NGMA Bengaluru to host €100 million Botticelli art exhibition in 2026

The National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA) in Bengaluru is set to host a landmark Italian art exhibition featuring masterpieces by the legendary Renaissance master Alessandro Botticelli from August 19 to September 29, 2026. The exhibition, titled ‘One Mother, Many Mother Tongues’, will showcase rare artworks that are collectively valued at nearly €100 million.

The upcoming event marks a significant milestone for the local arts scene, as Bengaluru has been selected as the only host city for this exhibition in South India. Among the highly anticipated Italian works on display will be Botticelli's celebrated masterpiece, ‘Madonna con Bambino’.

Preparations for the exhibition are officially underway following a key meeting at Energy Bhavan between V. Ram Prasath Manohar, the Commissioner of the Karnataka Department of Tourism, and Giandomenico Milano, the Consul General of Italy. The two representatives met to discuss the logistics of the exhibition and to explore further avenues for strengthening cultural cooperation between India and Italy.

According to Manohar, the joint initiative is designed to position Bengaluru as a premier destination for cultural tourism. He noted that the arrival of these internationally renowned masterpieces represents a landmark moment in the city’s cultural history, while underscoring its growing stature as an international arts destination.

The exhibition also fits into a larger framework of international diplomacy and cultural exchange. India and Italy have officially declared 2027 as the ‘India-Italy Year of Culture and Tourism’. The scheduled showcase at the NGMA in Bengaluru is a key part of the broader cultural engagements planned between the two nations ahead of the 2027 celebration.

The event is being organized through a direct collaboration between the Karnataka Tourism Department and the Consulate General of Italy, bringing world-class Renaissance art directly to Bengaluru's public.