From afar it looks like any other sewing machine. But on closer look, it turns out to be a sewing machine made of sharp razor blades. Bangladesh-based artist Tayeba Begum Lipi's work tries to portray the destructive side of everyday, innocuous things. The blades, for instance, can change something that joins and sews into something that cuts and destroys. This is just one of the cutting-edge works that will be showcased at the the 7th India Art Fair. Delhi-based Shrine Gallery, which is bringing Lipi's artwork to the fair, is one of the 85 galleries that will put on view the nuances of modern and contemporary art practices prevalent across the world. With a series of talks, curated walks and special projects, the fair seeks to facilitate a dialogue among artists and art enthusiasts.
International flavours
Latvia, Portugal, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Israel, Spain, Singapore and Russia - these are just some of the countries that will be represented at the fair. Through various international exhibits, visitors will be able to understand the socio-political context influencing art in these countries. "Lipi's artwork, for instance, is extremely women-oriented. Objects such as cots and prams regularly find their way in her creations. The sewing machine, in my interpretation, also talks about the social conditions in Bangladesh," says Shefali Somani, director, Shrine Empire. She feels that the work looks back at the incident that occurred in Bangladesh a couple of years ago when workers were buried alive in a collapsed tailoring factory.
Another work to watch out for is a transient installation, On Indefiniteness, by Pakistan-based artist Muhammad Zeeshan, which is being brought to the fair by Latitude 28. Curated by Girish Shahane, who is also the artistic director of the fair, the installation features two paintings in glass boxes. "Both these boxes are connected to a pipe that drips ink on the two glass frames," says Bhavna Kakar, founder and owner, Latitude 28. It's a cheeky comment on the ephemeral nature of art. "At the end of the fair, the paintings would have disappeared. I think it is a romantic notion of the death of the art and the artist," says Kakar.
A contemporary act
From abstracts and photographs to installations and sculptures - galleries are bringing contemporary works with a refreshingly new sensibility to the fair. While The Loft from Mumbai, known for its innovative displays, will show a series of minimal and abstract works of Ajay Choudhary, Manisha Parekh, Sachin Tekade and Sharmishtha Ray, Delhi-based Art Alive will present a unique outdoor installation by Paresh Maity. Titled Procession, the 240 inch x 204 inch piece shows 50 ants made of old motorcycle parts, light and wood and pays a tribute to the resolute character of the ants and their laborious achievements. "Besides this, there is a work by Vibhor Sogani inspired by Mahatma Gandhi and sculptures by S Nandgopal," says gallerist Sunaina Anand.
Another installation that art enthusiasts are looking forward to is Outpost by Samar Singh Jodha, brought to the fair by Apeejay Arts, a contemporary art gallery promoted by Priti Paul. "This work is part of the gallery's focus on new media, new materials and new way of looking at art. Jodha has shown this at the Venice Architecture Biennale 2014 but Outpost has never been shown in India," says Paul. Jodha has been working in the Northeast for the past 12 years. "Members of the mining community there don't live in shanties but in small shacks in the middle of nowhere," says Jodha. "They build basic, temporary roads and then flatten the tar drums to use in the houses. They are not trained architects." The artist, who has photographed these houses extensively, is a firm believer that art is not about individualism but a collective creative process. He took these photos to Mumbai where he worked with traditional metal workers. "Once the metal strips were oxidised and discoloured like the ones in the Northeast, these images were transferred on to them," explains Jodha.
Corporate dialogue with art
The India Art Fair has witnessed several collaborations with corporates in the past seven years, the most noted of these being with YES Bank. The corporate with its newly launched YES Culture initiative, seeks to play a major role in augmenting India's cultural stature globally. They plan to start this with the Spotlight Series at the fair, which will include a series of performances, book launches and discussions. "Each event and performance taking place during the Spotlight Series at the YES Lounge will be a representation of an art form in itself, and the highlight of the series will be "My East is Your West", a project for the 56th Venice Biennale 2015," says Rana Kapoor, managing director and CEO, YES Bank. "Further, the series will see a number of prominent speakers and artists, including Sakti Burman, Kishore Singh, Rahul Kumar, Jawahar Sircar, Sabeena Gadihoke, Arpita Singh, Rahaab Allana, Prof Mushirul Hasan, Jaya Jaitly and Rosa Maria Falvo."
Officine Panerai, the high-end Italian watch brand, will host an exclusive VIP preview on the opening day and also exhibit some of its most iconic time pieces. Vana Retreats will show an installation by Jwalant Mahadevwala, works by Siraj Saxena and a selection of designs by Abraham and Thakore. "All of them have been design partners in the Vana journey and we wanted to pay homage to them," says Veer Singh, founder and owner of Vana Retreats.
