LuxeBook February 2022

The India Art Fair is going to be held after two years. What can one expect from the fair this year? Since I took over as Fair Director in April, it’s been a gap year of learning and experimenting with new ideas, as well as adapting to changing conditions. The fair has transformed digitally and otherwise. We have made it a year-round programme rather than just a four-day affair. One of the things that the past couple of years have taught us is that digital technology is essential in all occupations. We have taken it very seriously and are using it to reach out to artists and art lovers, to educate and inspire them. What are some of the other changes at the India Art Fair? We have strived to become a source and directory for important artists over the last two years.We have worked on building a website, along with online workshops, walkthroughs, and talks. We have also extended our IAF parallel program of ongoing events and exhibitions that take place in galleries, institutions, and other art spaces in India and beyond. Another new concept is that of a noticeboard launched on our website. It is a prospect for artists and art professionals to access a directory of opportunities that are available. We are building profiles of exhibitors to help people learn a little more about the galleries within India and South Asia. We have introduced online programming with exhibitions, talks and workshops, like our online BMW Art Talk with artist Dia Mehhta Bhupal, exhibition walkthroughs of Marcel Dzama’s show at David Zwirner in New York, and Lokame Tharavadu which is an ongoing landmark exhibition. We are trying to build as much momentum by educating people about different artists, art forms and movements. And now we will continue to build on these initiatives using the strength of our infrastructure for art and artists in India and South Asia. What kind of artists will the fair focus on this year? We have artists and practitioners from across the board. We have about fifty-plus galleries, displaying art from all over the country and the world. In terms of mediums, we have pretty much everything from paintings to sculptures to prints and photography available across print points, whether you are a young millennial buyer or a seasoned collector. We do have some new galleries that we are quite excited about such as Vida Heydari Contemporary (Pune), APRE Art House (Mumbai), Art Incept and Modern Art Gallery (both New Delhi). This year, we will also have a newly imagined Platform section curated by independent curator Amit Kumar Jain to spotlight a range of Indian folk art and traditions. We are particularly excited about this because we are keen to see them at par with the rest of the contemporary artists and art on display at the fair. Give us an overview of the South Asian art scenario. We’re very proud of the quality of art and the artists in South Asia.We’ve tried to give a platform to young artists and emerging work from this region. We’ve found that in the last two years, the whole industry and artists have been broadly collaborative. They have been supporting each other as a peer group. We are focusing on this. We’re doing a symposium which is online called ‘Staging the Contemporary’, which involves the next generation of artists, curators and art writers. We’re giving them a voice through symposiums such as the one which was held in early January. So the fair will see a lot of artists from the next generation. Tell us some more about art’s standing as an asset class in India. What collaborations can one expect at the fair? Art intersects fashion, design and architecture. I think as a design discipline and art form, all of these are one holistic cultural experience. If one views them to be at par then yes, art can be viewed as luxury. We do get a lot of buyers who look at art as an investment, as well as wealth management firms that are offering art as an asset class. Having said that, we also offer art at entry level pricing to new buyers. I think the way our fair is structured, we end up working with some of the biggest brands. And IAF is the biggest luxuryevent of its kindwithin the art industry.Our present partner is BMW. Our sponsors include Dia Colours, Raw Mango for fashion. These are all luxury brands, and yes, there is definitely a luxury angle to the fair. How has the pandemic affected the art market in India? I think some changes were for the better. For instance, this period has taught us that the key is collaboration. We discovered that within our industry itself a lot of galleries have come together to do group shows. India Art Fair facade designed by Sameer Kulavoor. Courtesy of India Art Fair 30| L U X E B O O K | F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 2 F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 2 | L U X E B O O K | 31