One Mother, Many Mother Tongues | Exhibition Inaugration

Across 4,500 years of history, the image of the mother has taken many forms; a nurturing figure, a divine presence, a symbol of fertility, protection and creation. Yet, the emotion remains universal. The National Gallery of Modern Art, Bengaluru, in collaboration with the Consulate General of Italy in Bengaluru, presented One Mother, Many Mother Tongues, an international exhibition bringing together representations of motherhood across civilisations, cultures and artistic traditions. The exhibition journeyed from the Harappan civilisation of c. 2500 BC to ancient India and Renaissance Italy, featuring works such as Mother and Child from Harappa, the Mauryan-period Mother and Child, the Goat-headed Mother Goddess, Indrani from a Saptamatrika Set, and Sandro Botticelli’s Madonna and Child from Renaissance Florence. From the mother and child of the Indus Valley to the Mother Goddess of Mathura and the Madonna of Renaissance Florence, these works revealed how different cultures have given form to one of humanity’s most enduring ideas. Curated by Naman P. Ahuja & Andrea Anastasio, One Mother, Many Mother Tongues invited visitors to discover the many artistic languages through which motherhood has been imagined, celebrated and remembered. The exhibition was inaugurated by Shri K. J. George, Hon’ble Minister for Tourism, Government of Karnataka, as the Chief Guest, in the august presence of H.E. Giandomenico Milano, Consul General of Italy. The inauguration was also graced by Dr. Rezwan Razack, MD, Prestige Group and Smt. Priyanka Mary Francis, Director, National Gallery of Modern Art, Bengaluru. Inauguration: Thursday, 20 August 2026 Venue: National Gallery of Modern Art, Bengaluru [One Mother Many Mother Tongues, NGMA Bengaluru, Sandro Botticelli, Madonna and Child, Indian art history, Renaissance art, Harappan art, motherhood in art, cross-cultural exhibition, Consulate General of Italy, Prestige Group, art and heritage, Bengaluru exhibitions, museum exhibition India]