NCR Arts Viewers Association

Akademi adds new art gallery space in Delhi

2011-02-07T17:53:00.000+05:30

Responding to the evolving contemporary art world where artists are experimenting with bold subjects and mediums, the Lalit Kala Akademi in the national capital has opened a new gallery intended to provide more space for exhibitions.

Situated in the basement, the new exhibition space is an addition to the existing nine galleries, at the one of the country’s oldest art spaces that is available for hire by local and international artists both established and upcoming in the art world.

“The basement was previously used as a storage area for our collection and we have renovated it to create a more efficient space that adds to the existing exhibition galleries,” Ashok Vajpayee, Chairman Lalit Kala Akademi told PTI.

“Yeh Image Mahaan – India meets Bharat”, an exhibition curated by Rakhi Sarkar and documenting the new vibrant languages of art emanating from India, put together by Kolkata-based private art gallery CIMA, became the first show at the new Akademi gallery that was inaugurated here on Monday evening. The exhibition is scheduled to go on till January 29.

“Right now the Akademi is one of the best spaces present in the capital, we are centrally located and we also have our own collaborations with institutions abroad. We send abroad our artists works and similarly exhibit international artists as part of our cultural policy,” says Mr. Vajpayee.

Presently a “bold” show comprising of works by 20 well known artists and commissioned by the Akademi is also being exhibited at the venue.

“Against all odds: A contemporary response to the historiography of archiving collecting and museums of India” displays how each artist would like their museums to be as well as critique or articulate the history of collecting all the while reflecting on issues from a personal or social viewpoint.

“People have commended us on this bold exhibition that has been curated by a young curator. We have to open up to the happenings of the contemporary art world and the Lalit Kala Akademi is trying to respond to this,” says Mr. Vajpayee.

The Chairman says the Akademi which has hosted retrospective shows on leading contemporary artists like Ram Kumar and Satish Gujral and is slated to put up soon a big show on Ghulam Mohammed Sheikh, is striving to encourage artists from all over the country especially younger ones.

Apart from individual artists and galleries the Lalit Kala Akademi also plans to host a triennial by the end of 2011 where work from private galleries would be exhibited.

State-run Lalit Kala Akademis would also be chipping in with their artists.

Jawahar Sircar, Secretary, Ministry of Culture who inaugurated the tenth gallery of the Lalit Kala Akademi says, “The new gallery is an example of the neutral spaces that are being made available to artists especially younger ones who want to exhibit their art and not just commercial spaces for buying and selling art. The Lalit Kala and the National Gallery of Modern Art

Meanwhile, the Akademi is also supporting the upcoming India Art Summit in the city.

“The IAS is essentially a commercial venture, it is a fair. While we are supporting them we are not playing a direct role. We are hoping to meet and interact with the number of artists who will be visiting the city both at an institutional level as well as on a personal level,” says Mr. Vajpayee who is also a well-known poet and author.

Yusuf Arakkal: Portrait of artist and his haunting, taunting faces

2011-02-07T17:48:00.002+05:30

Noted Kerala born portrait artist Yusuf Arakkal has honed his trademark portraiture of faces in the last 40 years into a series of haunting visages. ‘If Mona Lisa can sport a moustache, why can’t I paint faces?’ asks the artist, now working on canvases woven around Christ.

The evocative faces have been defined by critics as ‘voices from the void, filled with a strange power that haunt, taunt and burn with a latent fire’. No wonder an exhibition, on at the Art Alive Gallery that closes Feb 12, is called ‘An Inner Fire’.

‘I have been painting faces since Day 1. I trained in portraits even before I went to the art school under Jaya Varma, a relative of the renowned Raja Ravi Varma. He taught me to draw faces in the European tradition for 18 months in 1964,’ the painter told IANS.

‘Between 1964 and 1969, I painted several portraits but when I finished art school, my approach to portraits changed according to the phases in my life. There were times when I painted children’s faces.

‘Certain faces lingered in my memory and haunted me. Sometimes I refer to press photographs but I do not copy from photographs. Once I even painted my gardener,’ Arakkal said.

The 66-year-old artist, who is also fond of cinema, studies the way a filmmaker frames his subject on the lens. Influences of filmmakers like Vittorio de Sica, Satyajit Ray, Raj Kapoor and Truffaut are apparent in his work.

‘I am interested in the camera,’ he said.

Arakkal’s life is one of adventure. A member of the erstwhile ruling Arakkal clan of Cannanore in northern Kerala (now Kannur), the artist of Islamic lineage left his native place for Bangalore in search of a job.

Initially, he felt lost in the film-crazy Bangalore of the 1960s.

But a member of the extended Arakkal royalty took in the young artist and provided him shelter till he found a job as a technician at Hindustan Aeronautics Limited in Bangalore.

But the desire to paint and sculpt was overriding, the artist remembered.

Arakkal gave up his job to study at the Chitrakala Parishad. He spent some time as a graphic artist at the Garhi Artists Village in Delhi.

The faces are drawn to linear and geometrical measurements and his canvases often come across as a detailed graph with horizontal and vertical lines supporting the visage.

Arakkal was honoured with the prestigious Lorenzo De Medici gold medal in 2006 at the Florence International Beinnale for his composition, ‘Bacon’s Man With the Child and Priest’.

The artist, who assimilates inspiration and the subtleties of his craft from post-war Western contemporaries, is working on a new series on Jesus Christ comprising 10 compositions.

‘The first composition of the series, ‘Christ’s Last Supper’ with only Christ looming in the frame was exhibited at the India Art Summit 2011. I have completed two more in the series, the ‘Gethesemane Prayer’ (Christ’s last prayer in the garden of Gethesemane) and ‘Piata’ (Italian for dead),’ Arakkal said.

Arakkal believes ‘figurative art is the trend of the decade’.

‘In the last five years, Indian contemporary art has been drawn to ’super-realism’, popularised in the US in the late 1960s, 70s and 80s by artists like Chuck Close, who painted a curious body of grid-like artscapes and photo-realistic images in the CMYK colour format,’ he said.

The other trend is that of ‘traditional figurative drawing, the kind mastered by Kishen Khanna and Rameswar Broota,’ Arakkal said.

‘Portraiture is a difficult genre because it requires technical expertise. But as a creative art form, it can give away to tedium and mechanical repetition if the portraits are not dredged from memory and imagination,’ he said.

Art junction: Matisse meets Tagore

2011-02-07T17:39:00.006+05:30

Here is your chance to see works by legendary international artists, ranging from Henri Matisse and Andy Warhol to Damien Hirst and Anish Kapoor, alongside the works of Rabindranath Tagore and F.N. Souza, and contemporary stars like Subodh Gupta and Jitish Kallat, all at the same venue.

In India, too. Come January 20, Delhi’s Pragati Maidan will provide all the sensory overload you ever desired when the third edition of the four- day India Art Summit (IAS) opens its doors.

The canvas has got bigger and wider. Consider this: Some 54 galleries participated in the Delhi art fair’s last edition in August 2009. In comparison, 84 galleries, including 30 international ones, will show the works of nearly 570 artists, worth almost Rs 100 crore together, this time.

Naturally, the venue too has expanded from 4,500sqm to 8,000sqm.

“We’ve got an overwhelming response from all over the world, not just from galleries but also from museums, art institutions, curators, dealers and private collectors. People are beginning to take Indian art more seriously, so they all want to come here,” said Neha Kirpal, director, IAS.

For instance, representatives from the world’s top museums like Guggenheim in New York and Abu Dhabi, Tate London, Centre Pompidou of Paris, and the Singapore Art Museum will be attending the fair. As will the directors of various international art fairs and of expositions like the art biennales.

All of India’s leading galleries including the CIMA Gallery, Vadehra Art Gallery, Nature Morte, Sakshi Gallery and Chemould Prescott Road will have booths at the fair.

“There seems to be a lot of interest with people from all over the world coming to attend the fair. We’re looking forward to it,” said Usha Gawde, director, Sakshi Gallery.

Like last time, there will be works in canvas, sculpture, video and cutting-edge installation at the fair. The prices too will range from an affordable Rs 20,000 to as high as Rs 8 crore.

The international galleries too are bringing in works by leading international artists. Kirpal said: “What is happening in the economy is being reflected in the art world. There’s a desire to go global, and Indian collectors are looking at blue-chip international artists too.”

But there’s much more on the palette. The Speakers Forum will cover panel discussions on everything from Indian art on the international circuit to the role of museums.

The panellists include international experts like the director of the Art Institute, Chicago, and the chief curator of Tate Modern as well as leading Indian artists, gallerists and curators.

Anish Kapoor will be in conversation with Homi Bhabha, professor and director of Harvard University’s Humanities Centre. Leading American installation artist Dan Graham will talk to the San Francisco Art Institute’s director of exhibitions, Hou Hanru.

Eight art projects have been developed solely for the fair, and a host of collateral events will be held across galleries and museums in Delhi.

There’s even an extensive VIP programme covering exhibition launches (the CIMA Gallery will inaugurate its “Yeh Image Mahaan — India Meets Bharat” show at the Lalit Kala Akademi) and special viewings.

The London-based Serpentine Gallery’s co-director, Hans Ulrich Obrist, who is one of the most sought-after curators of contemporary art in the world, will, along with the Delhi-based KHOJ International Artists Association, conduct the KHOJ Marathon, a series of 20-minute public interviews with 25 leading intellectuals.

Some 11 galleries will host solo shows of artists. In its last edition, the art fair drew 40,000 visitors and saw sales of around Rs 26 crore, with 40 per cent of the buyers being first-time buyers.

4 Americans paint vibrant India in new light

2011-02-07T17:35:00.006+05:30

For many Westerners, India continues to be a land of tigers, princes, snake charmers and spirituality. Often these cliched images also dominate the imagination of artists from abroad. But four American artists - Carrie Fonder, Lily Stockman, Rebecca Layton and Jenny Mullins - have tried to break free.

In an exhibition titled Super/Power, their visual narratives are filled with a different set of images: autorickshaws, godowns, mobile phone towers and electrical transformers. The art works attempt to foster a dialogue between the mythologies of the old and vibrant India with New India. Curator Georgina Maddox says "each artist has employed multiple mediums to engage with the subject of India." Through paintings, sculptures, drawings and installations - they express themselves in an exhibition on view from April 1-16 at Threshold Art Gallery.

Detroit-based Fonder's sculptures deal with issues of gender and the way culture influences gender identity. Her work uses the ubiquitous autorickshaw that she purchased in October 2010 to illustrate her responses to the hijra (eunuch) community in India. "I was inspired by the beauty and boldness of the hijras that I encountered in my daily life in Mumbai as well as the rickshaws. Hijras got me thinking about the hardships they face not only as hijras but also as women," says Fonder.

Her creation titled Trans-co takes a multi-cultural look at gender while paying homage to hijras and autorickshaws. "It's a play on American car culture; at the same time it nods reverentially to the world of amazing rickshaw customisations visible throughout India," says Fonder who's fascinated by the dualities of India. Despite stereotypical and historical trappings, India is also contemporary and unique, she says.

LA based Stockman, who grew up on a farm in central New Jersey, was always attracted to the collision of the natural and built environment: how man shapes his surroundings. Last year she moved to India and was fascinated to see the same thing happening here.

Padamsee''s ''reclining nude'' sets Rs 6.3 cr auction record

2011-02-07T17:35:00.005+05:30

Indian modernist painter Akbar Padamsee set a new auction record with his untitled work fetched Rs 6.3 crore (USD 1,426,500) in a New York sale by Sotheby's on March 25.Padamsee's 10x3ft painting of a reclining nude drawn from his 'grey period' of work in the 1959-60 when the artist returned to India after an eight-year-old stay in Paris was sourced from a private collection in the United State, reported the auction house.

The sale was part of the Modern and contemporary South Asian Art held in New York on March 25 which realised a total of USD4,028,250.Padamsee's work gains prominence as there are only three other works of the artist in the grey series. One was bought by artist M F Husain which has been subsequently lost and the remaining is with artist Kishen Khanna and filmmaker Bal Chhabda.

The Untitled (Reclining Nude) had travelled to North America, where it was exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art in Montreal in 1960 and subsequently entered a US private collection where it had remained until now.Other prominent works featuring in the sale were by Rabindranath Tagore, Jamini Roy, M F Husain, F N Souza, S H Raza, Ravinder Reddy , Bharti Kher among others.

Fakes trouble India’s booming art market

2011-02-07T17:17:00.002+05:30

Over the next few days, India’s biggest art show will witness a frenzy of buying, but before opening their wallets, collectors should be aware of Arpana Caur’s cautionary tale.

