NEW DELHI, Jan 2:
The ninth edition of India Art Fair that is all set to begin today, will seek to promote both regional and global art, with an impressive line-up of Indian and international exhibitors.
A tightly curated art affair, the India Art fair is touted as one of South Asia’s biggest events for modern and contemporary art, which will see an increased visibility for regional art spaces and collectives.
“India Art Fair continues to play an increasingly significant role presenting the best of the region to a global audience, and creating a leading platform for both national and international artists, galleries and cultural institutions,” Neha Kirpal, Founding Director of India Art Fair, said.
With an aim to focus on showcasing the most critical contemporary art in South Asia, the fair is focusing on galleries like Britto Arts Trust (Dhaka), Nepal Art Council (Kath-mandu), Theertha International Artists Collective (Colombo) and Blueprint 12 (New Delhi).
The fair, which will be held at NSIC grounds in Okhla here, will present 16 specially-curated art projects by stalwarts from the art industry.
Pakistani-American contemporary artist Anila Quayyum Agha will be presenting her first major piece “All The Flowers Are For Me”- a sculptural installation which captures the identity, beauty, and femininity of her mother.
“Phantom Pain”, by Delhi-based artist Mithu Sen, straddles defined categories of art-making as well as the distance between the artist and the audience.
One of the most innovative artists working with a radical contemporary sensibility, Sudarshan Shetty will display his sculptural installation- “Taj Mahal”.
Constructed with more than 250 miniature metallic reproductions of the monument, his work explores material and medium in order to examine history, memory, and desire.
Mahatam Gandhi’s nephew, Kanu Gandhi is presenting a unique collection of photographs which have been edited from a long forgotten archive and provide an extraordinarily rare and intimate account of the Mahatma’s life.
Presenting art pieces specially commissioned for the fair, leading Indian art institutions such as Kiran Nadar Museum of Art (New Delhi), Floodlight Foundation (New Delhi), Kanoria Centre for Arts (Ahmedabad), FICA (New Delhi) and Swaraj Art Archive (Noida) are also participating in the fair.
The 3-day event will also witness a ‘Speaker’s Forum’ where key panelists will discuss the growing role of South Asian art in global museums.
The discussion features, Sheena Wagstaff (Metropolitan Museum, New York), Richard Armstrong (Guggenheim Museum, New York), Manuel Rabate (Louvre, Abu Dhabi) and Sangita Jindal (Jindal Foundation, Mumbai).
Collectors of different generations will present the work and examine development including a conversation on video and new media with Jean-Conrad and Isabelle Lemaître (Paris) and Anurag Khanna from Gujarat.
The forum will also attempt to examine the development of networks of contemporary art in South Asia. Pooja Sood from Khoj International Studios will accompany Alessio Antoniolli (Gasworks, London), Boon Hui Tan (Asia Society, New York) for the discussion.
A specially curated film programme by Godrej India Culture Lab along with filmaker Avijit Mukul Kishore and Rohan Shivkumar will focus on decades of image-making and the intersection between filmmaking and the visual arts in India during the show. (PTI)
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