The Visual Arts Gallery of the India Habitat Centre aims at serving the people by supporting the Arts and Art related exhibitions.

Exhibition Programme:

A vigorous programme of over 100 exhibitions is presented each year. Three separate galleries – the Visual Arts Gallery, the Open Palm Court Area, and the newly set up Experimental Arts Gallery -- cater to a diverse array of exhibition content. Local, national and international artists feature in exhibitions of sculptures, ceramics, glass, textiles, wood, metal, new media and furniture as well as photography and paintings.

Frequently Asked Questions

How to book the gallery?
What are the charges for booking the gallery?
What are the terms and conditions for hosting a show?
What are India Habitat Centre Awards for Excellence in Art?
How do we publicise the exhibitions held at the gallery?

The procedure for booking the gallery:

For making reservations send us a proposal addressed to:

Dr Alka Pande,
Consultant, Art Advisor and Curator,
Visual Arts Gallery,
India Habitat Centre,
Lodhi Road,
New Delhi – 110003.
Phone: 24682001-09 extn: 2038,
Email: visualartsgallery1@gmail.com, alkapande@indiahabitat.org

The fees and charges for booking the gallery:

1. The Visual Arts Gallery is completely non-profit with no commission charged on sales. The Visual Arts Gallery offers an area of 3,800 square feet or 276 running feet to exhibit the works. The hiring charge of the Visual Arts Gallery for a group show is Rs. 11,000/- plus 12.36% service tax per day. For individual artists having their own show, the gallery rental would be Rs 7,500 plus 12.36% service tax per day. For members of the India Habitat Centre, exhibiting their own works, the rental of the Visual Arts Gallery would be Rs. 5,000 plus 12.36% service tax per day.Click here to see the floor plan of the gallery.

2. The Open Palm Court Area of the Visual Arts Gallery at the India Habitat Centre aims at serving the people by supporting Arts and Art related exhibitions with special emphasis on environment, habitat issues and functional art. The Open Palm Court offers an area of 2,025 square feet or 129 running feet to exhibit the works. The rental charges of the Open Palm Court Area are Rs 3,500/- plus 12.36% service tax per day. Click here to see the floor plan of the gallery.

3. The Experimental Art Gallery:  India Habitat Centre’s avant-garde art initiative, the Experimental Art Gallery, is a bold experimental step towards nurturing and promoting new media art. It has set the stage for showcasing creativity in the form of moving images, video art, photography, installation, Internet art, among others. The Experimental Art Gallery offers an area of 742 square feet or 94 running feet to exhibit the works. The rental charges of the Experimental Art Gallery per day are Rs 4,000 plus 12.36% tax for non-IHC members; Rs 2,000 plus 12.36% tax for IHC members. Click here to see the floor plan of the gallery.

4. Amphitheatre: India Habitat Centre’s open air theatre – the Amphitheatre can accommodate approximately 200 people. To book the amphitheatre, please give us a proposal which includes a note on the event to be organized. In case you wish to stage a play, please submit the script for approval & mention the dates required. The rental charges of the Amphitheatre are Rs. 2000/- + service tax per day. In case additional electricity load is required, then the rental charges would be Rs. 3000/- + service tax per day - with provision for basic lighting equipment and electricity at the rate of Rs 7/- per kilowatts - per hour - on the sanctioned load. Please inform us in advance about the load of electricity required so that you can be billed according to the required load prior to the show.

What are the terms and conditions for hosting a show?

Terms and Conditions for hosting an event:

Before you make a booking you are required to read the following terms and conditions, which are binding. Failure to adhere to them shall entail cancellation of the booking without prior notice.

• Timings: The Visual Arts Gallery is open from 10a.m to 8 pm seven days a week. However the VAG office is open for public dealing from 9.30 am to 8pm, Mon to Sat.
• Bookings are non transferable.
• No liquor or tobacco sponsorship is allowed.
• The IHC Visual Arts Gallery is a no smoking zone.
• Payment: An advance of 50% of the total booking amount needs to be paid to confirm your booking. Payments are to be made vide local cheque/ draft drawn in favour of “India Habitat Centre” payable at Delhi and paid at the Visual Arts Gallery Office.
  
  Complete balance payments must be deposited three months prior to the show.
  