During a recent visit to a gallery in New Delhi, the 57-year-old artist identified two paintings that were copied from her “Nanak” series that depicts the life of the founder of the Sikh religion.

She says her investigation revealed that her former apprentice and framer were running a racket employing art students to copy her works and then sell them to new galleries.

“I filed a police complaint against them, seized the forged paintings as proof, but they were never arrested,” said Caur, whose work fetches up to two million rupees ($44,000) at international shows and auctions.

“It’s not just the paintings that were copied. My signature and certificate of authentication were being forged too,” she added. “The problem of fake art is not new in the global art world, but in India this cancer has spread beyond your imagination.”

Caur is not alone in her worry. The country’s most celebrated artists M.F. Husain, S.H. Raza and Satish Gujral have also been victims of sophisticated counterfeiters.

A total of 500 artists will be on show at the third India Art Summit, which opens in a sprawling exhibition hall in the Indian capital on Thursday.

In 2009, the last time the exhibition was staged, a total of $5.3 million worth of paintings, sculpture and multi-media work was snapped up by investors and collectors, according to organisers.

They say the show only includes the best galleries who are adept at sniffing out the fake from the bona fide, but they concede that the counterfeit market is a problem.

“We do not verify the works that are displayed. It is the job of the art gallery owners and the buyers. Our job is to provide a platform,” said director Neha Kirpal.

Jatin Gandhi, an art historian based in Mumbai, says the hunger of art collectors to buy a piece of contemporary India has attracted shady operators.

He estimates that more than 1,000 suspect galleries, often run by people who previously sold Indian handicrafts, have sprung up in the past five years, particularly in cities such as Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore and Hyderabad.

“The new galleries are desperate to have works from established artists. They have no understanding and are happy to throw black money at fakes,” he said.

“The fakes are sold at premium prices and they frequently exchange hands until they are detected.”

Prices in the Indian market are said by experts to be back on their steep upward trajectory after a blip caused by the global financial crisis but no reliable figures are available.

The year 2010 saw some record prices, notably for a work by S.H. Raza. His “Saurashtra” painting fetched $3.5 million at Christie’s in London.

Romano Ravasio and his Italy-based company Art Consulting offer advice to art collectors and he says he avoids the secondary market in India, where art is resold by dealers and collectors.

“My golden rule is to buy from a reputed gallery or directly from the artist,” he said.

Industry experts say India needs a specialised police team to probe art crime, but with the force often lacking basic crime-fighting training and equipment, this seems unlikely in the short-term.

In the meantime “fake factories”, often using art students, are expected to continue churning out copies that are a hazard for anyone thinking of putting money into the market.

Even highly experienced connoisseurs have fallen prey to the criminals.

The owners of the Dhoomimal Gallery in New Delhi, who have been in the business of exhibiting and selling original works for more than seven decades, say they have been victims.

“We had to pull out an entire series in 2009 as they were all fakes,” says Uma Jain, owner of the gallery, who had to discard 12 paintings purportedly by S.H. Raza after the artist identified them as forgeries.

Raza later confirmed the fakes were sold to the gallery by his nephew, who claimed they were originals left in a family home.

In 2006, international auction houses Christie’s and Sotheby’s had to withdraw a total of 14 works from Indian artists F.N Souza, M.F Husain, Jamini Roy and Ganesh Pyne due to doubts about their authenticity.

Jain says that primary responsibility for detecting fakes rests with the gallery, but the artists should also compile catalogues of their work and collectors should consult experts before parting with money.

“All these incidents should ring a bell in the government’s ear,” she said. “It’s time to clean up.”

Chicago Art Institute revives its India link

2011-01-06T17:17:00.003+05:30

The world famous Art Institute of Chicago, where celebrated Indian philosopher Swami Vivekananda delivered a historic address in 1896, is reviving its links with India in a big way.

'We have embarked on a mammoth project to exhibit royal art from Jaipur in Chicago in 2013. The institute has joined hands with the National Museum in Delhi and the royal family of Jaipur,' its president James Cuno told IANS in the capital.

Under a formal American global exchange programme, Chicago and New Delhi are designated as 'sister cities to facilitate collaborations and exchanges in art, culture, business and education', he recalled.

Cuno said: 'The institute's curator of South Asian art, Madhuvanti Ghose, is organising an exhibition of Jaipur royal arts down the centuries with the support of the royal family and the National Museum.

'The exhibition, one of the biggest that the international community will ever see, will comprise miniatures, artefacts, sculptures, textiles and relics of the Jaipur royalty created by artists who were commissioned for the purpose.

'We will procure the art works from the Palace Museum in Jaipur, the Albert Museum in the city, private collections, the National Museum and from the Victoria Albert Museum

Cuno added that the Art Institute of Chicago was also looking at a long-term exchange with the National Museum for collaborations and exhibitions of mutual benefits.'

The institute has a 'large South Asian and Indian collection of art and objects related to art'.

'Every year, we send American art students on a four-week orientation programme to India so that they acquaint themselves with Indian art,' he said.

Cuno addressed issues of identity crises in a post-colonial world and public references in art with critic Gita Kapoor, artists Homi Bhabha and Jitish Kallat at the India Art Summit 2011 in Delhi.

During his two-week stay in India, he plans to explore the possibility of new acquisitions, carrying forward the exchange initiatives and meeting Indian artists.

The Art Institute of Chicago, founded in 1879, is one of the largest and most important encyclopaedic museums of the world. It is home to more than 300,000 fine art objects, spanning 5,000 years of creative exposition and is often considered the third largest museum in the US after the Metropolitan Museum and the Museum of Modern Art.

The museum registers footfalls of 1.9 million annually, Cuno said.

In 2009, the museum inaugurated its modern wing. The 264,000-sq ft wing houses the museum's collection of 20th and 21st century art, architecture, design and photography.

Swami Vivekananda's legacy and documents of his world famous address at the World Parliament of Religions in 1896 are preserved at the museum's Fullerton Hall, a much revered destination for followers of Vivekananda's philosophy.

One of the Asian highlights at the museum is a public installation, 'Public Notice 3' by Indian contemporary artist Jitish Kallat, which reconnects the philosophy of Vivekananda to contemporary art. It uses words from the scholar's address to convey the 'liberal and inclusive nature of Hinduism', Cuno pointed out.

According to Cuno, the extraordinary quality and size of Indian art is astounding. 'It is globally more recognised now than 10 years ago,' he said.
in London.'

Delhi artist Mithu Sen wins 1 million Skoda Prize for art

2010-12-20T14:32:00.014+05:30

Delhi-based artist Mithu Sen has won the first Skoda Award for Indian contemporary art beating other shortlisted artists Balasubramaniam Alwar and Kiran Subbaiah to bag the 1 million cash prize.

Sen, whose work was chosen by a team of five experts, recieved the award comprising the prize money as well as a Skoda trophy from noted Indian-origin sculptor Anish Kapoor.

Sen's work on paper "Black Candy" with the added tag-line iforgotmypenisathome is a funny commentary of male sexuality and its psychic anxieties.

The award a collaboration of SkodaAuto India and Seventy Event Media recognises works of established artists who are backed by galleries and are below 45 years of age.

"Indian art is doing wonders. ... We hope others too come forward to encourage the artists," Secretary, Ministry of Culture, Jawahar Sircar said at the ceremony here.

The jury panel for the award is chaired by one of Tasneem Mehta, honorary director of the Dr Bhau Daji Lad Museum. Other jury members include Rajshree Pathy, founder of Contemplate, an arts initiative and Kavita Singh, a well-known art historian and associate professor of Jawaharlal Nehru University.

The prize, which organisers say hopes to be a benchmark for the future and play an important role bringing to public notice exciting trends in contemporary art, highlighting the output of established mid-career artists as well as new voices.

"It gives us great pleasure to associate with a platform that provides recognition to contemporary Indian artists that have significantly contributed to the global art scene" said Thomas Kuehl, Director Sales and Marketing SkodaAuto India.

BEST FROM WORLD OF ART COMES TO CITY

2010-12-20T14:32:00.011+05:30

India Art Summit to showcase artwork from 34 international galleries

The India Art summit is a one-of-a-kind art fair that represents the best of contemporary Indian artists, and also provides a platform for international art to be received by discerning art lovers in India. Prominent artists who have previously exhibited at the event include Anjolie Ela Menon, Anish Kapoor, Andy Warhol and A Ramachandran. Top international galleries participating in the summit include Lisson Gallery (London, UK), Sundaram Tagore Gallery (Hong Kong, China), Galerie Kashya Hildebrand (Zurich, Switzerland) and Aicon Gallery (New York, USA) among others.

(The India Art Summit is on from Jan 21 to Jan 23 at Pragati Maidan. Entry fee is Rs 200)

The 3rd edition of India Art Summit presents 84 exhibiting galleries from 20 countries including India, Australia, France, Germany, Korea, Japan, Singapore, Spain, Switzerland, UAE, UK and USA. Alongside the art fair, there will be a Sculpture Park, Video Lounge, Curated Art Projects, Live Performances, an elaborate Speakers’ Forum, an Art Store and a range of exciting Collateral Events around the city of Delhi.

Last year, the capital was witness to renowned artist Anish Kapoor’s first show in his home country. Then it was the government that firmed up its plans to give Delhi its own ‘Tate’. The New Year has begun with a promise to boost the capital’s appetite for art: the India Art Summit (IAS) 2011 begins on January 21 at Pragati Maidan, showcasing the work of 570 artists. And this year’s event is touted to be even bigger than the previous editions.

Thirty-four galleries from 20 countries are bringing in artworks from across the globe; and the organizers say the aim is to cut across geographies and give the capital a taste of world art. “There is a range of young emerging artists as well as top modern and contemporaries on show,” says Neha Kirpal, director of the three-day-long summit. So, what’s there for art enthusiasts and buyers?

STARS TO DESCEND
Well-known artists such as S H Raza, Subodh Gupta, Bharti Kher and Krishen Khanna will be present at the event and also interact with visitors. A session with Raza, who has returned to India after six decades, will be one of the fair’s highlights.

GLOBAL FLAVOUR
Galleries are bringing in the works of stalwarts in European modern art such as Pablo Picasso, Auguste Rodin, Marc Chagall, Salvador Dali, Henri Matisse and Henry Moore. The speaker programme has representatives from 13 international museums. Among them are Sheena Wagstaff, chief curator of the Tate Modern, London, and James Cuno, president, Art Institute, Chicago, which is the second largest art museum in the US.

LESSONS IN ART
The IAS is organizing guided walks, which will have students and curators guiding small groups of people through the fair spread out over an area of 4,500 sq m. “The idea behind this is to encourage people who like art but never ask questions even though they want to,” says Kirpal. The guides will talk about everything from different art techniques to pointing out works of possible interest to newbie collectors.

ART FOR THE PEOPLE
Apart from the sprouts near the AIIMS flyover and the recent Artiger project (some of the tigers will also be relocated to the summit grounds), there are not too many public artworks in Delhi. The fair promises to provide an exciting space for public art/interactive projects. In their project called ‘Book of Imaginary Zoology’, artists Sarnath Banerjee and Samit Basu will create a book of imaginary beings that inhabit Delhi. They will start by identifying stereotypical characters of the city and mutate them into monsters that live amidst common people and lurk unrecognized within their immediate consciousness. From a juice-seller in Kalkaji to a petty bureaucrat at the Nirman Bhavan, the North Indian personality is shaped by Djinns, they say. In the project, Sarnath Banerjee will have exchanges with fellow artists Pushpamala N, Shreyas Karle, Aditya Pande and Gigi Scaria, through drawings, photographs or sentences that will lead to a response, and the final story will then be expanded on the wall.

BUDGET BUYS
The fair promises to bring some affordable art with an eye on the young collector. There will be works priced at Rs 10,000, and galleries are also bringing in smaller sized works of big artists at lower prices. Therefore, the fair will have something for everybody.

SHOPPING IN STORE
The art store will stock funky art merchandise and over 300 art books.

PARTY CIRCUIT
This is the first time that the fair has a separate programme for VIP guests aimed at encouraging young collectors to experience more art, and for international visitors to experience Indian culture. There are plenty of events lined up for the afterhours where galleries would let their best art and champagne flow.

Investing in Indian Art

2010-12-04T16:54:00.003+05:30

Just barely recovering from the stock market fiasco, investors are beginning to rethink the logic of diversification of their portfolio. Many investment advisors are turning to Indian art as an emerging alternative investment option.

