Here's what members of the Art fraternity have to say about India Art Fair 2022

Art enthusiasts around the country are rejoicing as the India Art Fair  returns after two years and multiple last-minute postponements. The annual IAF marks an important occasion on the capital’s cultural calendar, and this year’s much-awaited edition is the talk of the town, despite a resurgence in Covid cases and the sultry weather. 

The buzz was most evident at the pre-inaugural party held a night before the official opening of the IAF 2022. Hosted by Bhavna Kakar, Founder and Director of Latitude 28 Gallery and Editor-in-Chief and Publisher of TAKE on Art Magazine, the party marked the celebration of twelve years of the magazine’s publication and was attended by the who’s who of Indian art and then some.

The heat of Delhi’s summer did not deter attendees who arrived in full force, decked to the nines in their fashionably artistic best. Many adhered to the given theme – ‘Come dressed as a character from your favourite book’, while others used its vagueness to their advantage without putting in too much effort. Kakar herself was resplendent in a blue structured Rimzim Dadu cocktail dress. The gathering was split across two levels of Delhi’s happening eatery Rooh, at the Ambawatta One complex in Mehrauli, with the Qutub Minar providing a stately backdrop. 

Cocktails flowed freely and experimental hors d’oeuvres were passed around, as the conversation in every corner centred on a single subject – the India Art Fair. Artists of long-standing renown mingled with their up-and-coming compatriots, and gallery owners fraternised with writers, critics, and consultants. Booth numbers were shared instead of phone digits, timings for interesting talks were noted, and outfits – works of art in their own right – were made centrepieces of conversation.

“This India Art Fair is the first one that isn’t happening in the winter season, and perhaps we’ll miss seeing that glamour of dressing up, of watching people experimenting with winter dressing like dhoti sarees and boots. But maybe we’ll see experimentation of a different kind,” smiles Collector, Researcher and Art Advisor Pratap Bose, known on Instagram as @theindianartobserver.

Bose’s observations are not limited to sartorial ones. When asked about the trends and artists to watch for this IAF, he shares, “It’s nice that the IAF isn’t limiting its shows this year to the actual venue. There are a lot of surroundings events in different spaces around Delhi that are very exciting. As for the artists I’m excited to see – I’d say in the contemporary space, it’s

Subodh Gupta, Krishen Khanna who at age 97 is still going strong, and Akar Prakar gallery’s show of Ganesh Pyne, which features his small-format drawings and paintings spanning various stages of his career.”

Ashwini Pai Bahadur, Founder of Artspeaks India, an arts and cultural development initiative, is excited about the work being showcased at this IAF. Naming mixed media artist Sudipta Das, painter Baaraan Ijlal and ceramicist Rahul Kumar as names to watch for, she says, “I’m so glad the IAF is back in its physical version. At the end of the day art is an emotion that needs to be experienced in person. Art connects people when it is observed with the naked eye.”

Renowned multi-media artist Seema Kohli, who is exhibiting many works at the IAF, including a video piece titled ‘Entering Stillness’, an artistic serigraph work and gold leaf on paper drawings – both of which are a first for her; had missed the frenzy of on-ground art festivals and hopes that her new works, which she describes as being “very close to her process”, are appreciated.

Tejshree Savara, Arts, Antiquities and Cultural Heritage Legal Advisor, art aficionado and co-founder of The Art Appreciation Society, an organisation that works to simplify the understanding of art for a young audience, represents the young collector’s voice. She is most excited about viewing the solo shows of eight talented artists like Ankon Mitra, Vinod Daroz, Chetnaa and others, being showcased this year by their respective gallery representatives. Savara is also looking forward to the parallel events being organised by the Young Collector’s Program. 

Independent Art Advisor Geet Nagi exclaims, “Being able to attend the Art Fair after two years is exciting in itself! I’m most interested in the London based Pakistani artist Saad Qureshi’s artworks at Nature Morte gallery’s parallel event, as well as Khoj gallery’s ‘Does the Blue Sky Lie?’. The Somnath Hore, Atul Dodiya and K Ramanujan shows at KNMA are also wonderful. But most of all, I’m excited about the projects I’ve collaborated on - Anshuka Mahapatra’s IAF tent façade design which she made after winning the Future Flex Open Call organised by Artdemic, and Tiffn Pop x Kaffa Culture - an NFT pop culture art event at Kaffa Cerados Roastery that I’m curating, showcasing the works of over forty NFT artists and sculptors.”

A strong focus on digital art, NFTs and social media is evident in this edition of the IAF. The organisation’s swanky website immediately plants the visitor in a metaverse of its own creation, and its Instagram account is abuzz with chatter in order to attract and engage a younger audience. Pratap Bose believes that social media has tipped the scales and expects this year’s IAF to be uber-successful for it. He further points out that the art market is currently experiencing a boom, and the sales of artworks are likely to go through the roof.

However, he is not as hopeful about the adoption of NFTs by the art fraternity. He says, “India is on the cusp of accepting NFTs in their full scope. They are still treating NFTs as an experimental investment and not as a medium of serious art collection. This is evident from the fact that the two original Raja Ravi Verma NFTs priced at $70,000 did not sell. Also, no one in India is creating unique NFTs, so this medium’s future remains to be seen.”

Whatever the future of digital art and its ownership may be, there is no denying that the fraternity at large is happy to engage with art once again. Delhi has long been known for its incredible art events, with its short winter season almost akin to one continuous party dedicated to the arts. With the return of the IAF in its new, multifaceted avatar, the party promises to be one for the ages.

Noor Anand Chawla pens lifestyle articles for various publications and her blog www.nooranandchawla.com _. She can be reached at nooranand@gmail.com._

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