The 11th edition of The India Art Fair is the perfect outing for connoisseurs as well as lay persons, says Saimi Sattar

Imagine rows and rows of pure white Tibetan prayer flags flapping around you so that you become the only dot of colour. Then you bump into massive bust heads that artist Ravindra Reddy is known for. A little farther away you walk into sculptor SK Bakre’s world, an amazing cityscape without any buildings. There are people, street lights, furniture, vehicles, soldiers and all kinds of things but not a single building in sight. You decide your boundaries. The mind sure opens up at the 11th edition of the India Art Fair.

And it does from the entrance itself. The new look facade in black and white is by Aniruddh Mehta, popularly known as Big Fat Minimalist. Selected by India Art Fair and St+art India Foundation, the design is inspired by the topography and roadmaps of Delhi and reflects traditional pattern work along with a futuristic digital graphic style.

Enter any hall and the vibe is infectious. And it hits you hard and strong as soon as you enter. Creativity, innovation, out-of-the-box, mind blowing  are some of the descriptions that strike one while going around the stalls put up by the different art galleries at the India Art Fair.

Often referred to as the leading platform to discover modern and contemporary art from South Asia, this year the Art Fair sees 75 exhibitors from 24 Indian and international cities.

These were selected on several parameters including the artists that they showcased as well as whether displaying the works of artists was an ongoing process or was done in fits and started as well as whether they gave a chance to newer artists. While the earlier fairs have centered around the galleries from Mumbai and Delhi, this year around a conscious decision was taken to extend the boundaries further. So the 2019 edition features a diverse selection of contemporary art galleries from across India so galleries from Bengaluru, Kolkata, Hyderabad and Ahmedabad too make an appearance.

While at most galleries, contemporary artists occupy a large space, some of India’s oldest and most respected one like DAG and Dhoomimal Gallery (both New Delhi), are exhibiting masterworks by artists including Raja Ravi Varma, Tyeb Mehta, FN Souza, Akbar Padamsee and Ram Kumar.

Kishore Singh, president, DAG, while talking about the works that his gallery has decided to put forth says. “While the contemporary artists are important, one cannot proceed without understanding the grammar of art and that is the reason why the Masters never lose their significance. It is not just the names but within that realm of those names we are showing works which have elements like rarity, high quality, historicity and surprise. We decided to bring fewer but large works where the surprise factor is high. Artist Avinash Chandra is known for landscapes but we have put up his glass  mural, of which not many exist. Mrinalini Mukherjee is known for her bronze and ceramic works but most people don’t know that she does landscapes and that too of this size,” says he.

More examples come to the fore. He waves a hand at a Manjeet Bawa piece and says, “Death of Ranjha/Krishna is made in the artist’s signature style, where he is lying quietly in the centre. It is a full meditative work and it is the large size which makes it exceptional. Rarity is what we are looking at for instance in Krishna Khanna’s depiction of Draupadi. This one triggers our empathy as we have seen her in many forms but never in such vulnerable state  where she is seated on the lap of Duryodhan.” It is the subjects and the treatment that decide if an art work would be displayed by DAG. The gallery has also placed an audio book and a film next to the artworks to enable visitors to put them in context.

Then there is Gallery Summukha  from Bengaluru, which has taken a conscious decision to showcase the works of artists from South. Premila Baid, the owner points out, “We decided to have few artists who work in different mediums. So there is G Ravinder Reddy who has made the iconic bronze  heads, then there is Shanthamani Muddaiah who works with carbon and firewood to understand nature and sustainability. There is also Ravikumar Kashi who works with handmade paper on which he makes everyday objects. We have been working with him since the time we started out as a gallery in 1996.”

At the next stall what attracts is a line of art works shaped like 12 cabinets or televisions hung on the walls  which are overflowing with references to various events in 2013. Each of these 12 boxes, made by artist Anant Joshi in vibrant, shiny colours attract visitors to take a closer look. But the ensemble is interactive too as six TVs flash visuals, some of which are of the visitors themselves.

Then there are galleries like David Zwirner which have brough the works of European and American artists some of whom have made India their subject matter.

Moving on to Anant Art, the gallery has an arresting piece by Pakistani artist Aisha Khalid which has two heavily embroidered coats — one of which is halved.

However, it is not just that visual arts are a part of the fair. This year would also give a platform to performance arts. “The South Asian artists are the best performers,” informs Jagdip Jagpal, Director,  The India Art Fair  and adds, “Internationally renowned artists like Yasmin Jahan Nupur from Bangladesh would take centrestage as would Amol K Patil, Mithu Sen, Sahej Rahal and Sajan Mani.”

Jagpal says, “As India Art Fair enters a new decade, we have our strongest line-up of exhibitors from across South Asia and the world. Modern and contemporary South Asian art remains the focus of the fair, with 70 per cent of the floor space dedicated to Indian galleries and some artists never before seen by Indian audiences are being exhibited by international galleries. We are committed to making artists central to the discussion and debate.”

In another first, a CMYK bookstall has also made an appearance where one can pick up books related to art.

So, this weekend head out to the fair for your fill of the arts. You will not be disappointed for sure.

(The India Art Fair is being held at NSIC Ground, Okhla till February 3.)

Photo: Pankaj Kumar