Strangers House Gallery, oddly enough, feels kind of like visiting your grandma's house. There isn't a crevice here untouched by some niche historic episode, yet it's sprinkled liberally with contemporary trinkets that represent, in a way, the endless movement of time. All the exhibits here are lit by trusty old fluorescent lights, liberated from pesky security ropes (thank god), and carry the weight of resistance and solidarity that finds its roots in social movements, like Ambedkarite ideology and black consciousness.
Much of the gallery’s curatorial themes pay homage to the history of the building it’s housed in: Clark House, which, between 1940 and 1962, served as the Strangers Guest House – a long-term rental for people from all over the world. In 1955, Ram Bahadur Thakur & Co. launched their international shipping business from here; their trade connections, spanning the Middle East, Eastern Europe and Japan, made Clark House a node for cultural engagement.
Later, commemorations like the Lidice Memorial Day, honouring a Czechoslovak village massacred by the Nazis, led Indian artists like K.K. Hebbar and Chintamoni Kar to donate their pieces too, contributing to a vast, historic collection that linked Bombay to a global artistic solidarity.
That international history's very much a part of the gallery today. It still functions as a hub that bridges history, art, and political discourse – there's art here from across the Indian subcontinent, Latin America, as well as Africa. You'll find a myriad of textures here, too, like wood, bronze, terracotta, print, ceramic, and paint. Together, they reflect the gallery's core theme of accessibility and simplicity.
Time Out Tip: Visit the gallery on a weekday, preferably between 11am and 1pm. While the art gallery is usually quiet and visited by few, going on a weekday ensures that you’ve got the place all to yourself. But be warned: the internet connection’s slightly spotty inside.