Visit if you are allowed to.. Review on Venkatappa Art Gallery, Bangalore

We have tried visiting this gallery on numerous occasions but for some strange reason get the same refrain every time at the closed and shuttered ticket window….current illa!. Does the place have a workers union that protests poor salary/working conditions by shutting out visitors with a very valid excuse atleast in forever electricity starved Bangalore?

Eventually after multiple attempts, we managed to barge in on a surprisingly electrified day. It’s nothing much to write home about. Evidently none intended visitors to see anything inside as nothing has probably been added to the place for decades in this beautiful red building.

Many of the display windows are empty except layers of fine dust and most others have none or ageing yellow and very terse descriptions of the contents.

Another structure across a cute little bridge over a lotus filled pond houses some fine art work but luck ran out on us and we were herded out within seconds of entering with the now familiar current illa.

Whatever little we saw in those few precious moments we loved, there are fine pencil drawings from artists unknown (no electricity, so the labels were illegible).

My sister in law has vowed to make a return visit armed with torch lights and candles. Though it’s a noble cause we’ll have to see about that..

Visit if you have leisure afternoon free and are willing to replace it with a tour of the museum next door in case of foreseen and unforeseen circumstances.