International flavours
Latvia, Portugal, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Israel, Spain, Singapore and Russia - these are just some of the countries that will be represented at the fair. Through various international exhibits, visitors will be able to understand the socio-political context influencing art in these countries. "Lipi's artwork, for instance, is extremely women-oriented. Objects such as cots and prams regularly find their way in her creations. The sewing machine, in my interpretation, also talks about the social conditions in Bangladesh," says Shefali Somani, director, Shrine Empire. She feels that the work looks back at the incident that occurred in Bangladesh a couple of years ago when workers were buried alive in a collapsed tailoring factory.
Another work to watch out for is a transient installation, On Indefiniteness, by Pakistan-based artist Muhammad Zeeshan, which is being brought to the fair by Latitude 28. Curated by Girish Shahane, who is also the artistic director of the fair, the installation features two paintings in glass boxes. "Both these boxes are connected to a pipe that drips ink on the two glass frames," says Bhavna Kakar, founder and owner, Latitude 28. It's a cheeky comment on the ephemeral nature of art. "At the end of the fair, the paintings would have disappeared. I think it is a romantic notion of the death of the art and the artist," says Kakar.
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Then there is a show by the Bruno Art Group, which has galleries in Israel, Singapore, Turks & Caicos Islands and the US. The group is presenting a selection of its most brilliant artists such as Raphael Abecassis, Yaacov Agam, Charles Fazzino, Anu Malhotra and Arnaud Nazare. "Colour is the main theme of our booth this year. The artists have used colours to depict narratives from life and create an atmosphere through figures and shapes," says Motti Abramovitz, founder of the group. So, you have Abecassis vividly depicting stores from the Bible, while Dganit Blechner has used cheerful colours to create evocative compositions of cities and icons from movies.
A contemporary act
From abstracts and photographs to installations and sculptures - galleries are bringing contemporary works with a refreshingly new sensibility to the fair. While The Loft from Mumbai, known for its innovative displays, will show a series of minimal and abstract works of Ajay Choudhary, Manisha Parekh, Sachin Tekade and Sharmishtha Ray, Delhi-based Art Alive will present a unique outdoor installation by Paresh Maity. Titled Procession, the 240 inch x 204 inch piece shows 50 ants made of old motorcycle parts, light and wood and pays a tribute to the resolute character of the ants and their laborious achievements. "Besides this, there is a work by Vibhor Sogani inspired by Mahatma Gandhi and sculptures by S Nandgopal," says gallerist Sunaina Anand.
Another installation that art enthusiasts are looking forward to is Outpost by Samar Singh Jodha, brought to the fair by Apeejay Arts, a contemporary art gallery promoted by Priti Paul. "This work is part of the gallery's focus on new media, new materials and new way of looking at art. Jodha has shown this at the Venice Architecture Biennale 2014 but Outpost has never been shown in India," says Paul. Jodha has been working in the Northeast for the past 12 years. "Members of the mining community there don't live in shanties but in small shacks in the middle of nowhere," says Jodha. "They build basic, temporary roads and then flatten the tar drums to use in the houses. They are not trained architects." The artist, who has photographed these houses extensively, is a firm believer that art is not about individualism but a collective creative process. He took these photos to Mumbai where he worked with traditional metal workers. "Once the metal strips were oxidised and discoloured like the ones in the Northeast, these images were transferred on to them," explains Jodha.
Corporate dialogue with art
The India Art Fair has witnessed several collaborations with corporates in the past seven years, the most noted of these being with YES Bank. The corporate with its newly launched YES Culture initiative, seeks to play a major role in augmenting India's cultural stature globally. They plan to start this with the Spotlight Series at the fair, which will include a series of performances, book launches and discussions. "Each event and performance taking place during the Spotlight Series at the YES Lounge will be a representation of an art form in itself, and the highlight of the series will be "My East is Your West", a project for the 56th Venice Biennale 2015," says Rana Kapoor, managing director and CEO, YES Bank. "Further, the series will see a number of prominent speakers and artists, including Sakti Burman, Kishore Singh, Rahul Kumar, Jawahar Sircar, Sabeena Gadihoke, Arpita Singh, Rahaab Allana, Prof Mushirul Hasan, Jaya Jaitly and Rosa Maria Falvo."
Officine Panerai, the high-end Italian watch brand, will host an exclusive VIP preview on the opening day and also exhibit some of its most iconic time pieces. Vana Retreats will show an installation by Jwalant Mahadevwala, works by Siraj Saxena and a selection of designs by Abraham and Thakore. "All of them have been design partners in the Vana journey and we wanted to pay homage to them," says Veer Singh, founder and owner of Vana Retreats.