Although the concept of investing in art is relatively new in India, art has always been a viable investment option in the west. Art investment in India is gaining momentum with the works of M.F Husain, Tyeb Mehta and F.N Souza being lapped up by international collectors. FN Souza’s work ‘the Birth’ sold for .3 million, setting records in valuing Indian art. MF Husain and SH Raza are currently valued anywhere from 0,000 to million. Industry experts expect prices to shoot up to between million to million in the next few years. The growth in Indian contemporary art also reflects the same trend. The prices of works of several famous artists like CF John, TM Azis, Yusuf Arakkal, Atul Dodiya have increased considerably since Indian art reached the international stage.

The potential for further rapid growth of the Indian art market makes it a viable investment alternative. For example, the ET art index (Art index by the Economic times) has grown phenomenally from just 116.53 points in 2000 to 3106.47 in September 2008. According to Arttatic, an independent research firm, the Indian art market in 2008 was valued at approximately million from the – million level in 2007.

Let’s take a look at the top 3 reasons for the growth in the Indian art market which would serve as the foundation for art becoming an alternative investment option.

The increase in demand for Asian (Indian) art by international collectors Auction houses like Christie’s and Sotheby’s realizing the potential of Asian art, opened up the international art market to Asian art. The results from the recent auctions at Sotheby’s, Christies and Saffronart have been encouraging, with a total of almost .7 million worth of art being sold in the summer sales 2009. A new generation of art collectors from emerging economies, with their rising income levels, has created a market for Asian art internationally. The nouveau collectors relate more to art from their own cultural background which is especially true in the case of NRIs (Non-Resident Indians) The Indian art market also benefited from the recent boom which increased the disposable income in the economy and bought with it slow but steadily growing group of art aficionados. Interestingly art auctions in India have been rising steadily starting with only 3 auctions in 2003, to 14 auctions in 2005 and approx 40 auctions in 2008. The rise of an organized art market for Indian art With the advent of international Auction houses, there has been a standardized approach to valuation of art, promotion and sale of Indian art. These guidelines will enable the efficient and consistent functioning of the art market in India. There has been a growth in the secondary market for art with a number of art galleries, art advisors, auction houses (India’s own Saffron Art) and corporate collections established within the past decade. The secondary market provides a platform for trading in art. Increase in liquidity of Art as a medium of investment Liquidity is a prime factor in decision making for any form of investment. Over the years, liquidity in the Indian art market has increased considerably with a number of financial institutions introducing Art investment services in the form of art advisory or art funds. Religare, Yes Bank and Bajaj Capital are some of the traditional investment houses that have begun offering art as an alternative. There also a number of art funds set up as an investment vehicle like Osian’s Art Fund, Crayon Capital, Yatra Art Fund etc. The Osian’s Art Fund, worth over Rs 100 crore, oversubscribed within a few days of opening allotment. Art Summits like India Art Summit 2009 in New Delhi and the Art Expo 2009 in Mumbai, play the role of developing the art market by creating a venue for promoting Indian art. Indices like the ET art index and the involvement of SEBI (Securities Exchange Bureau of India) has given art additional credibility and liquidity it needs.

The Indian art market is currently in a very nascent phase, where the stage has been set for enormous growth. The increase in activity from the various players could take this market much higher than predicted. All said, one should however be careful to take professional advice before plunging into the art market.

Arpita Singh sets record as art mart booms again

2010-12-04T16:42:00.010+05:30

The boom is back in the auction market. With Arpita Singh’s ‘Wish Dream’ mural selling at Rs.9.6 crore ($2.24 million) – a record for an Indian woman artist – experts say quality and rarity are once again winning over the ’square inch’.

With prices of art stabilising, buyers are willing to bet high on large three dimensional art and murals by top-of-the chain artists. They did exactly that with Singh’s work at the Saffronart online auction Thursday.

The sale follows in the footsteps of Bharati Kher whose work, ‘In the Skin Of an Elephant’, fetched 900,000 pounds at an auction in Sotheby’s in June.

Singh’s mural is made of 16 individual canvas panels. This is the highest price achieved by an Indian woman artist at a global auction, Saffronart said in a release.

The auction in all raked an impressive Rs.30 crore (USD 7.1 million) recording a sale of 80 percent of 100 modern and contemporary art works.

Speaking about the record breaking auction, Dinesh Vazirani, co-founder and CEO of Saffronart, said: ‘We are very pleased with the results of our winter online auction 2010, which was a celebration of our 10th anniversary.

‘This auction was an historic event for the online art auction market with Arpita Singh’s magnificent 16 panel mural titled ‘Wish Dream’ selling for Rs.9.6 crore.

‘Throughout the year, we have seen a strong demand for works of art of the highest quality and following this sale, a new benchmark has been established in this category.’

The price record shows that the Indian art market is picking up, auctioneer Vikram Bachhawat of Kolkata-based Aakriti Art Gallery and Emami Chisel Art said.

‘The boom is back in the art auction market. Arpita Singh is very good and the works speak for themselves. More serious, good and historically important works have returned again to the market and buyers and collectors are willing to pay for them,’ said Bachhawat.

‘The square inch – when art was measured by per square inch and not by quality – has gone. Rarity and quality are ruling the auction market.’

‘Three dimensional works like sculptures and murals are fetching high prices in the international art market and that is spilling into the Indian art market as well.’

Born in 1937 in what is today Bangladesh, Arpita Singh received her diploma in the arts at the Delhi Polytechnic – before taking up a job as a designer at the Weavers’ Service Centre in Kolkata and New Delhi.

Since her first solo exhibition in 1972 at Kunika Chemould Gallery in New Delhi, Singh’s work has been featured regularly in shows of Indian art held in the country and abroad.

Moved by the problems that women in the country and in the world in general face every day, Singh paints the range of emotions that she exchanges with these subjects – from sorrow to joy from suffering to hope – providing a view of the ongoing communication she maintains with them. She is a figurative artist based within the parameters of folk.

More recently, her works have been exhibited at a group exposition,’Progressive to Altermodern: 62 Years of Indian Modern Art’ at Grosvenor Gallery, London, in 2009.

One of her exhibitions, ‘Kalpana: Figurative Art in India’ presented by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) at Aicon Gallery in London won worldwide acclaim.

‘Honestly, it is a great feeling to see that the market is recovering from the downturn and that money is being pumped back to the market. We should learn from our past mistakes. We overpriced our markets and art industry. What the Indian market witnessed was a correction. But on a note of caution, the trend of high pricing should not be repeated,’ said Nidhi Jain of Delhi-based Gallery Ragini.

At the Saffronart online auction, four other art works also crossed the Rs.1 crore mark.

They included F.N. Souza’s ‘Disintegrated Head’ which sold for Rs.1.4 crore ($333,500), S.H. Raza’s ‘Oasis’ which sold for Rs.1.3 crore ($303,416), M.F. Husain’s’Untitled’ which sold for Rs.1.2 crore ($287,500) and Subodh Gupta’s ‘Idol Thief’ that sold for Rs.1.08 crore ($253,000)

Private Art playing a role in Indian Contemporary Art

2010-12-04T16:42:00.008+05:30

Private art promoters are playing a big role in pushing Indian contemporary art beyond national frontiers, pitch-forking new artists into international limelight and connecting them to the common man with quality aesthetics.

Rough estimates cite that the country has nearly 100 big and small private art foundations to promote contemporary art and culture - both in the country and abroad that fill a void precipitated by bureaucratic red-tape, legal tangles and official delays in government-sponsored art promotion drives.

In January this year, the Delhi-based Foundation for Indian Contemporary Art (FICA) helped 70 reputed Indian photographers exhibit a body of heterogeneous visual perspective of South Asia, "Where Three Dreams Cross: 150 Years of Photography From India, Pakistan and Bangladesh", at the Whitechapel Gallery in London.

The exhibition curated by photographer Sunil Gupta opened in London to wide critical acclaim - and is now on its way to Zurich.

It was set up in 2006 by Arun Vadehra in an endeavour to make contemporary art accessible, promote Indian art abroad, increase greater "interaction among art institutions and generating art philanthrophy."

FICA sponsors an annual emerging artists' award, an eight-week residency programme at Montalvo Arts Centre in California, art workshops in schools across the capital, a public art grant, FICA group shows, research fellowships, group exchanges and an arts reading room in Delhi's Defence Colony.

"It was our dream to set up an art foundation as a philanthropic project but we wanted to segregate its activity from those of the gallery," FICA spokesperson Parul Vadehra told IANS.

Parul Vadehra said FICA was now "seeking applications from young artists for its Emerging Artists' Award 2010".

The Harmony Art Foundation in Mumbai, founded by Tina Ambani, has been engaged in similar activities to promote contemporary Indian art for the past 15 years.

Every year the foundation awards talented emerging artists from a countrywide list and plays host to an exhibition of contemporary art drawn from the list of submissions.

The Mumbai-based Osian's Connoisseurs of Art Private Limited led by Neville Tuli has created one of the largest ever codified body of modern, contemporary and kitsch art in the country under one roof.

The Gurgaon-based Devi Art Foundation, set up in 2008, "provides a platform to contemporary artists and young curators to bring about a dynamic change in the viewership of art", co-founder Anupam Poddar said.

The organisation works with schools, colleges and professional institutions and galleries across India by involving students and young art aficionados in curatorial exercises, workshops and exposure to different genres of art.

The Delhi-based Art Mall owned by the Jain family that awarded young artists in April is another private initiative that takes young art to the masses at an affordable price and supports new artists.

The Kolkata-based Emami Chisel Art, one of the biggest private auction houses in eastern India, "is currently engaged in a year-long artistic exchange with Sweden".

"It began with an Indian fashion show, Contemporary India, that unveiled 21st Indian fashion in smaller Swedish towns that still relate to India as a land of elephants and snake charmers," auction house director Vikram Bachhawat told IANS from Kolkata.

"On Aug 10, 30 Indian artists will exhibit more than 100 art works across eight display spaces throughout Sweden, including museums and pavements. The gesture will be reciprocated by Sweden in December when Swedish artists display their art in Kolkata."

Bachhawat said private organisations should be awarded incentives by the government to "institute new projects to perpetuate Indian artistic heritage."

Observes Anmol Vellani of the Bangalore-based India Foundation for the Arts, a private art and culture promotion forum, "It is very hard to argue that the government's involvement in the arts has been deleterious. But the shortcomings of government efforts to promote arts are common knowledge.

"Public cultural institutions quickly become dysfunctional and directionless obstructed by bureaucratic immobility and political caprice."

In a first, India goes to Venice Biennale as a nation

2010-11-20T15:52:00.008+05:30

For the first time in the history of the 115-year-old Venice Biennale, the Indian government will take a showcase of contemporary art to the event as an official entrant.

The 54th Venice Biennale will be held June 4-Nov 27 next year in the picturesque Italian town.

'This is first time India will be going as a nation to the Venice biennale, one of the oldest art fairs. India artists and galleries had participated earlier. They were chosen by the biennale curator in individual capacities,' Ashok Vajpeyi, chairman of the Lalit Kala Akademi, told IANS in an interview.

Lalit Kala Akademi, the country's official arts promotion platform, will facilitate India's participation at the Biennale and fund the move.

'The Venice showcase will host younger, lesser-known talented artists from around the country rather than the established names,' Vajpeyi said.

Why young contemporary art?

According to Vajpeyi, unlike many other European countries, Venice is familiar with modern Indian art because eminent Indian artists have consistently exhibited at the Biennale for nearly two decades.

In 2007, the Venice Biennale had come calling to Delhi with an offer for an India specific exhibition. 'But somehow, it did not work out,' he said. But this year, the government did not need much persuasion.

'The government realises that Indian art is internationally recognised - though it has taken a lot of time. Private galleries showing abroad in New York, Paris, Berlin, Taipei and Shanghai have made a big contribution to international recognition of Indian art and we have instituted exchange programmes with various countries. The world is curious to know what India is doing in the field of contemporary art - which is not to say that modern art did not make a contribution,' Vajpeyi said.

India has nearly 400 galleries, Vajpeyi said.

The modalities are being negotiated. A Mumbai-based art critic, curator and writer Ranjit Hoskote will curate the exhibition.

'Ranjit and I will go to Venice in the second week of December to work out the nitty gritties,' Vajpeyi said.

The 54th edition of the Venice Biennale will be bigger in 2011 in terms of participation to include Bahrain, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Rwanda and Saudi Arabia.

India has been allocated space for the exhibition at the Arsenal - an old abandoned armoury converted into an art gallery. The Venetian Arsenal (Arsenale di Venezia) is a 12th century Byzantine complex of state-owned shipyards and armories that was once a node of Venetian naval power.

