The ninth edition of the India Art Fair that draws to a close today, served as a potent platform for galleries to gain exposure and establish networks with their foreign counterparts, despite recording "low sales".
For city-based Art Heritage gallery which sought to promote modern Indian art with their collection at the fair, the sales were "not up to the mark" but the gallery director says they were "happy" with the response from the art collectors as well as other visitors.
"Although the sales have not be up to the mark, but I have been really happy with the response from the viewers. It is a very important that the fair is being held annually because it gives us a tremendous amount of exposure and we get to know about new collectors, international galleries and museums," says Amal Allana, director of the Art heritage gallery.
Allana said that fairs like IAF help the galleries to understand the dynamics of the Indian art market in a better way.
"It is important to understand the dynamics of marketing while selling the art pieces or projecting them in front of the audience. We are learning many things in the process through such fairs," she says.
Meher Kalra of Gallerie Navya sees demonetisation a major reason behind low sales in comparison to the business the gallery did last year.
"Although people have appreciated a good mix of both modern as well as contemporary art works but due to demonetisation the response of the buyers has been slightly low.
"There have been less buyers compared to last time. Also such fairs can't be seen only with the expectation of making sales. Rather it is an opportunity to market and project our collections," says Kalra.
The edition this year focused on art from South Asia, including countries like Nepal, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. The fair also presented 16 specially-curated art projects by artists like Sudarshan Shetty, Reena Saini Kallat among others.
Payal Vadehra from city-based Vadehra Art Gallery says the fair has been "good" for the Indian art market and that they drew satisfactory sales.
"A lot of people have come and appreciated our collection.
We have been consistently doing well at the fair. IAF plays a unique role in the art circuit because they also do a lot of work to promote art with their outreach programs, presenting art to people who would not normally go to a gallery to see it. It does very good for bringing art to the public whether it is to a buyer or just a viewer," she says.
The art pieces by artist Jagannath Panda and sculptor
Riyas Komu at their booth have garnered a lot of interest amongst visitors, she says.
Crayon Art Gallery which displayed works by modernist artist like Syed Haider Raza and M F Husain, says the fair has been "unique" since the gallery witnessed an influx of a lot of foreign buyers.
"We had several new international buyers coming from the United States of America. We also got several architects and interior designers at our booth who are helping people recreate and renovate their homes. They have been recommending art to their customers.
"It is a really good sign for marketing art since many new collectors will emerge," says Amit Vadhera from the gallery.
For him, the event serves as an important platform for new buyers since they feel less intimidated than visiting an art gallery.
While asserting about the role of gallery directors at such fairs, Shireen Gandhy, owner of Mumbai- based Chemould Prescott Road gallery says, "At fairs, there is always this advantage that the gallery directors and assistants are always present in the fair to answer queries of curious viewers as well as collectors and guide them about the art works they display".
