Kolkata Museum of Modern Art

The Kolkata Museum of Modern Art (KMOMA) is a proposed art museum and cultural institution to be built in New Town, Kolkata, India. Conceived as a center of international standard comparable to the world's best museums, KMOMA aims to showcase modern and contemporary art within the city that historically inspired Indian modernism. Established as a not-for-profit public charitable trust supported by the Government of West Bengal, the institution seeks to provide a multidisciplinary platform for artists, scholars, and the public, bridging local artistic traditions with global contemporary practices.

The Government of West Bengal created the KMOMA trust with the principal objective of building a state-of-the-art museum. In November 2013, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee laid the foundation stone for the project, which had an estimated cost of Rs 500 crore. Construction has subsequently begun in a phased manner. The first phase, comprising a block of 9,600 square feet, has been completed, with artwork displays on the ground floor and administrative offices on the first floor. An additional three blocks totaling 60,000 square feet are under construction and are expected to be finished by the end of 2024.

KMOMA's mission centers on acquiring and displaying modern Indian art within its local and global cultural contexts, emphasizing the city's foundational role in Indian modernism. The permanent collection focuses on Indian art from the 19th century to the present. The museum plans to house 44 galleries dedicated to Indian, Asian, Islamic, and Western art. Beyond exhibitions, the institution is committed to interdisciplinary research and the dissemination of knowledge through scholarly publications, innovative teaching curricula, and public outreach programs, striving to become a center of expertise on trans-Asian connections.

Specific signature works are not detailed in current project documentation, as the museum is still in its construction and development phases. However, the institution's collecting scope encompasses paintings, sculptures, installations, and multimedia works from the late 18th century to contemporary times. The collection aims to feature both established and emerging artists, providing a comprehensive view of current art trends and historical modernism.

The museum complex is situated on a 40,000-square-meter (10-acre) plot in Rajarhat, New Town, along the Major Arterial Road (Biswa Bangla Sarani) in Action Area II. The site is bordered by Akankha to the north, the New Town Eco Park and Kolkata International Convention Center to the south, an upcoming Central Business District and International Financial Hub to the east, and the settlements of Jatragachi and Hatiara to the west and southwest. Designed by the Swiss firm Herzog & de Meuron, the 50,000-square-meter complex is divided into an Art Centre and a Culture City. The design draws on traditional Indian construction principles of stacking individual elements to form a coherent whole, inspired by Indian temple architecture. The program includes galleries, art restoration facilities, education and research centers, artist studios, residences, and a central plaza. To address Kolkata's tropical climate, the building utilizes cast masonry blocks to create mass within the facade, shifting volumes to provide shade, and employing open screens for cross ventilation. The landscaping features perimeter trees, a green wall, and a water basin in the Central Plaza that swells during the monsoon season.

The museum is located in the Presidency division of New Town, Kolkata. Operating hours for the initial constructed block are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, with closures on Mondays and public holidays. The New Town area is accessible by road via taxis and auto-rickshaws, and the broader Kolkata region is served by an extensive public transport network including buses and metro trains. The cooler months from October to March are considered the most comfortable time to visit.