Anoothi Vishal checks out the new art stores that stock memorabilia and merchandise lines with your favourite works reproduced on them.
It’s fun visiting the Tate Online Shop — even if you are not seriously into British modern or contemporary art. While the Tate galleries in the UK may be must-visits for those who are either seriously interested in art or in the business of it, there is something to hold the interest of even more casual visitors: the associated “art stores”. For a sampling, check out the online shop (www.tate.org). Valentine’s Day products — with an arty twist — are on sale; everything from Niki de Saint Phalle inflatable red hearts to a Love Sculpture. And there are lines by other artists — cake plates and cups, cycling Ts, jewellery...
Unlike elsewhere in the world, where private museums invariably have stores to attract even casual visitors and memorabilia seekers, in India, there haven’t been very many such spaces. A “Satish Gujral” coffee mug— products with copyrighted art reproduced — may look great on your table every day, but where do you buy one from? If you are lucky, the somewhat disinterested staff at the likes of the Lalit Kala Akademi may dust limited merchandise and let you buy something, and you can take home posters and prints of debatable production quality from some other places or cheap originals from amateur artists outside the likes of Jehangir in Mumbai, but nothing more exciting. Till now.
The last few months of 2008 seem to have ushered in a change. In New Delhi itself three new art stores have opened in the last few months with everything from journals and calendars to coffee mugs, wine bags, coasters and even handbags on offer. For such merchandise, check out the store at the NGMA’s new wing, the Book Store at Vadehra Art Gallery in New Delhi, part of their reading room for those interested in researching Indian art, and the Religare Arts i.store. Besides these, there are some private galleries and stores that are seriously exploring possibilities with such merchandise in both Delhi and Mumbai.
Vadehra Art Gallery’s new initiative, the FICA (Foundation for Indian Contemporary Art) Reading Room at Defence Colony, is a one-of-its kind space for art lovers and artists. Books for the library, says Roshini Vadehra, have been brought from abroad, often those not to be found anywhere in India. “When we travel, we may pick up 20 copies from the Tate or such places,” she explains. The Book Store, part ofthat same space, has plush art productions on sale as well as a smattering of “quality literature”— because artists who come here apparently requested that some general interest titles be stocked too. Then there is a section with memorabilia and merchandise about which the “artists are quite excited”, according to Vadehra. Copyrights for all these products remain with the artists and they are involved with the production of these lines. At the moment, what you can pick up ranges from fabulously produced journals and coasters (Ram Kumar, Arpita Singh, Atul Dodiya; Rs 350 for a set of six) to coffee mugs (starting from Rs 150) to bags with works by Shilpa Gupta and colourful ones by Hema Upadhyay and even book marks, mouse pads and wrapping sheets with Ramachandran art (Rs 40 per sheet). Also on the anvil are lines that will be developed exclusively — and not just reproductions of previously done works — for such merchandise. “People sometimes find even prints expensive… the idea is that there is something for everyone to take home, to spread awareness about Indian art,” says Vadehra.
Sharing space with the new Religare gallery in Connaught Place is the Religare Arts.i store, a place that aims to be a niche destination for creative, original products and lifestyle accessories. What you find within are products with a sharp focus on design — everything from T-shirts and accessories to jewellery, products for the interiors and so forth. At the National Gallery of Modern Art’s new wing too, there is a small store offering prints, coffee mugs, etcetra-etcetra.
More From This Section
But another new place that you must check out if you are sourcing products with art reproductions is The Fuschia Tree (www.thefuschiatree.com) in New Delhi. Described as a “progressive conclave of ideas and artists”, this is a space for emerging artists to display and sell their works and artists can also “opt to benefit from revenue streams such as reproductions of their works on canvas as a Giclee print or art-in-utility merchandise line”, says the gallery/store’s Jasjit Chug. This season, there is a line that has been developed in collaboration with the artist Nida Mahmood — including highly stylised stationary products like notebooks, post cards and scratchpads (Rs 150-495), journals (Rs 750 for 200 pages) and other interesting items like wine bags (Rs 195). There is also a range of trendy, metallic handbags (Rs 1,750) that you may like to pick up. The hallmark of all these is excellent production quality. Chug says that a complete calendar has been planned for future lines by other artists, including those developed in collaboration with American photographer Paul Suter for a concept called “Love and Light”, Argentinian artist Sara Di Ciero for a concept called “Fuschia Fashion”, and London-based Indian artist Kiran Kotecha for a festival merchandise line. The works are all copyrighted and the mark up on each product goes to the artist concerned.
Tribal Root in Mumbai is another place for stuff. A set of three cottages in Versova (devoted to women’s accessories and jewellery, home interiors and furniture and art), this functions as a gallery for aspiring artists and some lines are devoted to art. For instance, you can find dining mats and coasters with collages, using eco-friendly material. But with copyright laws in India being lax, the owner ask what’s to stop someone from plagerising? Hope you’ll not do that when you buy these products.
