Ninety-one booths, 1,000 artists and 3,500 artworks spread across an area of 20,000 square metres in the heart of south Delhi - the sixth edition of the India Art Fair promises a sensory fiesta. Art enthusiasts can look forward to video installations, curated art projects, 24 large-scale installations, an assortment of book launches, workshops for children and an enriching speakers forum. "Interestingly, there are top-end and middle-rung galleries from countries such as Korea, Israel, US and Turkey coming to the fair," says Neha Kirpal, founder and director, India Art Fair.
There is already a buzz about the participation of ArtChowk from Pakistan. The gallery, which began as an online platform for emerging artists from South Asia, has evolved into a significant cultural organisation that offers a comprehensive arts programme. "This is the first time that we have an exhibitor from Pakistan. People now find Pakistani and Sri Lankan art more affordable than Indian art," says Kirpal. The trend of the "firsts" continues as Gallery NON from Istanbul marks Turkey's debut at the fair. There are, of course, the classical galleries from Europe that are offering the staple dose of Dalis and Picassos.
"From India, Kolkata-based Experimenter Art Gallery will bring a cutting-edge collection. One can also see a trend of galleries creating specially-curated booths," adds Kirpal. For instance, Mumbai-based Gallery Maskara's booth is an installation in itself. The booth has been inspired by World War I. "16 art works, which will be an interpretation of this theme, will be displayed in a booth fashioned like a bunker," she says. The fair also marks the debut of Jhaveri Contemporary from Mumbai, run by Amrita Jhaveri, who was the first Indian employee of International auction house Christie's.
One of the most awaited exhibits is by Delhi's Dhoomimal Art Gallery and curated by Anjolie Ela Menon. "One section is dedicated to the Indian masters. Menon has selected works by Krishen Khanna, Manjit Bawa, M F Husain, H A Gade, K S Kulkarni and Rameshwar Broota among others," says Uday Jain, owner of Dhoomimal Art Gallery. The other section is titled 'Souza - Sacred to Profane and Masters of Indian Art'. "Dhoomimal has one of the best collections of Souza's nudes. Today, people talk of globalisation of Indian art. Back then Souza was already one of the few who was recognised globally. He was showing at TATE in the late 1960s and '70s when Husain and Gaitonde were relatively unknown," says Menon. She decided to curate the exhibit because she wanted to underline a gallery's importance. "There was a time when there weren't many galleries for aspiring artists. Uday's grandfather, who has a bookstore, would encourage artists to paint and leave their artworks there, making Dhoomimal own an enviable collection of modern masters," she adds. "Some of them have not become as renowned as they should have, like the great cubist K S Kulkarni."
Another section that is likely to catch the eye is a set of 24 installations by acclaimed artists. There is Aura by Subodh Gupta, a video-art project curated by Bhavna Kakar, the sculptural project Agalma by Anjana Kothamachu and Riyas Komu's unique project centred on the creation of a collectors' room.
"L N Tallur's Pathfinder is very striking as is Chintan Upadhyay's 20 feet by 20 feet installation titled Iconic Shrine. Also, Absolut Vodka, which has commissioned artists like Bharti Kher in the past, has now collaborated with Anish Kapoor. This work will be unveiled at the fair," says Kirpal. On display is also a unique sculpture-based performance by US-based artist Anindita Dutta. "I am working on a wall 9 feet high and 56 feet long and have covered it with wet clay. The concept stems from my notion that everything around me is made of materials, including us. Life is an accumulation of non-living materials. But eventually, living things do become non-living," says Dutta. She will be collaborating with theatre artists from NSD and Chandigarh to create a performance around her work.
The Kiran Nadar Museum of Art from Delhi, Latvia's Mark Rothko Art Centre and the Himalayas Art Museum in Shanghai, debuting this year at the fair, will showcase best museum practices in the city. "We are bringing in 25 collectors from China who will visit various studios and collectors' homes," says Kirpal.
Following the international trend of jewellery brands like Cartier showcasing at art fairs, Kirpal has invited Nirav Modi to exhibit his collection. "A lot of my jewellery is inspired by art. In fact there is a similarity between the way art and jewellery is created. The Mughal collection has been inspired by the inlays at the Taj as well as Mughal miniature paintings. Then the Orchestra collection features handspun gold," says Modi. The booth will also feature two craftsmen who will showcase their skills.
Art enthusiasts can also hear the views of the best minds from the field of visual arts as part of the Speakers Forum which will feature personalities like Budi Tek, the Chinese-Indonesian entrepreneur, art philanthropist and collector, Chris Dercon, director, Tate Modern London, artist Bharti Kher and Jeebesh Bagchi, member of the Raqs Media Collective. "My talk is about how we perceive artwork, explained through the metaphor of the nest and the flight of the bird. Art can be seen both ways - through the nature of the flight as well as the beauty and intimacy of the nest," says Bagchi.
