The Centre is Shifting
“What is the difference between a collector and a curator (of art)”? No, not a joke, or even a trick question, but an invitation to seek a response from a specially invited audience in the capital of India. Either out of fear, or a genuine lack of knowledge, there was no response from those gathered in the VIP tent at 5th edition of India Art Fair. The assembled company was then treated to short talks by an established collector and a curator explaining their respective roles.
In the midst of the hullabaloo of the controversy surrounding Ashis Nandy’s remarks about corruption in the country at the Jaipur Literature Festival, and the banning of Salman Rushdie from the Kolkata Literary Meet, the India Art Fair opened quietly in New Delhi on 1st February, with a preview the day before.
The opening may have been quiet but the Fair itself is – to use an old cliché – a riot of colour; not just of the home grown variety but an international tour de force with over 100 exhibitors from 23 countries, displaying a vast range of work from both established and emerging artists. Since almost half the galleries are from overseas, the atmosphere is truly international and visitors are treated to a rare feast including works by Dali, Picasso, Chagall et al.
Neha Kirpal, the Founding Director of the India Art Fair (see an exclusive interview with Neha in an upcoming issue of AGI) has certainly injected some ‘new energy in the Indian art market’. 2013 has attracted more sponsors and this is reflected in the sheer size of the venue (over 20,000 sq. meters of display space) and the ‘extra-curricular’ activities that give the visitors something more than a treat for their eyes. The Speakers’ Forum sessions with over 40 eminent artists and scholars have been packed with eager art lovers and those new to the whole business (sic) of art.
Although most of the displays feature paintings and sculpture, there is a nod towards new media and performance art. For those unfamiliar with ‘art’, there are curated walks designed to ‘develop new audiences’. The smile on Neha’s face says that the Fair has been a resounding success!
Art and artefacts in/from India are as ancient as human civilization. (Incidentally, along with many others, I do not necessarily buy into the distinction between art and craft; but that is another article.) However, what is becoming clear to me, as I walk around the galleries and listen to the discussions at the IAF, is that the centre(s) of the art world is/are shifting. Perhaps it is to do with increasing prosperity but London, Paris, New York (all represented at the IAF) will soon have to compete with Asian venues; New Delhi will certainly be one of them.
