Galerie ISA was founded by Ashwin Thadani in 2011, and has established itself as a leading proponent of international contemporary art on the Indian subcontinent. Located in the iconic Kamani Chambers building in the Art Deco district of Ballard Estate, Galerie ISA has a space of 5000 square feet, and a program focused on the world’s most dynamic contemporary artists. The gallery has distinguished itself for developing a long-standing dialogue with established and mid-career artists such as Diana Al-Hadid, Louise Despont, Santiago Giralda, Haroun Hayward, Gregor Hildebrandt, Michael Kunze, Idris Khan, Annie Morris, Antonio Santin and David Brian Smith as well as helping to foster emergent and diversified diasporic figures such as Maha Ahmed, Ian Malhotra, Eeman Masood and Anoushka Mirchandani.
The gallery regularly produces scholarly catalogues and collaborates with external curators to create exciting, thought-provoking exhibitions. These shows have included works from critically acclaimed artists such as Ali Banisadr, Michaela Yearwood-Dan, Olafur Eliasson, Adrian Ghenie, Alicja Kwade, Chris Ofili and Wolfgang Tillmans.
Galerie ISA offers a unique platform for those wishing to explore a compelling range of international and diaspora artists. Visitors will discover new talents as well as finding exemplary works by those who have already made their mark on art history and contributed so much to the development of 21st Century Art. It is the strength of the reception to these artists’ works, coupled with a new vision of India within the global context, that continues to drive the gallery forward and inspire its passionate founder - Ashwin Thadani.
Always seeking new opportunities to excite and reward their audience, in 2021 Galerie ISA opened a second space, Galerie ISA 9, adjacent to its location. ‘9’ will offer an expansive private viewing room to clients as well as providing a second exhibition venue so that two shows can run simultaneously. It is the gallery’s intention that this will also function as an exciting project space for younger artists as well as facilitating larger-scale exhibitions. ‘9’ is architecturally similar to Galerie ISA in that it also boasts Corinthian columns and elegant Gothic arches, but its concrete floors provide a contemporary ballast to the Neo Gothic elements, thus differentiating ‘9’ from its sister space.
