International exhibition inspired by Hampi opens at Hampi Art Labs

Published 6 August 2026 · india

An international exhibition exploring the unique ecology, history and mythology of the Tungabhadra Basin has opened at Hampi Art Labs in Vidyanagar Township, marking the

An international exhibition exploring the unique ecology, history and mythology of the Tungabhadra Basin has opened at Hampi Art Labs in Vidyanagar Township, marking the first collaboration between Hampi Art Labs and Singapore-based non-profit art institution, The Institutum. Titled “Red Rocks, Rivers and Monkeys”, the exhibition features new photography and video works by renowned Indian artist Atul Bhalla and Singaporean artist Robert Zhao Renhui, curated by internationally acclaimed curator Yasufumi Nakamori. The exhibition, which opened on Wednesday, will remain open to the public until November 4.

The exhibition presents an expanded body of work developed during the artists’ residency at Hampi Art Labs in 2025. Spending nearly two months in and around the UNESCO World Heritage landscape of Hampi, the artists travelled through the Tungabhadra Basin, including the Tungabhadra Dam and Kamalapur Lake, documenting its striking geology, waterways, monuments, wildlife and everyday life through their distinctive artistic perspectives. Nakamori said the collaboration evolved into “a conversation about time in the Tungabhadra Basin”, with both artists interpreting the landscape in different yet complementary ways.

The exhibition showcases archival pigment prints, large-format photographic works and three immersive video installations examining Hampi’s ecology, history and changing environment. Speaking about his work, Mr. Bhalla said Hampi’s geology, mythology and history together create landscapes that stretch the imagination while reminding humanity of its place within the planet’s larger ecosystem. Renhui said the exhibition reflects how stone, water, rituals, work and animal life in Hampi are inseparably connected through everyday interactions. JSW Foundation chairperson Sangita Jindal said Hampi’s extraordinary ability to unite nature, history, mythology and everyday life had inspired the foundation to support an exhibition that presents the region as “a living ecosystem of stories, memories and quiet discoveries”.

Hampi Art Labs, an initiative of the JSW Foundation, has partnered with The Institutum to strengthen international artistic collaboration while promoting Hampi’s rich cultural and ecological heritage through contemporary art. The exhibition is open and offer free entry from Monday to Saturday between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m.