wild forest vines.
Key Facts
- Bengal Biennale 2026-27 is the festival's second edition, titled Banalata.
- Santiniketan leg: from 25 November 2026; Kolkata leg: from 28 November; both close on 2 January 2027.
- An earlier report had given 15 November as the start; newer reports give 25 November.
- Organiser: the Gameplan Foundation, founded by Jeet and Malavika Banerjee.
- Co-curators: the Chander Haat collective and curator Ritika Biswas.
- Santiniketan venues include Nandan Art Museum and Gallery, Tokaroun, the Santiniketan Society of Visual Art and Design, Arthshila, the Sculpture Park, Somnath Hore Studio and Krittika Arts Space.
- Kolkata venues include The Alipore Museum, a former prison, the Indian Museum, TRI Art and Culture, Lalit Kala Akademi, The Red Bari, The Dockyard Co and the Kolkata Centre for Creativity, which will host an open call for emerging artists.
Why It Matters
Most big art events in India sit in a single metro. The Bengal Biennale splits itself between a state capital and a small university town, putting new work into Santiniketan's studios, galleries and sculpture park as well as Kolkata's museums. That spreads visitors, and the attention that comes with them, beyond the big city.
The choice of theme is itself a nod to Bengal's literary tradition. The curators say they have drawn on the poem and on the image of forest creepers to frame an exhibition about ecology and history, linking new art to a work of Bengali literature.
The venue list mixes old institutions and new spaces. The Alipore Museum occupies a former prison, so some artworks will sit inside a building with its own long history. Smaller artist-run and private spaces such as Chander Haat's collective and Krittika Arts Space give room to local and emerging artists, and the Kolkata Centre for Creativity's open call offers a door to those not yet invited.
The full artist line-up has not been formally released, according to one report. Another published list names participants including painters Arpita Singh and Atul Dodiya, Korean artist Ayoung Kim and Bangladesh's Britto Arts Trust, which suggests a regional reach across South Asia and beyond.
Peepals calculation: the Santiniketan leg runs 39 days from 25 November to 2 January (6 days in November, 31 in December and 2 in January), and the Kolkata leg 36 days from 28 November (3 + 31 + 2). The reported venue lists name seven sites in each city, 14 in all. Our calculation from the reported figures.
| City | Opens | Closes | Venues listed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Santiniketan | Wednesday, 25 November 2026 | Saturday, 2 January 2027 | 7 |
| Kolkata | Saturday, 28 November 2026 | Saturday, 2 January 2027 | 7 |
Impact
Short-term: Artists, galleries and venues in both cities have three weeks to install works, and visitors planning winter trips to Santiniketan and Kolkata can now plan around the dates.
Long-term: A second edition gives the Bengal Biennale a chance to become a fixture on India's art calendar, alongside older events, and to bring year-end cultural tourism to Santiniketan as well as Kolkata.
Who is affected: Artists and art students in West Bengal and the region, museums and galleries in both cities, local artisans and guesthouses in Santiniketan, and art lovers and tourists visiting in December.
What to watch next: The opening in Santiniketan on 25 November and in Kolkata on 28 November, and the release of the full artist list.
Key Takeaway
Bengal Biennale's second edition, Banalata, opens in Santiniketan on 25 November and Kolkata on 28 November 2026 and runs until 2 January 2027 across 14 listed venues.
Questions and Answers
When is Bengal Biennale 2026?
The latest reports say the second Bengal Biennale opens in Santiniketan on 25 November 2026 and in Kolkata on 28 November, and closes on 2 January 2027. An earlier report gave 15 November as the start date.
What does the name Banalata mean for the Bengal Biennale?
The edition is named after Banalata Sen, Jibanananda Das's 1942 Bengali poem, and the curators also draw on the ecology of wild forest vines for its theme.
Where will Bengal Biennale 2026 be held?
In Santiniketan at venues including Nandan Art Museum and Gallery, Arthshila and Somnath Hore Studio, and in Kolkata at venues including The Alipore Museum, the Indian Museum, Lalit Kala Akademi and the Kolkata Centre for Creativity.
Who organises the Bengal Biennale?
The Gameplan Foundation, founded by Jeet and Malavika Banerjee, organises it. It is co-curated by the Chander Haat artist collective of Sarsuna, Kolkata, and curator Ritika Biswas.
Disclaimer: Prepared by the Peepals newsroom from publicly available sources with AI assistance. Information is accurate to the best of our knowledge at the time of publication and may change. Images may be representative. Not professional advice. Report an error via our contact page.
By Ishita Sen, Culture & Heritage EditorCovers Culture & Heritage and more for Peepals Sanskriti. All stories by Ishita Sen
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Ishita Sen is a pen name of the Peepals Global Editorial Team, which researches, fact-checks and publishes every story. The portrait is an illustration.
