Dhi Contemporary, a new initiative of Dhi Artspace, Hyderabad, aims to be a one-stop destination for young and emerging artistic talents in India. At its core, Dhi Contemporary wants to create a new generation of collectors, and art enthusiasts in Hyderabad by bringing them in sync with the shifting practices of contemporary art globally. Through a fresh set of curated exhibitions, performances, film screenings, site-specific commissions, and more, Dhi Contemporary will lead the city into a new chapter pledging to build its visual art scene at par with the other art centers of the country.
Despite being a tech hub with a rich cultural history of the Deccani era, and four active art colleges, the contemporary art scene in Hyderabad has seen slow growth in the past decades. Dhi has been addressing this lull, with its verticals, Dhi Artspace, Dhi Collective, and Dhi Residency, with over 30 curated exhibitions and numerous other events and workshops supporting the young generation of artists in the city and country. While Dhi Artspace acted as an interactive space for diverse artistic engagements, Dhi Collective took conversations of art to the common public, and Dhi Residency brought together young talents to respond to the city. Learning from these porous experiences of Dhi's verticals in the past decade and the guidance of the local and national cultural visionaries, Dhi Contemporary is positioned as an art gallery and a novel node in South Asia's art ecosystem.
Bhargavi Gundala
Bhargavi Gundala, the founding director of Dhi, is an artist, gallerist, and avid collector of contemporary Indian art. She received training in printmaking from S N School of Arts and Communication, University of Hyderabad. Her commitment to supporting young artists in the early years of their careers encouraged her to create a space for exchange, dialogue, and sustained engagement.
Dhi Artspace was envisioned as that platform and came into physical existence in October 2014. Since then, her continued effort to bring thinking minds together has shaped a programme of exhibitions, talks, workshops, mentorship initiatives, and meaningful encounters that strengthen the cultural ecosystem around contemporary art.