'It is one of the main exhibition spaces, along with Giardini, a historic exhibition space. The Arsenal is located close to the sea. Venice is full of national pavilions spread over the city. They are permanent gallery spaces built by participating nations,' he said.

The Venice Biennale format is multipronged.

It hosts a central exhibition and allocates space for country-specific exhibition. The exhibition for 2011 is titled 'ILLUMInations'.

'They appoint a curator for the main exhibition. The curator decides on the thematic content of the show and selects artists from all over the world. In 2009, when I visited the Biennale, I was unhappy and infuriated that we were not present as a nation. I took it up with the government and it is bearing fruit,' Vajpeyi said.

The culture ministry has indicated that it has earmarked an additional budget Rs.1 crore which 'may not be enough' for the five-month exhibition.

The government's zeal to promote Indian art has enthused the institutions. The Lalit Kala Akademi is also trying to revive the 'Triennale-India', last held in 2006.

'The Triennale-India was conceived by former chairman of Lali Kala Akademi Mulk Raj Anand, as a developing world initiative by India, Sao Paolo (Brazil) and Havana (Cuba) to promote the art of emerging nations. It had a certain ideological location in that period of time. We plan to bring back the Triannele in late 2011,' he said.

The Triennale will be spread over 50 venues in the country.

Raja Ravi Varma, Tagore works to be auctioned

2010-11-20T15:52:00.006+05:30

"Significant Indian Paintings' is one of a kind auction to be held in the capital later this month that will put 69 paintings by some of the biggest Indian artists - including Raja Ravi Varma, Rabanindranath Tagore and an original letter from Francis Newton Souza - under the hammer.

"The concept of this auction was to show our classical Indian painters doing things they aren't specially known for. They have been labeled national treasures so a lot of the paintings won't be exportable and we've clarified that to bidders," said Maher Dadha, Chairman and MD, Bid & Hammer Auctioneers.

The clause forbidding buyers from taking these national art treasures out of the country has been added following the debate over the London auction of 12 Tagore paintings by Sotheby's in June this year.

It is not just Tagore's works. Several other paintings including those of Raja Ravi Varma, Nicholas Roerich, Jamini Roy and Abanindranath Tagore would also come with the prohibitory non-exportable tag. And if that's a detriment to fetching higher prices for these works of art, the auctioneers say they do not mind.

The Raja Ravi Varma masterpiece a portraiture of a Tanjore maharaja carries a pre-bid price tag of Rs 1.5 crore and is quite unlike the master's style.

Others, however, like a FN Souza Tribute to Rabindranath Tagore do not have that embargo on them. But prohibition or not, the auction promises to grab eyeballs.

The public public preview for these masterpieces will take place between November 25 and 27 at the Russian cultural Center in the capital and the auction will take place on November 30.

Gandhiji's Dandi March inspires artists

2010-11-20T15:44:00.003+05:30

In the last six decades, Mahatma Gandhi has influenced generations of Indian artists who have creatively expressed his contribution to India's Independence and the philosophy of non-violence - and now they will celebrate the famed Dandi March.

"The three primary influences that are steering contemporary reality art in the country are urbanisation, political resistance and violence. As a political icon, Mahatma Gandhi has a direct relation with all the three topics," Anubhav Nath, who has curated a new art show on Gandhi along with Johny M.L., said.

The show, "Freedom to March: Rediscovering Gandhi through Dandi", a series of artistic interpretations of Mahatma Gandhi's Dandi salt march by 24 leading contemporary artists, will capture the spirit behind the historic journey 80 years ago.

The artists include Atul Dodiya, A. Ramachandran, Alok Bal, Arunkumar H G, Hindol Brahmbhatt, Jagannath Panda, K G Subramanyan, K M Madhusudhan, K S Radhakrishnan, Manjunath Kamath, Murali Cheroot, Prasad Raghavan, T V Santosh, Sumedh Rajendran and Vikcy Roy.

"Gandhi will not be translated in imagery; but aspects of his persona, contribution to India, philosophy and the fact of what Gandhi is all about will be interpreted by the artists. The works will resonate with what the artists thought on their way to Dandi and how it relates to contemporary India," Nath said.

On March 12, 1930 Mahatma Gandhi left his Sabarmati retreat in Ahmedabad for Dandi, also in Gujarat, on a non-violent campaign to protest the British salt tax.

Gigi Scaria's sculpture, 'Who Deviated First' which is an interpretation of Mahatma Gandhi's salt march.

Gandhi refuted the British salt law by making and picking up salt himself. This simple act turned out to be one of the biggest symbolic acts in Indian political history, which triggered a wider civil disobedience movement.

The commissioned art works will be based on inspirations and images sourced by artists and curators in the course of five field visits to Sabarmati Ashram and Dandi.

'The idea for the project germinated in 2009 after reading a book, 'The Salt March' by Australian professor Thomas Webber, an authority on Mahatma Gandhi. I visited Sabarmati Ashram with friend Johny M L - and discussed the idea with the artists. They were ready to go,' Nath said.

Twenty of the artists camped in at least 14 villages along the 240-km route to Dandi to gather impressions and stories about the father of the nation by interacting with the villagers and visiting the local Gandhi memorials dotting the terrain.

Mumbai-based artist Gigi Scaria, known for his new media installations and sculptures, accompanied Nath to Dandi.

Atul Dodiya's 'Picnic at Dandi', an interpretation of Mahatma Gandhi's salt march

'I created two solid art projects for the show. One is a painting of Gandhi walking on the salt fields surrounded by elevated structures. The other is a distortion of the black stone sculpture, Gyarahmurthi in the capital (Delhi) that shows Gandhi leading the salt marchers,' Scaria said.

'My work, 'Who Deviated First' is a candid comment on the sculpture with the marchers scattering in different directions. The Hindu-Muslim and Christian unity enshrined in the march is in peril. The spirit of secularism has deviated from its path.'

The gamut of works in new media will include installations, sculptures, photographs, video art and conventional canvas compositions.

An official India art pavilion at Venice Biennale

2010-10-25T16:44:00.003+05:30

The government is gearing up to install an India art pavilion at the Venice Biennale 2011, one of the world's biggest showcases of contemporary art, an official said Wednesday.

The government has completed the modalities of booking space for the pavilion and has reportedly earmarked Rs.1 crore ($225,500) budget for the purpose, he said.

The Lalit Kala Akademi will be at the helm of the India pavilion at the biennale.

'It is a prestigious event and we are preparing to showcase the best of Indian art in Venice,' the official said.

India is no stranger to Venice. Every year, it is represented by leading galleries who exhibit top artists in specially curated shows. The government participation will add to the Indian showcase at the biennale - that draws the best of global art.

In May, Bice Curigar was appointed director of the visual arts sector of the biennale with the responsibility of curating the 54th International Art Exhibition in Venice that will run June 4-Nov 27, 2011.

A graduate of the University of Zurich, Curiger is an historian, critic and curator.

'It is a great honour and a privilege to be asked to be the director of the Venice Biennale, one of the world's most important overviews on contemporary art. I am very much looking forward to the great challenge,' Curiger said in a posting on the biennale website.

Meanwhile, a women's corporate delegation with representatives from the Confederation of Indian Industry led by veteran art collector Rajshree Patti met Culture Secretary Jawhar Sircar Wednesday to discuss the possibility of 'cooperation in the sphere of art education, display and promoting art in public space', the official from the department of culture said.

Cricket snapshots, African canvases at Gurgaon art mart

2010-09-15T12:19:00.002+05:30

High action cricket snapshots on canvas, 50 art works from Tanzania and silk art - nearly 1,000 works by over 100 artists were showcased at the two-day annual Art Mart II in Gurgaon.

The fair aims to meet the growing demand for affordable drawing room art among new segments of buyers in this millenium city adjoining the national capital and was Friday inaugurated by Karan Singh, president of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations.

'The trigger for Art Mart was the fact that when galleries presented a show, they chose the artists and the art. We wanted an open forum where galleries, artists, collectors, investors, art journalists and curators could discuss business and aesthetics,' co-curator of the fair Sushma Bahl, who conceived the show with Uma Prakash, told IANS.

Residents of Gurgaon were interested in art, though opportunities to exhibit quality art were few compared to Delhi, she said.

The exhibition titled 'Love of Cricket' by Baba Anand drew visitors by the dozens. It was a spread of 17 large frames depicting high action snapshots from the Indian Premier League

The figurative compositions in acrylic, charcoal and glitter documented individual or dual moments of glory like batsmen hitting the ball for a boundary, bowlers warming up to a trot and fielders leaping in midair to a grab a ball.

The mobility of the figures was enhanced with the use of random charcoal strokes on the surface to convey the essence of the speed and dynamics, Anand said.

'The glitter - my trademark smattering of tinsel on the surface of the compositions - represents the glamour associated with the IPL. It reflects the shine of Bollywood as epitomised by the teams owned by Preity Zinta and Shah Rukh Khan,' Anand told IANS.

The game with dollops of showbiz and big money has become a part of popular culture, Anand said. 'And my art is a reflection of the popular kitsch culture. For me, cricketers, like Bollywood stars, are demigods,' he said.

The series had been lying in Anand's studio for four years. 'I hope a collector or one of the IPL team buys the whole series,' he said.

A body of 40 art works by 15 artists from Tanzania was a crowd-puller. Brought to India by African photographer of Indian origin Muzu Sukhmanji, the colourful acrylic and oil compositions captured the country's ethnic, contemporary, colonial and migration heritage.

The collection comprised rainbow compositions of Masai warriors in action, villagers at work, floral motifs, nature-scapes and oil reproductions of ancient doorways and carved door panels from old homes preserved in the heritage Stone Town of Zanzibar, reflecting a blend of middle-eastern and Indian style of architecture.

'Art in Africa is changing. Young artists are experimenting with European contemporary styles and art is selling more than before because the affluent Tanzanians are becoming house proud. But they cannot afford expensive art,' Sukhmanji, who owns the Art 'n' Frames Gallery in the Tanzanian capital of Dar-es-Salaam, told IANS.

Atlanta-based promoter Arun Jain's collection of hand-embroidered silk art, 'Silk Story', from the eastern provinces China, riveted viewers with their intricate thread work and detailed figure portraits of Oriental women in colourful silk robes.

'The hand embroidered silk thread art dates back to 4,000 years. It is a cottage industry in the rural eastern provinces of China,' Jain told IANS.

A striking installation, 'When Nation Speaks', by artist Dharmendra Rathore, a native of Rajasthan, of 203 fibre glass goat heads was an irreverent comment on politics, animal sacrifice and protection of environment.

The price band of the works ranged between Rs.15,000 and Rs.200,000.

The upmarket township, home to scores of MNCs, is characterised by new apartments and a moneyed class of upwardly mobile young professionals, who are becoming house proud and aesthetically inclined, fuelling the demand for popular art.

The corporate groups located in the town are emerging as big buyers of art for decoration and investment as well.
(IPL).

Fibre glass art & print: Getting bolder by the day

2010-09-10T17:54:00.000+05:30

Capitals boutique art trail abuzz ahead of Commonwealth Games

2010-09-10T17:51:00.001+05:30

The art trail in and around Delhi is buzzing with exhibitions, live installations and face-to-face with artists to woo visitors to next months Commonwealth Games. Like its counterparts in Madrid, Rome and Paris, the circuit is home to nearly 250 art studios that come alive especially in autumn and winter.

Lado Sarai, the Hauz Khas Artists Village, Garhi Artist Village, the Lalit Kala Akademi, India Habitat Centre, the Epicentre Cultural Complex in Gurgaon, the Devi Art Foundation (Gurgaon) and Kiran Nadar Museum of Art in Noida and nearly a dozen high-end art houses form the artery of Delhis emerging art tourism trail.

Barely 10 km off the commercial heart of the capital, Connaught Place, lies the heritage village of Lado Sarai near the Qutab Minar Archaeological complex in south Delhi.

Once a rundown cluster of houses, Lado Sarai is now a haute address of contemporary art hosting 20 trendy art studios, vends and boutiques on a half-a-kilometre stretch. Each of these studios is planning a special exhibition to coincide with the Commonwealth Games Oct 3-14.

The focal point of the autumn art tourism trail beginning late September is an exhibition “Art Celebrates 2010 Commonwealth Games” at the Lalit Kala Akademi.

The show, curated by Rupika Chawla, will open Oct 1.

A collaboration between the government-run Akademi and 12 leading galleries in the capital, the exhibition will display 120 works by 100 artists. Each gallery will exhibit 10 artists. The exhibits will be themed on the artists perception of the Commonwealth Games, Chawla said.