There is already a buzz about the participation of ArtChowk from Pakistan. The gallery, which began as an online platform for emerging artists from South Asia, has evolved into a significant cultural organisation that offers a comprehensive arts programme. "This is the first time that we have an exhibitor from Pakistan. People now find Pakistani and Sri Lankan art more affordable than Indian art," says Kirpal. The trend of the "firsts" continues as Gallery NON from Istanbul marks Turkey's debut at the fair. There are, of course, the classical galleries from Europe that are offering the staple dose of Dalis and Picassos.
"From India, Kolkata-based Experimenter Art Gallery will bring a cutting-edge collection. One can also see a trend of galleries creating specially-curated booths," adds Kirpal. For instance, Mumbai-based Gallery Maskara's booth is an installation in itself. The booth has been inspired by World War I. "16 art works, which will be an interpretation of this theme, will be displayed in a booth fashioned like a bunker," she says. The fair also marks the debut of Jhaveri Contemporary from Mumbai, run by Amrita Jhaveri, who was the first Indian employee of International auction house Christie's.
One of the most awaited exhibits is by Delhi's Dhoomimal Art Gallery and curated by Anjolie Ela Menon. "One section is dedicated to the Indian masters. Menon has selected works by Krishen Khanna, Manjit Bawa, M F Husain, H A Gade, K S Kulkarni and Rameshwar Broota among others," says Uday Jain, owner of Dhoomimal Art Gallery. The other section is titled 'Souza - Sacred to Profane and Masters of Indian Art'. "Dhoomimal has one of the best collections of Souza's nudes. Today, people talk of globalisation of Indian art. Back then Souza was already one of the few who was recognised globally. He was showing at TATE in the late 1960s and '70s when Husain and Gaitonde were relatively unknown," says Menon. She decided to curate the exhibit because she wanted to underline a gallery's importance. "There was a time when there weren't many galleries for aspiring artists. Uday's grandfather, who has a bookstore, would encourage artists to paint and leave their artworks there, making Dhoomimal own an enviable collection of modern masters," she adds. "Some of them have not become as renowned as they should have, like the great cubist K S Kulkarni."
Another section that is likely to catch the eye is a set of 24 installations by acclaimed artists. There is Aura by Subodh Gupta, a video-art project curated by Bhavna Kakar, the sculptural project Agalma by Anjana Kothamachu and Riyas Komu's unique project centred on the creation of a collectors' room.
"L N Tallur's Pathfinder is very striking as is Chintan Upadhyay's 20 feet by 20 feet installation titled Iconic Shrine. Also, Absolut Vodka, which has commissioned artists like Bharti Kher in the past, has now collaborated with Anish Kapoor. This work will be unveiled at the fair," says Kirpal. On display is also a unique sculpture-based performance by US-based artist Anindita Dutta. "I am working on a wall 9 feet high and 56 feet long and have covered it with wet clay. The concept stems from my notion that everything around me is made of materials, including us. Life is an accumulation of non-living materials. But eventually, living things do become non-living," says Dutta. She will be collaborating with theatre artists from NSD and Chandigarh to create a performance around her work.
The Kiran Nadar Museum of Art from Delhi, Latvia's Mark Rothko Art Centre and the Himalayas Art Museum in Shanghai, debuting this year at the fair, will showcase best museum practices in the city. "We are bringing in 25 collectors from China who will visit various studios and collectors' homes," says Kirpal.
Following the international trend of jewellery brands like Cartier showcasing at art fairs, Kirpal has invited Nirav Modi to exhibit his collection. "A lot of my jewellery is inspired by art. In fact there is a similarity between the way art and jewellery is created. The Mughal collection has been inspired by the inlays at the Taj as well as Mughal miniature paintings. Then the Orchestra collection features handspun gold," says Modi. The booth will also feature two craftsmen who will showcase their skills.
Art enthusiasts can also hear the views of the best minds from the field of visual arts as part of the Speakers Forum which will feature personalities like Budi Tek, the Chinese-Indonesian entrepreneur, art philanthropist and collector, Chris Dercon, director, Tate Modern London, artist Bharti Kher and Jeebesh Bagchi, member of the Raqs Media Collective. "My talk is about how we perceive artwork, explained through the metaphor of the nest and the flight of the bird. Art can be seen both ways - through the nature of the flight as well as the beauty and intimacy of the nest," says Bagchi.
The sixth edition of the India Art Fair will be held at NSIC Grounds, New Delhi, between January 30 and February 2, 2014