Now in its 11th year, the much-awaited India Art Fair (IAF) is all set to present an incredible range of art by over 1,000 artists and 75 galleries and institutions from India and beyond. Promising to be a four-day treat to collectors and connoisseurs, as well as a cultural day out for enthusiasts, the fair seeks to offer visitors unique access to Indias thriving visual art scene.
Scheduled to take place from January 31-February 3 at the NSIC Exhibition Grounds here, IAF 2019 will be a converging point for art projects, solo presentations, Indian and international galleries. It includes platforms for emerging art practices, collectives and for boosting youth partake in arts.
"Unlike a biennale, which is a non-profit initiative, the fair is a commercial marketplace for the arts. While some visit to acquire artworks, others view the fair more as an exhibition, enjoying the experience as a cultural day out," IAF Director Jagdip Jagpal, who has over 30 years experience in arts and culture, publishing and media, luxury and fashion, told IANS over email.
IAF will feature a diverse selection of Indian contemporary and modern art galleries, which will exhibit masterworks by artists including Raja Ravi Varma, Tyeb Mehta, F.N. Souza, Akbar Padamsee and Ram Kumar.
With over 70 per cent of the fair space dedicated to local exhibitors, Jagpal said that it will always be grounded in its local context and is committed to featuring Indian galleries as the large majority.
"The majority of programming caters to our general visitors, so those attending on the public days can expect to see a fantastic scheduling of talks, performances and workshops.
"We have also launched a series of collecting masterclasses and walkthroughs, so that our younger audiences can learn about the modern and contemporary artworks on display in a fun and personal way," the Director said.
Asked about her personal highlights in IAF, she listed a large-scale photographic works by Dia Mehhta Bhupal, sculptures by Benitha Perciyal and L.N. Tallur along with new works by internationally renowned artists Ai Weiwei and Yayoi Kusama, whose "participation reflects both the fair's global outlook and India's cosmopolitan modern-day identity".
Beyond the booths, the performance programme is a must see, said Jagpal, naming Sajan Mani's performative installation "Art Will Never Die, but COW?" and Mithu's Sen intervention "100 Silent Ways" as highlights.
The event also promises to be an all-inclusive one. "Everyone is welcome to come and experience tactile representations of Art Projects. We have introduced braille guides, sign language interpreters, wheelchair services and feeding rooms," said the member of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) Task Force for Arts and Culture.
Outside the fair grounds, a new initiative called IAF Parallel, will also see collateral events run simultaneously in Bikaner House, NGMA, KNMA, FICA, IGNCA, and the galleries in Lado Sarai here.
IAF's presenting Partner BMW Group India will showcase the 14th BMW Art Car by David Hockney -- BMW 850 CSi, 1995. Since 1975, 19 prominent artists from across the world have created Art Cars on the basis of contemporary BMW automobiles of their times, all offering a wide range of artistic interpretations.
Tickets to IAF are available online at www.indiartfair.in for Rs 350 (for students) to Rs 700 for a day.
--IANS
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