The works will be exhibited as "light boxes" at strategic public places to raise awareness about art and the Commonwealth Games.

“My list of exhibits for the Commonwealth exhibition includes artists like Kishen Khanna, Jogen Chowdhury, Anjolie Ela Menon, Paresh Maity and Yusuf Arakkal,” Sunaina Anand, director of the Art Alive Gallery, told IANS.

"The schedule is busy because the gallery will simultaneously host works by veteran ceramic artist P.R. Daroz till Oct 15 to fit into the Games schedule."

Located in Panchsheel Enclave, the gallery has become an art tourism destination in the last two years.

“We have been receiving foreign tourists since 2008. They enquire about our gallery on the web and book dates. Contemporary Indian art is becoming a major draw on the domestic tourism map,” she said.

Curator Nidhi Jain, who manages Gallery Ragini, a boutique space in Lado Sarai village, is conceiving “Creating Commonwealth”, an exhibition dedicated to the legacy and spirit of the Commonwealth Games in her gallery.

The exhibition is divided into two segments. “The first section will feature heirlooms - works by artists that will become top grossers in prices and investment value in the next decade,” Jain said.

The second segment will feature artists from Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Britain and Australia. “Their art will reflect the spirit of the Commonwealth and the colonial legacy,” Jain told IANS.

One of the capitals leading family-owned art houses, the Vadehra Gallery, will exhibit works by artists like Rameshwar Broota, Ramkumar, Atul Dodiya, Arpita Singh and Sunil Gupta at the Commonwealth group show.

“At the same time, Delhi-based sculptor Sumedh Rajendran will exhibit solo in our gallery space at Okhla from Sep 23-Oct 23,” Parul Vadehra of the Vadehra Gallery told IANS.

Art tourism was a viable option in the capital, Vadehra said. “When tourists come to Delhi, they look at the capitals ancient cultural heritage. Contemporary art is the capitals modern cultural heritage,” she said.

The Vadehra Gallery has been hosting guided art tours for art lovers and children under its Foundation for Indian Contemporary programme.

The Religare Art Initiative, a capital-based arts promotion platform, is working on a art and culture itinerary for inbound tourists that will be unveiled later this year.

“It will comprise visitors interaction with artists, writers, collectors, gallerists and tours of exhibitions in Delhi, Mumbai and in one of the southern metropolitan cities,” Mukesh Panika, director of the Religare Art, told IANS.

Panika was inspired by the MOMA (Museum of Modern Art in New York) Junior Associate tour to India two years ago. “They took 20 tourists on an art and culture familiarisation trip across India,” he said.

Renu Modi of Gallery Espace, one of the participating galleries in the Commonwealth art show, has been receiving foreign tourists to her gallery in small groups for the past few years. “Their number has been increasing,” Modi told IANS.

The gallery, situated in the upscale New Friends Colony, will present light installations by artist Vishal Dar during the Commonwealth Games, keeping the foreign arrivals in mind.

Aparajita Jain of the Seven Arts Gallery, however, felt that “Delhi required better infrastructure to lend art tourism an organised model.”

“However, all galleries would support a government-sponsored art walk,” Jain told IANS.

The brush speaks louder than words

2010-09-04T18:00:00.004+05:30

Indian artists have expressed radical thoughts but they have been victims of undemocratic violent attacks. If at all there is a gag on art, it can come only from the artist.

In 2006, Sanjeev Khandekar and Vaishali Narkar had a show in Jehangir Art Gallery titled Tits, Clits n Elephant Dick. It catapulted Khandekar to notoriety because there were vociferous protests accusing the show of obscenity and it was shut down. Considering the quality of the works in Tits, Clits n Elephant Dick, there’s a strong argument for the protesters having done what many aesthetes may have recommended. However, regardless of the mediocrity of the art on display, the point was that Khandekar as an artist should be free to create and show his work. Mumbai’s art community rallied around him and suddenly, Khandekar shared something with one of modern Indian art’s masters, M.F. Husain: They’d both been accused of creating art that was considered obscene by some.

Two years later in 2008, student artist Chandra Mohan’s paintings of Durga, a Shiva lingam and Jesus were destroyed by Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) members during an internal evaluation of final-year art students at Vadodara’s MS University. For once, the VHP had the support of a certain section of the local Christian community, which was not amused by Chandra Mohan’s depictions of Christ. The police followed the vandals and alarmingly, they let the vandals go scot-free but arrested Chandra Mohan for threatening Vadodara’s secular atmosphere. The art community protested again, this time at a national level. Freedom of artistic expression, it seemed, was under attack.

Montage: (from top) M.F. Husain’s Bharat Mata; a work by Bhupen Khakhar; Manu Parekh’s Interpretation of Benares ; and a work by Sanjeev Khandekar, from the show Tits, Clits n Elephant Dick.

It wasn’t. By and large, the mass of the Indian populace doesn’t really care about art, so artists are actually free to do whatever they want to do. Most art doesn’t register on the radar of national awareness and incidents of violence are exceptional (even if the work inspiring them generally isn’t). Art, the kind that is bought by collectors, is considered an elitist arena and as far as most of the public goes, they’re far more comfortable and familiar with a pretty landscape than the delicate violence in an Anju Dodiya painting. No matter how provocative or contentious the work, we’re far from the day when the impact of a controversial piece of art will be as widespread as a film, for example. There have been few efforts to increase public interest in visual arts and none of them have come from the government, which has let state-run art institutions sink into an abyss of mediocrity. Most art schools in the country have primitive syllabi and unimpressive faculties. The National Gallery of Modern Art in both New Delhi and Mumbai is a source of embarrassment, considering their callous attitude towards exhibitions and their own collection.

Art in India is a private and personal initiative. Gallerists have created reputations for themselves without any supporting infrastructure. Artists didn’t have a market they had to answer to until the noughties and they were free to respond to the world around them as they saw fit. This is why modern and contemporary Indian art actually has a rather impressive tradition of creating works that go against the grain of conservative thought.

Look at F.N. Souza, who poured out his rage against the Roman Catholic machine through his mesmerizing and yet grotesque depictions of Christ. He hadn’t painted as much as savaged the canvases and the contrasting compassion in his nudes is striking. Bhupen Khakhar celebrated homosexuality long before it was in vogue to do so. Paintings such as Two Men in Banares (1982) would still be considered bold for the way Khakhar brought the sacred and the profane together. Gulammohammed Sheikh’s Alphabet Stories (2001) attacked the government’s attempt to rewrite history textbooks. For the work titled Blame (2002-04), Shilpa Gupta took on the role of a pedlar in Mumbai and sold little bottles of red fluid with a label that read: “Blaming you makes me feel so good. So I blame you for what you cannot control: your religion, your nationality.” The directions for using Blame were: “Squeeze small quantity on dry surface. Neatly separate into four equal sections (can be unequal too). Tell apart sections according to race and religion.” Imagine trying something like this in China.

When it comes to nudity, Indian artists haven’t been coy. Almost every significant Indian painter has painted and exhibited nudes, including Souza, Akbar Padamsee, Jogen Chowdhury and, of course, Husain (who was slapped with an obscenity charge in 1996 that was finally dismissed earlier this year). In 1993, Mrinalini Mukherjee made Pushp, a hemp sculpture that showed an enormous vulva (the piece is around 40 inches tall) and can only be described as voluptuous. Subodh Gupta slathered himself in Vaseline and posed flagrantly naked in Vilas (1999). Abir Karmakar paints gender-bending self-portraits that are often unnervingly voyeuristic and still poignant, like In the Old Fashioned Way (2007). Earlier this year, T. Venkanna showed a painting that was a copy of Gustave Courbet’s Origin of the World, except he had a limp rubber rooster stuck inside the outsized vagina (go on, think of the synonym for rooster). Inder Salim has hugged trees and walked around Delhi naked as the day he was born for a number of his performances. Viewers may have batted their eyelids a little more than usual but no one questioned an artist’s right to create or show works like these. In fact, when photographer Raghu Rai showed his tasteless and sexist “nudies” in 2007, demonstrations by feminists against that particular exhibition would probably have been justified.

There’s no doubt that incidents such as Chandra Mohan’s arrest and Husain’s 13-year legal ordeal have made some cautious but it’s worth remembering that India is a country that wants to be a democracy. One in which public demonstrations, like the ones that were organized for Chandra Mohan, can make an impact even if they are by a relatively small group of people. Our laws might be hazy on what constitutes obscenity but at least we have judges who will quote Pablo Picasso and have no qualms in labelling those who harassed Husain as ignorant and narrow-minded. In comparison to the repressive regimes of countries such as China, Iran and Pakistan (all of which produce excellent art despite legal and social straitjackets), the acts of the right-wing minority that have troubled Indian art seem almost pesky.

We complain about how the market is the master of the Indian art scene, we lament the absence of proper art education, and we gnash our teeth at the lack of museums and governmental support for art. All these are valid concerns but so far as the freedom of expression is concerned, the muzzle can only be put on an artist by the art fraternity. This will happen if the threat of a few thugs makes gallerists and curators cower, if the artists submit to anxieties instead of using their work to respond to their circumstances. If there is a gag on Indian art, then it would have to be tied by the artist himself. No one else has either the capacity or the right.

Indian Art and its Variety

2010-09-04T17:55:00.000+05:30

Art in India has a history of several decades. Since pre historic times, people have been practicing different forms of art including sculptures and paintings. The palaces of the kings were decorated with the beautiful forms of Indian art. However, till date people from round the world show their interest in Indian traditional paintings. Some of the most popular types of India arts are discussed below –
Traditional Indian Art: Tradition of Indian art painting goes back to antiquity, as is reflected from the paintings carved on Ajanta, Ellora and other frescoes. Most popular kinds of Indian art is discussed as below-

Tanjore Paintings – These paintings are known for its traditional ornamentation and it is made on wooden boards. • Phad Paintings – Phad is a cloth material on which this painting is made. These paintings depict the stories and adventures of local and epic heroes. • Pichvai – This kind of Indian art depicts the scenes from the life of Hindu god Lord Krishna.

Madhubani – In pre- historic times this kind of paintings were made on the walls of their homes and prayer rooms to create divine atmosphere in the house. Abstract Art Abstract art makes use of visual language of color, form and line to craft a composition which may exist with a degree of independence from visual references in the world. An abstract art does not have a recognizable subject. It’s completely non objective allowing more freedom of expressions and creativity. Abstract art includes a wide range of styles. Any type of art which does not represents what it is depicting can be classified as an abstract art, though the term applies to oil paintings and other hanging arts.

Contemporary Art: Contemporary art can be defined as art crafted at this point of time or art crafted since World War II. Contemporary art expresses a lot with least. They use abstraction deducing every component of art as contemporary art requires nothing but complete freedom.

Contemporary Art Gallery: Contemporary art has become popular in both national and international market. It is highly acclaimed in west also. In fact art lovers from various countries visit Indian art gallery to get an idea about the uniqueness of the Indian art. An Indian art gallery has a rich collection of magnificent paintings which can give rich and imperial look to your house. Contemporary art gallery present in Delhi, Chennai, Pune, Chandigarh, Trivandrum, Mumbai, Kolkata, Baroda and Santiniketan has collection of famous contemporary art paintings.

Modern Art: Modern art refers to paintings crafted from eighteenth century to nineteenth century. This work of art does not follow any traditional techniques of paintings. This form of art can be easily recognized as they are uniquely different in style and color usage. If you want to give appealing look to your house, you can go for modern art paintings. The cost of the beautiful modern art painting can go to thousand dollars. However, you can at times get affordable one that does not cost more than hundred dollars.

Modern Art Gallery:India houses large numbers of modern art gallery which has rich collection of beautiful and appealing modern art paintings. This will enable you to choose the paintings made by reputable artist and get a great painting.

Rs.1 mn prize for Indian contemporary art, courtesy Skoda

2010-09-04T17:49:00.002+05:30

Art and automobile tied a happy knot when Skoda Auto India, the manufacturer of models like Fabia, Laura and Octavia, here Tuesday announced a Rs.1 million prize for the best collection of Indian contemporary art by a single artist in the country.

The Škoda Prize will be an annual celebration of outstanding work in contemporary art in the country. It is a first of its kind award that strives to recognize and reward young Indian artists under the age of 45. Each artist will be judged on the exhibitions, or other presentations of their body of work produced in the twelve months preceding the award.