  Please note that In case there is a revision in the service tax/gallery rates, the exhibitor will be informed and is liable to pay the dues.
• Security:The Visual Arts Gallery, India Habitat Centre, is not responsible for the loss or damage to the personal belongings of the exhibitors/ visitors.
  
  A security guards are posted at the gallery space from 8 am – 10pm. Beyond these hours, should the exhibitors want added security, a guard may be recruited from the IHC for an 8hr shift at the rates applicable at that point.
  
  In case you want to get your own guard, you are required to inform the VAG office through a letter mentioning his name, and contact details. Uniformed guards from security agency other than the one at the VAG will not be allowed.
  
  The Visual Arts Gallery, India Habitat Centre must be informed at the time of booking of any schedule visits by VIPs. The visit must be scheduled after the approval from the Gallery Office. It is to be noted that any additional cost incurred in such proceedings shall be borne by the exhibitors.
  
  
• To set up the event, please note:

1. You are required to obtain a permission slip from the Gallery Office before setting up the event. You can have the permission slip only after you have made the complete payment including the security deposit vide draft or local cheque, in favour of India Habitat Centre, at the Gallery Office.
2. Security Deposit:The security deposit must be paid 2 weeks prior to the show. Repayment of the security deposit will only happen after an assessment of damage by our authorized staff, with deductions made as per damages noted. Security refund shall be made to the same individual/ entity that had deposited the amount. It will only be made by cheque a month after the end of the show.
3. Gallery will be handed over to you at 10p.m. the previous evening for setting up the event.
4. In case the exhibitors want to serve liquor and food during the inaugural function, kindly get in touch with the Banquets, Habitat World, and apply for a liquor license and decide the menu for the event. Contact details are #41220000 Extn #1. For food and beverage, exhibitors are required to get in touch with the Banquets directly.

• Assistance:
  
  * Visual Arts Gallery cannot offer any help or assistance for mounting or dismantling the exhibition. We can arrange for labour for you, only if you inform us a week in advance. Payments for labour to be made in cash only.
  
  * Exhibitors are forbidden from tampering with the electrical fittings within the gallery on their own. Please note: Technicians for fixing up of lights are available 24 hours. Contact the Elbee department at the IHC at 24682001 – 09, Extn 2093.
  
  * In case of emergency, the vestibule of the Visual Arts Gallery is equipped with a phone (blue phone). Exhibitors can dial 9 from this phone to contact the IHC control room to get through to all the required departments. i.e. the electricity department or Elbee which is open 24 hrs, the AC plant, security, etc.
  
  * Requirements: Please furnish your list of requirements to the Visual Arts Gallery Office, one week prior to your show.
  
  
• Gallery will provide you free of charge:
  