The jury panel for the Award is chaired by one of India’s most prominent art experts, Mrs. Tasneem Mehta, who is the Managing Trustee and Honorary Director of the Dr Bhau Daji Lad Museum. Other Jury members include Mrs. Rajshree Pathy and Dr. Kavita Singh. Dr. Kavita Singh is a well-known art historian. She is Associate Professor at the School of Arts and Aesthetics, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. Her publications include New Insights into Sikh Art (2002) and essays in several international and national journals and edited volumes. Rajshree Pathy is founder of Contemplate, an arts initiative that will collaborate with artists and art organizations. She is also Chairperson and Managing Director of the Rajshree Group of Companies. Apart from the Jury Panel, there is also an advisory committee headed by renowned art critic, Girish Shahane. Girish is an Independent Writer based out of Mumbai. His articles on art, film and cultural politics have been published in leading newspapers and journals in India and abroad. He writes a fortnightly column for Yahoo! India.

Speaking on Škoda Prize, Thomas Kuehl, Board Member and Director Sales & Marketing, ŠkodaAuto India, said “Škoda has been a trend setter in providing clever & smart solutions for its consumer and art reflects a higher and an intellectual interpretation of the society at large. We look at this association as a great opportunity to provide a platform of recognition for the contemporary Indian artists who have been contributing richly to the global art scene. Škoda in India has positioned itself very successfully in the lifestyle space. Associating with art is a natural extension of the brand positioning for an audience aspiring for premium and clever choices in life. The Škoda Prize aims to be the ultimate recognition for quality in the art world, endorsed and underlined by high priests of the Indian Art industry.”

Martin da Costa, CEO, Seventy Event Management Group added “I am delighted that we are presenting the very first art award of its kind in India - The Škoda Prize for India Contemporary Art. I am confident that the art fraternity and the large art loving audience will be happy to view the exhibitions and the show we will present as part of the Škoda Prize journey. The underlying objective of the Škoda Prize is to provide a platform for many more young artists and encourage them to create original works of art and reach new heights.”

Artists can enter their nominations for The Škoda Prize based on guidelines given on the official website www.theskodaprize.com. In addition to works entered into the nomination process by artists, the Advisory Committee will be approaching some of the best galleries across India who will nominate 3 artists each for the prize.

Top 20 shortlisted artists will be featured in The Škoda Prize Catalogue and the artworks of the final three artists will be exhibited in New Delhi. The final winner will be announced in January and shall be awarded Rs. 10,00,000 apart from earning the prestigious title of The Škoda Prize winner for the year 2010-2011.

State of the Art

2010-09-04T17:44:00.000+05:30

Organised by the Lalit Kala Akademi and sponsored by the Cultural Ministry, an ambitious project to feature a 100 artists and 11 galleries to come up with artworks that have sport and the Capital as their muse, is already underway. The project, set around the Commonwealth Games, has plans of not just hosting exhibitions, but also of mounting hoardings worth Rs 50,000 around the city.

“The Commonwealth Games Organising Committee is an entity unto itself and has different ways of functioning, hence we had to take it upon ourselves. This association marks a cementing of public-private partnership and an acknowledgment of the important role played by the private galleries in the furthering of Indian contemporary art,” says Ashok Vajpeyi, chairman, Lalit Kala.

The artworks to be featured in the project cover a wide range of topics. On one end of the spectrum is artist Ranbir Kalekar’s vision of the CWG: A mixed media painting titled Conference of Birds and Beasts. In this work the heritage of the city has been pushed to the back while the nightmare of unfinished urban structures loom large. Birds and animals populate this desolate landscape. “These ‘creatures of the wild’ are all from Delhi and I have invented a fable of them holding a conference on the outskirts of the city, because they too are being made homeless like the hawkers who have been evicted. Things don’t seem to be in very good shape in the painting but it also has a seductiveness,” says Kalekar, one of the 10 artists to showcase their works at Nature Morte gallery. The gallery will also feature photographs by Ram Rehman and Gauri Gill, media work by Mithu Sen, an installation by Probir Gupta and Jaganath Panda, besides works by Thukral and Tagra.

Art, accessory auctions gather pace in India

2010-09-04T17:41:00.001+05:30

The art and accessories auction market is humming with activity in India and abroad, putting memories of the economic meltdown behind. The goods on display in showrooms and cyber galleries include souvenirs, antiques, jewellery, vintage books and even wine.

Saffronart, the Mumbai-based online auction house, will close its sale of rare solitaire and unset diamonds Aug 18. The sale opened online Aug 16. The lots feature a range of cuts in varying carats, including round brilliant diamonds, heart and pear-shaped stones.

Saffronart CEO Dinesh Vazirani said his “auction house was buoyed by the positive response it has received for its first limited period online sale of diamond solitaires”.

“Buyers particularly appreciated our transparent buying process, online certificates and expert comments on each diamond or well-matched pair of diamonds. These features helped build confidence in our platform, which we hope to keep using to connect buyers and sellers online,” he said.

On Aug 17, Bangalore-based auctioneer Bid & Hammer opened its luxury collection of antiquarian maps, books, British company art, vintage photographs and antiquities at Windsor Palace. The lots had been thrown open to online viewing Aug 13.

Bid & Hammer Managing Director M. Maher Dadha said: “In the revised scenario of economic prosperity, we are seeking to preserve our own heritage, when sadly the majority of our collections are now in the hands private or corporate collectors of Western nations."

Director of the India Art Summit Neha Kirpal said “the sentiments in the market in the last 18 months have been more confident”.

“Buyers and collectors are coming back carefully. The key thing is to ensure that the market moves forward with a degree of caution and invest collectively in the bedrock of the market eco-system to make it more sustainable. The auction prices should not be bubble - but have some degree of longevity. The rule applies to markets the world over,” Kirpal told IANS.

Kirpal's optimism is shared by Hugo Weihe of Christie's who said “the buyers were more careful now”.

“Quality is the driver in the auction market,” said Weihe, the international head of South Asian and Indian contemporary and modern art at Christie's.

Christie's unveiled seven Indian modern and contemporary masterpieces for a preview in the capital to generate buyers' interest in its Sep 26 New York sale of Indian art featuring 104 art works. The seven works were estimated at $27 million.

On Tuesday, Christie's unveiled a list of art and memorabilia to be auctioned Sep 29 in a widely publicised sale, “Lehman Brothers: Art and Ephemera”. The lots on sale once adorned the walls and offices of the Lehman Brothers.

The art works include old paintings of frigates by old masters, a 1962 composition by Gary Hume and an array of souvenirs of heritage value.

The Christie's auction calendar is full till December. “Our auction business has been steadily growing,” Weihe said.

Figures cite that the auction house traded art worth 410,575 pounds and 529,500 pounds respectively in two auctions Aug 10 and Aug 17. The auction house's current turnover in contemporary and modern Indian art is roughly $45 million.

The rejuvenated auction market, a couple of months ago, sold 12 paintings by Rabindranath Tagore for 1.6 million pounds. The Sotheby's sale of the Tagore works also set a new individual price record of 313,250 pounds for an untitled figure drawing.

In July, Sotheby's sold fine watches worth 981,700 pounds, cookbooks worth 396,826 pounds, fine wines to the tune of 1,193,228 pounds, jewels worth 2,136,100 pounds and old masters worth 53,484,350 pounds

Raja Ravi Varma

2010-08-17T18:00:00.005+05:30

Raja Ravi Varma (April 29, 1848- October 2, 1906) was an Indian painter who achieved recognition for his depiction of scenes from the epics of the Mahabharata and Ramayana. His paintings are considered to be among the best examples of the fusion of Indian traditions with the techniques of European academic art.

Raja Ravi Varma is most remembered for his paintings of beautiful sari clad women, who were portrayed as very shapely and graceful. His exposure in the west came when he won the first prize in Vienna Art Exhibition in 1873. After a successful career as a painter, Raja Ravi Varma died in (1906) at the age of 58. He is generally considered as one among the greatest painters in the history of Indian art.

Raja Ravi Varma came to widespread acclaim after he won an award for an exhibition of his paintings at Vienna in 1873 . He travelled throughout India in search of subjects. He often modeled Hindu Goddesses on South Indian women, whom he considered beautiful. Ravi Varma is particularly noted for his paintings depicting episodes from the story of Dushyanta and Shakuntala, and Nala and Damayanti, from the Mahabharata. Ravi Varma's representation of mythological characters has become a part of the Indian imagination of the epics. He is often criticized for being too showy and sentimental in his style. However his work remains very popular in India.

Raja Ravi Varma was married to Rani Bhageerathi Bayi (Kochu Pangi Amma) of the Mavelikara Royal Family and they had three sons and two daughters. Their eldest son, Prince Kerala Varma, born in 1876 went missing in 1912 and was never heard from again. Their second son was Prince Rama Varma (b.1879), an artist who studied at the JJ School of Arts, Mumbai, married to Srimathi Gowri Kunjamma, sister of Dewan PGN Unnithan. Their next son was Prince Raja Raja Varma. Raja Ravi Varma's elder daughter, Princess Mahaprabha, appears in two of his prominent paintings and was mother of Maharani Sethu Lakshmi Bayi of Travancore. He had one more daughter, Princess Uma Bayi, grandmother of Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma Maharajah. His descendants comprise the Mavelikara Royal family while two of his granddaughters, including the said Sethu Lakshmi Bayi, were adopted to the Travancore Royal Family, the cousin family of the Mavelikara House, to which lineage the present Travancore Maharajah belongs.

Fibre glass art & print: Getting bolder by the day

2010-08-17T17:56:00.001+05:30

Contemporary art is getting bolder and burgeoning by the day and younger generation artists are experimenting with a range of media. This ranges across fibre glass, steel, video and digital prints, to mention a few. And, the themes vary from ethnic Indian to western contemporary styles. This tribe of artists has developed a different language and created boundaries of their own.

Says Vikram Bachhawat, director of Aakriti, one of Kolkata’s biggest art galleries, whose GenNext shows have come to be known internationally, “This year, we received over a thousand entries from young artists across the globe for our GenNext V show. Eventually, a panel of experts reviewed the works and put together 34 young artists for the exhibition. Of the selections, seven are from Croatia, France, UK, China, Lithuania and Pakistan. The rest hail from Baroda, Kolkata, Shantiniketan, Chennai, Bangalore, Mangalore and Delhi, among other locales.”

According to him, the artists shortlisted will be displaying paintings, sculptures, digital prints, photographs and new media. The main criterion for choosing the works was the original style of the artist and their intellectual content, more than just their skill. Of course, many of the works are of the experimental genre. Most of the artists are young and fresh. “We are planning to mount a couple of works of each artist in the two wings in our gallery. Young Baroda-based contemporary artist Mansoor Ali Makrani, who is making a mark both domestically and internationally, finds high levels of direct influences from the West in many young artists, “which actually misguides them”. “If you ask me, I will say that my art work chooses its own material. I have an obsession for executing my work in a desired scale or material that my art work/the subject and the content demands and suits it best. I feel the material has a language of its own. An example could be the Dance of Democracy, (displayed at Gallery Maskara, Mumbai and in the first ever Indian art show—The Empire Strikes Back—at Saatchi, London), where I did the installation with broken and discarded official chairs. The chairs lay rotten to collect dust, and for me they spoke for the political and administrative system of my country,” says Makrani.

Mansoor says that he has always been engaged in evolving a broader, more open-ended sculptural vocabulary, in order to communicate with a spectator regardless of his/her linguistic, social and religious identity. “Deciphering and questioning political and social inclinations in a rapidly changing society have constantly informed my works. Moreover, Identitarian politics, too, determine my artistic concerns and choices. My art practice revolves around local as well as national concerns for identity search of/and as a an individual. As a result, my works echo the individual, who is sometimes me, sometimes you and sometimes he or she,” says Makrani.

He feels the Indian art scene has high potential and there’s a lot yet to be seen. “We just wish that the art market flourishes again soon. The new art market also poses immense challenges for artists and galleries alike and, of course, demands inclusion of courses like new media art and curatorial practice within an art institution,” Mansoor expresses.

“I see a lot of new media art coming in now. At the same time, one also witnessing artists coming up with inter-disciplinary art which combines media like photography, video and sculpture, to talk of just a few areas,” says Bangalore’s Romicon Revola, whose forte centres on large, stainless steel sculptures in open spaces of corporate buildings, tech parks and restaurants, instead of exhibiting in regular galleries. “When I say new media art, an example would be when three artists got together last month and participated in a video installation project at an upscale restaurant in Bangalore,” says Romicon. “The current crop of young artists are using technology in a pronounced manner to produce their artworks, whether it’s digital prints, video art or video installations,” says Romicon, who is in her mid-twenties.

According to her, the young gen is giving more importance to concept instead of the process. “By this I mean that the conceptual element is taking predominance and not the process through which one puts it together. Concept dictates the process.” Romicon, whose sculptures range between 5 ft and 20-plus ft in height, has found her works installed in locales in Bangalore and Mumbai and San Francisco and Los Angeles.

Kolkata-based Jayanta Roy, who is in his mid-thirties, dabbles in various media, but primarily focuses on contemporaty painting in acrylic and oil and photography transplanted on canvas. “The approach, today, is more direct. It’s photo-realistic and minimalist. Actually, our lifestyle has changed completely. Society is ruled by consumer culture and gadgets. India has moved towards a free market economy. That has also influenced art.” Jayanta’s works have been shown in Kolkata, Delhi, Mumbai and New York.

Renowned artist Jogen Chowdhury encourages and promotes young artists, who, he feels, are talented. Chowdhury has been known to curate a few shows of the younger lot, who, he feels, sport “potential and possibility”, but even, occasionally, pick up their works. “The world is extremely well networked now communication-wise,” he says. “Most young artists are computer-savvy and can view the nature of art that’s happening in the West. Besides, they are looking at holding shows in galleries and drawing buyers in the art market, the moment they are out of art college. I am not criticising them. But, what is most important is to focus concertedly on growing the creative strength of their works. They should also be careful about avoiding aping the West. It’s only when they retain their individualism will they finally stand out.”

Modern Art Gallery Delhi

2010-08-17T17:51:00.001+05:30

For an art enthusiast Modern Art Gallery in Delhi is like a treasure trove waiting to be found and explored. The need for a museum of Modern Art was felt for the first time in an Art Conference held in Calcutta in the year 1949. As a result the National Gallery of Modern Art was inaugurated on March 29, 1954. National Gallery of Modern Art has two other branches, one in Mumbai and the other in Bangalore. Their sole purpose is to spread the love for art. Modern Art Gallery is a vault of the cultural twinge showcasing the changing art forms through the passage of time.

Modern Art Gallery is located in the princely Jaipur House, opposite India Gate, Near UPSC, New Delhi. The collection of the National Gallery of Modern Art essentially comprises paintings, sculptures, graphics and photographs mainly by Indian and, to some extent, international modern artists. The Modern Art Gallery houses a large collection of approximately 4000 pieces of art including paintings, graphics, and sculptures made by different renowned as well as amateur artists. The timeline is no issue as it ranges from 1850s to the present time. Modern Art Gallery strictly adheres to certain parameters while acquiring new collections from up coming artists to ensure an all-round quality it associates itself with.

An art lover can see paintings done by masters such as Rabindranth Tagore, Abanindranath Tagore, Nandalal Bose, Binod Bihari Mukherjee, Ram Kumar Kinkar, Jamini Roy, Yamini Mukherjee and Amrita Shergill. The exhibits are changed every two months except a few permanent exhibits such as Amrita Shergill’s Self Portrait, Two women, Musicians and Bathers; and Jamini Roy’s Krishna and Balarama, Kirian, Yasoda & Krishna. Modern Art GalleryAmong the contemporary artists it has works of Maqbul Fida Hussein, Francis Newton Souza, Vivan Sundaram, J Swaminathan, Ghulam Mohammed Sheikh, Bhupen Khakhar and Sayyid Hyder Raza. Among international artists it boasts of Jacob Epstein, Giorgio de Chirico, Peter Lubarda, Henry Moore, Sonia Delaunay, A. Tapies, Robert Rauschenberg, Se Duk Lee, D.C. Daja, George Keyt and Fred Thieler and Kozo Mio. The galleries adjoining the lawns have been honored with the sculptures finally opening up into the yet to be opened sculpture garden. National Gallery of Modern Art also has a fully stocked library with books cataloged on every art related topic, rare photographs and audio-visual materials. They also give practical art guidance through their Art Sketch Club and show films to promote international appreciation for art.

General Information about Modern Art Gallery:
Location: Delhi
State: (Delhi) Union Territory of INDIA
Capital: Delhi is the capital of INDIA
Language: Hindi, English
Temperature: Max 45˚C, Min 27˚C (summer), Max 20˚C, Min 5˚C (winter)
Best Season: September to February

How to Reach Modern Art Gallery:

By Air:

Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport is connected to all the important cities of the world with almost all the major international airlines operating out of here. Palam Domestic Airport connects Delhi to the major cities in India.

By Rail:

The Indian Railway with their modern and organized network connects Delhi to all major and minor destinations in India. The city has three major railway stations at New Delhi, Old Delhi, and Nizamuddin.

By Road:

Delhi is well connected to all the major cities of India by a network of highways and roads. Buses can be taken from the three Inter State Bus Terminuses (ISBT), at Kashmere Gate, Sarai Kale Khan and Anand Vihar, as well as many starting points in and around the city, from which various state-managed and privately run transport facilities like air-conditioned, deluxe and ordinary coaches operate.

Is India perfect destination for Contemporary art gallery?

2010-08-17T17:48:00.001+05:30

It isn’t just India’s politicians but its artists as well who refuse to let age come in the way of their constituency. At different points, different artists have been important not just from the point of view of art aesthetics, or value, but because of the pivotal role they have played in providing the stepping stones with which to monitor the key turns in Indian art styles. These must necessarily include famous master artists such as Raja Ravi Varma less for his kitschy calendar pop-art and more for the fusion of Indian and European idioms that continues to dictate popular taste; the Tagore family for opening up the way art was viewed in India; Nandalal Bose, India’s first truly renaissance artist; and Amrita Sher-Gil for the passion she brought to the form in her very short life.

India’s tryst with modern art traces its origins to roughly the turn of the last century up to India’s independence, and it is the “moderns” — as both the artists and their art is referred to — who define the popular perception of how we view art in this country. Among these, the most radical by far was F N Souza whose provocative contemporary art gallery includes drawings and paintings earned him a fair share of ire and more brickbats than bouquets, though it might be said in the same breath that his sensibility lent more towards European extremism than any obvious Indian sensibility.

Souza was a victim of his own excesses, but among those who once shared the platform with him are three painters who without doubt can be regarded as the greatest living artists of this country. Of them, S H Raza, has been referred to also as the greatest living artist of France, and while that might be arguable — his work is collected mostly by Indians — Raza, 87 years, has said that by the end of this year he would like to wind up his atelier in Paris and return to the country of his birth, to probably New Delhi, where he is in the process, with friend Ashok Vajpeyi, of searching for land to create an institution for the arts.

Raza’s record at a Saffronart auction is Rs 4.2 crore, which must seem formidable given that critics have savaged him for repeatedly painting variations of the Bindu and the Mandala, forms that set him apart from his peers, creating a visual language that is both abstract as well as rooted in the tradition of tantra. Raza’s prices have skittered and gained since 2000, and have consolidated after 2003, casting him as a blue-chip, even though critics — and collectors — say Raza’s paintings don’t compel you to want all of his important works since they seem to replicate each other.

India’s most maverick, most loved and equally hated artist is M F Husain, 94 years this August, who single-handedly broke the cordons of exclusivity and took his famous art works mainstream to the masses. From travelling around the world in bare feet to creating a show of crumpled newspapers, he has mocked critics, courted moneyed buyers yet reached out to people, a bond he built as a hoarding artist painting posters for Bollywood marquees. Some of the most iconic images in Indian art gallery have been created from his palette — Mother Teresa, Indira Gandhi, the Lady with the Lamp, vignettes from the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, and of course, his horses. In recent times it seems to be trendy to dismiss Husain’s prodigious talent, but make no mistake: Husain is India’s tour de force of art. Currently at home in Dubai, where he is creating a series on the Arabic civilization and in London, where he has a home, Husain has shied away from returning to India fearing for his life from Hindu fundamentalists who have objected to some of his paintings. His prices, always the bellwether index of the art world, have fallen recently, though he has struck the biggest deals for the largest sums of money that any Indian artist has commanded: a gimmicky Rs 100 crore for one such series in India, and an undisclosed sum for his work on the Arab civilization, making him without a doubt India’s richest living artist.

One reason for the fall in Husain’s price is his proclivity to paint too much, too fast, the exact opposite of Mumbai-based Tyeb Mehta, 84 years, who refuses to let his debilitating health keep him from his canvas. If it appears that Mehta has painted very little, it is because of his tendency to ruthlessly destroy those works that don’t measure up to his critical gaze. In many ways, Mehta could be called minimalist: Since the seventies, his subjects have been mythological. He seems to enjoy scale, but what is most compelling is the energy on his canvases that is at once awesome and fearful. His price point has held steady for many years now, and even though Souza exceeded his auction high of Rs 8.2 crore in a surprise upset last year, there can be no doubt that Tyeb Mehta is not only India’s greatest living artist, his works are most likely to continue to escalate in value over the years.

Fine art that doesn’t cost the earth

2010-08-03T11:18:00.004+05:30

CIMA aims to turn common man into collector with works starting at Rs 500

From the ivory tower of galleries, museums and collectors’ residences to your very own living room: contemporary art by some of the finest artists of the country is poised to come down to earth.

Organised by CIMA Gallery, the three-day Art Mela, beginning Friday, will feature drawings, sketches and paintings by eminent names in the art world and priced, incredibly, between Rs 500 and Rs 25,000.

If there is one thing other than aesthetic merit that draws attention to contemporary art, it is its astronomical pricing. So the common connoisseur has to remain content with watching art inside galleries or museums. Between the dream of owning a Paresh Maity or a Ganesh Pyne and the reality of putting it up on one’s living-room wall falls the forbidding shadow of wealth.

For the past three years, CIMA Gallery has tried to address this discrepancy through the Art Mela, an annual venture to reduce the gap between great art and its true admirers: the middle-class intelligentsia for whom the ownership of art has less to do with shrewd investment strategies than with the unadulterated thrill of possessing a masterpiece.

“Three years ago when we first started this project, we found people waiting on the steps of the gallery hours before the mela was scheduled to open on Day 1,” says Rakhi Sarkar, the director of CIMA.

The public enthusiasm was matched by the response of the artists, who submitted works of the highest standards for a section of society they have always aspired to reach: the aam aadmi.

This year, too, the mela offers a catholic mix of styles, genres and names. Veterans like Jogen Chowdhury, Suhas Roy and Lalu Prasad Shaw share wall space with younger artists like Sumitro Basak, Shreyasi Chatterjee and Abir Karmakar. There are a number of promising watercolours by students and striking work by artists with physical difficulties. The mela also brings together tribal art from western and central India, including a series of exquisite pen-and-ink drawings.

“This is a unique experience in the way it transforms the gallery into a vibrant bazaar,” adds Sarkar, who is seconded by Pratiti Basu Sarkar, the chief administrator of the gallery. “For three days, the gallery loses its grim, serious edge, and people are allowed to touch, feel, and explore works by their favourite artists, something that they are expressly forbidden to indulge in at a museum or an art exhibition.”

The artists, too, let their imagination run freely, even frivolously, and try out quirkier, more playful, and eclectic styles they may not experiment with when they submit works to the more conventional mainstream market.

Despite the relative informality of the endeavour, there are checks and balances to ascertain that the art reaches its target consumers, rather than the usual dealers and collectors. From pricing and registering to issuing full-fledged receipts with holograms, every attempt is made to ensure transparency and authenticity.

The Art Mela is open from 11am to 8pm, from Friday to Sunday.

A new show and book highlights Anjolie Ela Menon’s artistic journey

2010-07-27T14:30:00.001+05:30

One of the senior most and highly celebrated Indian artists, Anjolie Ela Menon, sure has carved a niche for herself with her inimitable artistic approach and ability. Her figurative, sensual and romantic works have bucked the trend of modernist abstraction followed by artists in India and internationally.

Writing about her first show in 1958 in Delhi, art scholar Richard Bartholomew predicted of the young artist, “I’ve no doubt that before long this gifted young woman will be joining the elite ranks of India's very best painters.” His perceptive prophecy about the promising artist has been vindicated by the enormous, path-breaking body of work over half a century and more. Her very individualistic style defies any classification.

New Delhi based Vadehra Art Gallery presents an exhibition of her works, entitled Through the Patina’ along with a book launch by Shyam Benegal. Throwing light on its context and the occasion itself, a press release states:

“Anjolie Ela Menon occupies a distinctive niche in contemporary Indian art. Since her debut exhibition, her oil on masonite paintings as well as mixed-media works have continued to intrigue and enthral art lovers – both in India and abroad. Often associated with the haunting female nude, her oeuvre over the last six decades is vast and spans many genres. Marking the artist’s seventieth birthday, the launch of the book and the exhibition, featuring both retrospective and recent works, highlight the significant phases of her artistic journey.”