  a. 6 chairs
  b. 2 tables
  c. Hooks
  
  
• Any material required apart from the hooks such as nylon thread, is to be brought by exhibitors themselves. Kindly use gloves while handing and removing the paintings. Hooks and gloves are available with the security guard.
• Pedestals, panels, display tables, plants, mailing list, food and beverages etc are for hire. You will be charged Rs 100 for the oil lamp during the inauguration of the show. You can hire a telephone connection at the Visual Arts Gallery. Charges applicable.
• The exhibitors can bring their own independent standing structures like panels, pedestals etc, as long as they are restricted to the gallery spaces only. The spaces outside the Gallery cannot be used for display.
• During summer time, since the Open Palm Court Gallery is not air-conditioned, the exhibitors can arrange for the pedestal fans from local tent houses. (See Table below)
• The Visual Arts Gallery is equipped with a music system for use by the exhibitors. Although there is no such facility at the Open Palm Court gallery, an electric connection is available for exhibitors to plug in their own music system for the show.
• Please note, the VAG does not provide any storage space for the exhibits.
• You are requested to close the exhibition by 7pm on the last day of the show and leave the gallery premises clean by 9.30pm, failing which we will penalize you by retaining the entire amount of the security deposit.
• Exit slip: During an exhibition, removal/ moving of exhibits from the Gallery shall be permitted by the security only after you obtain valid exit slip (gate-pass) from the Gallery Office. In case the exhibition ends on a holiday, this pass must be collected earlier from the office. The exit slip will be issued only after all your dues, miscellaneous receipts i.e. security guard payment, beverages, plants, panels and pedestals, etc., are cleared.
• The exits and entries suitable for you to bring in the exhibits are Gate No #2 (parking is permitted for a limited period) or the service lane parallel to the Lodhi Road with entry via the pedestrian gate (vehicle can be parked longer here).
• A responsible attitude towards the property of the India Habitat Centre is expected from you. Please note that in case of damage to doors, walls, windows (breakage of glass, hammering of nails, sticking on walls) or floor (staining or cracking) will result in our disbanding the exhibition and charging you for damages.
• Strictly ensure that no exhibit shall be affixed on the walls with nails, staples, glue, tape etc.
• Banners: The posters or banners for an event may be displayed only after clearance by the staff of the Visual Arts Gallery.
• There is a space slotted for banners of shows at the gallery, close to the red light crossing near Gate no. 2, IHC, Lodhi Road. However, priority will be given to the shows at the Visual Arts Gallery in case there are exhibitions in other galleries too.
• All audio-visual equipment required for the exhibition or an accompanying performance will be billed separately as per the AV tariff. Items not available at the India Habitat Centre can be either arranged through a third party or the organizers themselves.
• Promotional material: We do not advertise or do media relations works for any of the shows/ events organized at the Visual Arts Gallery, Palm Court Gallery, Experimental Art Gallery and the Amphitheatre. However the organizers/ exhibitors are requested to give a clear indication of the nature of the exhibition and other promotional information, including posters, catalogue, photographs, press releases and invitation cards etc. to the Visual Arts Gallery office 30 days prior to the event to facilitate inclusion in the IHC calendar of events (subject to date of submission of photographs/ promotional information, and the publication of the calendar) and the IHC website. The IHC reserves the right to use or edit the information provided.
• Invitations: The text of your invitations for the show must mention the following address: Visual Arts Gallery/ Open Palm Court Area/ Amphitheatre, Gate # 2, India Habitat Centre, Lodhi Road, New Delhi 110003.
• Use of IHC logo: You are not allowed to use the IHC logo in your invites or posters without the permission of the Visual Arts Gallery. In case of collaboration with the IHC, the exhibitors are required to place the IHC logo and the name in the publicity material like invitations, brochures, catalogues etc.
  
  In case of collaboration with the IHC, the exhibitors/ artists will be required to present six works by the artist/s which will then become part of the Habitat collection.
• Visitors Book: You are required to bring you own Visitor’s Book, and give us the Photostat copy of same. Please note that the exit slip will not be given till this too is done.
• Please note that all the exhibitions held at the gallery during the course of the financial year are judged for India Habitat Centre’s Awards for Excellence in Arts in various categories. Each category winner is awarded a cash prize along with a citation and a trophy at the Annual Arts Evening. However, catalogued shows will be given preference.
• All exhibitions held within the premises of the Visual Arts Gallery are also archived and documented in the India Habitat Centre Annual Arts Journal and other promotional material like calendars, greeting cards and yearly planners etc. VAG staff to be allowed to photo-document all the shows.
• You are required to give us the copyright of the images of the exhibited works for one time, non-commercial use for the purpose of in-house documentation. Due credit will be given for the images used by the IHC.
• In case of any queries, please get in touch with us two weeks prior to your event. No queries will be entertained on the day of the show.
• Please note: In case the exhibitors or their associates misbehave with the gallery staff, the show/ event is liable to be cancelled with immediate effect.
• As we hope to have a long-term relationship with you, we request you to abide by these rules.

What are India Habitat Centre Awards for Excellence in Art?

In our effort to promote art, all the exhibitions held at the gallery during the course of the financial year are judged for India Habitat Centre’s Awards for Excellence in Arts in various categories. Each category winner is awarded a cash prize of Rs 25,000 along with a citation and a trophy. Click here for more information...

All the exhibitions held at the gallery are also archived and written about in the India Habitat Centre Annual Arts Journal. Click here for more information...

How do we publicise the exhibitions held at the gallery?

The information about the forthcoming exhibitions at the gallery is displayed on the India Habitat Centre website: www.indiahabitat.org. The information is also published in our quarterly newsletter called ‘I’ which is sent to all the members of the IHC, and also published in IHC’s Annual Arts Journal.