As the release rightly states, no single volume can probably do full justice to her career that spans over six decades, but the new beautifully illustrated publication authored by critic Isana Murti tries to present the entire range of her wonderful work. ‘Anjolie Ela Menon: Through the Patina’ is a comprehensive view of the artist’s life and art. Both the book and the exhibition are not to be missed.

34 international galleries at third India Art Summit

2010-07-27T14:18:00.003+05:30

The 3rd Edition of India Art Summit™ –India’s Modern and Contemporary Art Fair– is set to take place from 21-23 January 2011 in Pragati Maidan (ITPO), New Delhi. With 84 exhibiting galleries at this edition, and the inclusion of 34 leading international galleries (double the number that participated in 2009), India’s importance as an emerging global centre for art is further confirmed.

The 3rd Edition of India Art Summit will present galleries from 20 countries including Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Korea, Singapore, Spain, Switzerland, UAE, the UK and the USA, among others.

Top galleries from around the world will include Lisson Gallery (London, UK), Sundaram Tagore Gallery (Hong Kong, China), Galerie Kashya Hildebrand (Zurich, Switzerland), Aicon Gallery (New York, USA), Grosvenor Gallery (London, UK), Thomas Erben Gallery (New York, USA), Galerie Frank Elbaz (Paris, France), Die Galerie (Frankfurt, Germany), The Drawing Room (Makati City, The Philippines), Greenaway Gallery (Adelaide, Australia), and more. Returning for the 3rd Edition, Michelle D’Souza, Director, Lisson Gallery said “we are thrilled to be back at this exciting event and privileged to play a role in the internationalisation of the Indian art world."

With the leading Indian galleries coming together again for the third year, this edition continues to build on its position as the country’s premier art fair platform for Modern and Contemporary Art. “India has never seen this selection of art and galleries come together from around the world, I’m very excited to see that our country’s art fair is shaping up to be of a truly international standard”, said Shireen Gandhy, Director, Chemould Prescott Road (Mumbai, India).

The final shortlist of 84 galleries has been carefully chosen by the selection committee of the art fair, from a pool of over 150 applicants from India and around the world. The total area of the art fair has increased almost two-fold to approximately 8000 sq mtr of exhibition space, and the total number of galleries has increased by 55% from the previous edition. “We’re very pleased with the quality of galleries that have been selected and the breadth of Modern and Contemporary Art that will be presented at the upcoming fair” said Neha Kirpal, Director, India Art Summit.

This edition will see a greater curatorial focus in the gallery booth plans with strong group shows in the General Exhibition Section, and individual artist displays in the new Solo Projects Section of the art fair. Further, a vastly extended Sculpture Park surrounding the entire art fair venue and the dedicated spaces for video and performance art will give galleries a much wider stage on which to present an array of art practices and mediums.

Paresh Maity

2010-07-13T17:50:00.004+05:30

One of the most talked about Indian artists today is Paresh Maity. Born in Tamluk, West Bengal, Maity received a Bachelors Degree in Fine Arts from the Government College of Arts in Crafts in Kolkata, and a Masters Degree from the College of Art in New Delhi.

In a short career span, Paresh has made a name for himself in the Indian and International Art world (his paintings seem to have become a staple in every upper-class expatriate Indian's living room). Paresh has many distinctive awards including awards from the Royal Watercolor Society of London and the Harmony Award of New Delhi.

Paresh has two distinctive types of art work 1) Watercolor on canvas-landscapes 2) Oil on canvas-shapes and figures. Over the years he has also tended to shift towards an abstract style on his canvases. Paresh's signature style seems to be images of faces with extremely striking features in vibrant and sometimes piercing colors.

While Paresh's newer oil on canvases are extremely attractive and distinctive, personally, I prefer his older water colors because of his ability to mix transparent colors in an extremely clean, yet intricate and refreshing way.

Source: www.pareshmaity.com

Painter Paresh Maity's colourful Odyssey at new New Delhi International Airport

2010-07-10T14:44:00.001+05:30

Renowned painter Paresh Maity has brought off a real coup. He has created the biggest painting of his life and probably the longest in India. It stretches up to over 850 feet and is surely one of the most monumental paintings in the world. The first painting, titled The Indian Odyssey, measuring 7 by 800 feet, consists of 53 panels, while the second work, called Celebration, sized 6 feet 2 inches by 62 feet is made up of five panels. In all, one sees 58 panels spanning a little less than 900 feet. The entire piece, undoubtedly the most huge public art in India, now adorn the spanking new New Delhi International Airport executed by GMR Infrastructure.

“The project started four months back in mid-March 2010. The proposal came from GMR Infrastructure and civil aviation minister Praful Patel. They invited me to visit Delhi’s new international airport which will be the third largest in the world,” says Maity. “They approached me to create some artworks for this magnificent project and I felt honourd.”

Maity goes to add that when he saw some walls of the airport with the GMR team, it was “an amazing experience”. He could not believe that somebody could create an 800 feet painting which would be one of the longest in the world. “I went sleepless for a few days trying to visualise the magnitude of the artwork. They asked me to show them some layouts of the final painting. I conceptualised creating an India which is so incredible,” he says.

As the thought took shape in his mind, Maity thrashed out the layouts and presented them to GMR. “They were very happy with my concept. The Indian Odyssey ranges across the diversity, colour, richness, beauty, culture and art, music, dance and literature, amongst other facets of the country. Celebration showcases the joyous spirit of the country,” says Maity.

When Maity embarked on his massive assignment, the logistics were huge. He did not know who would supply such massive canvases and colours in huge quantity. It is the biggest art project in India and of mind-boggling size in public space. “I started looking for the canvases and art material. Of course, I had to specially order my requirements from my art material supplier. The other hurdle was to search out a sprawling space to execute the project. Finally, I managed to come upon a 30,000 sqft studio in Bangalore under a big office block. The locale was perfect. As I took off, I kept visualising the paintings over three months,” says Maity.

The Indian Odyssey starts from Bengal and spreads across Assam, Orissa, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala, Goa, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Kashmir and few other regions. In the same breath, Celebration portrays the mirth of Indian life and culture. Obviously, the magic of Maity’s use of colours came into full flow.

He was fired by the colourful life and culture of the country, its people, places, festivities, music, dance and harmony and architecture. And, of course, Picasso’s Guernica. “I have seen Guernica many times in Spain and the format in which the different elements, objects and forms are juxtaposed in the work. Before this project, I had done a few large paintings for the Mumbai international and domestic airports. Two of my sculptures are also installed in the Mumbai international airport. But I have never done anything of this dimension ever. This project has inspired me to venture into more public art projects,” sums up Paresh.

The Contemporary Art Of India And It’s Greatest Asset: Raza

2010-07-10T14:32:00.001+05:30

Despite global exhibitions and a small number of international collectors, for a long time it was the general perception of most Westerners that Indian art was at worst mere pastiches of European art and at best local, small-time, folk art, lacking real dialectic, dimension or intellectual weight. Christie’s wrote an essay to market Indian art & prepared a sale during the 1990s, but it was to be a failure.

However, at the beginning of the new millennium, the global art scene changed, with the rise of the so-called ‘emerging art markets’: notably Chinese, Russian and Indian. The last decade saw an extraordinary global boom in the Indian modern and contemporary art market, with major sales in London, New York, Delhi, Hong Kong and Dubai.

One major significant change in the market place was that Indian art had for a long time been bought almost entirely by Indian collectors (mainly based outside India), but now Indian art was being collected by non-Indians. More than this, these increased value of sales demonstrated the enormous growth in global interest. In the mid 1990s, no Indian contemporary painting had sold at auction for more than £50,000 (when contemporary European and American works work selling for millions) but now the top artists were fetching seven-figure sums.

Since launching regular Indian modern art sales in New York in 2000, worldwide sales in this category at Christie’s, for example, saw an exponential increase from US$660,000 to over US$45 million by 2008.

National & international interest was reborn in the senior established artists with emphasis on the Progressive Artists Group, that Raza had been a founder of. Though dissolved in 1956, it was profoundly influential in changing the idiom of Indian art. Almost all India’s major artists in the 1950s were associated with the group: K H Ara, S K Bakre, H A Gade, M F Husain, F N Souza and of course Raza. Some of those who are well-known today are Bal Chabda, V. S. Gaitonde, Krishen Khanna, Ram Kumar, Tyeb Mehta, Devender Singh, Akbar Padamsee, Himmat Shah and Manjit Bawa.

Artists such as Raza had been pivotally important in the gradual propagation of Indian art, not just in the last ten years but over a long period of time. His works were shown in prestigious galleries and institutional venues in Europe and beyond: when, in1952, he had his first show in Paris, a joint show with F N Souza and Akbar Padamsee, both fellow members of the Progressive Artists’ Group, major collectors, such as Mme Elie de Rothschild, bought his work. In the 1953 exhibition, he sold works to novelist Andre Maurois and Jacques Lassaigne, soon to be director of the Musée d’Art Moderne.

That he gained signal success in a country as nationalistic and introverted as France was a triumph in itself. He was the first non-Frenchman to win the coveted Prix de la Critique (in 1956), as result of which he was offered shows in Italy, Germany, Switzerland, Canada and USA.

In 1982, the Festival of India at the Royal Academy in London presented the work of the fifteen most important Indian painters, including Raza. At the Artistes Indiens en France at the Fondation Nationale des Arts Plastiques exhibition in Paris, 1 room was given over to Amrita Shergil and a dozen artworks by Raza. Shortly after this, Dominique Bozo, Director of the Centre Pompidou and founder of the Musee Picasso, travelled to India to select seven Indian painters who had not been included in the 1985 show for an exhibition at the Centre Pompidou.

In 1995, Le Monde de l’Art gallery in the rue Paradis, in Paris, hosted one of the most important exhibitions of Indian art since the 1985 show: seven painters were represented, including Raza.

As often, the émigré artists establish a global reputation more sucessfully than those who remain in their own country: Raza, Husain and Anish Kapoor, for example. This selection of massively famous Russian artists, whom we don’t consider as being Russian, due to their enthusiasm for theirt adopted country of residence: Rothko, Kandinsky, Chagall, Soutine. The difference is that Raza has remained much closer to his roots.

The recent global economic crisis has seen a predictable and rational adjustment, as in all the emerging markets (Chinese, Russian, Islamic, Korean etc) and a more calculated purchasing strategy among private and corporate buyers and the plethora of private and corporate speculators and art investment funds in India and elsewhere. What we are witnessing now are more judicious and discerning marketing, purchasing and investment policies. Established ‘blue-chip’ artists, such as Raza, have seen stability and even growth – one of Raza’s paintings, La Terre (1973), sold for £1.3 million at Christie’s London in June 2008 (his previous world record was Tapovan (1972), which sold for $1.5 million in 2006 in Sotheby’s sales rooms in New York.

Old age has now caught up with the old masters of the modern art of India. Raza is 87 years old, M F Husain is 94 and the Goan artist F N Souza is 85. Akbar Padamsee is also 81 years old. a new generation of rising stars has arrived as a result, creating art in a variety of media & attracting worldwide attention: for example, Subodh Gupta, Sanjay Bhattacharya, Bose Krishnamachari, Geeta Vadhera, Devajyoti Ray, Vagaram Choudhary and Bikash Bhattacharya.

Art on rent

2010-07-10T14:30:00.001+05:30

Newly opened gallery An Yah!! is all set to rent out art.

Since the recession, Indian art hasn’t been able to lift its head high. Those who made money during the heydays are the only ones smiling. And those who took it as a passing phase are rethinking.

Hit by the bust, corporate houses and moneyed individuals took each step carefully and hence art buying/investing was pushed to the margins. But a few found it the best time to invest in just the right kind of art, which they would not only like to live with, but also wouldn’t mind parting with, for money. Aasheesh Sethi, President of Noshe Group, took one such step. Last August, he launched An Yah!! meaning Gift of God, an art boulevard in the less visible area of Noida, Sector-4. He “employed” a few young, unknown but talented artists, paid them “good salary” as he puts it, and gave them a free hand to paint. He mounted two shows at Travancore Art Gallery in New Delhi to gauge the art admirers’ response towards their works. Confident after those “successful shows”, Aasheesh has come out with a novel concept, of art on rent, with ‘conditions apply’ as its main feature.

He has collaborated with Meena Varma, an art curator and now Associate Vice-President with An Yah!!, for the project. Spread across 4,000 square feet, the gallery-cum-cafeteria is laden with the works of the six artists. The show is a good mix of scenic beauty, still life, realistic, decorative and three-dimensional works with some influenced by the successful contemporary artists.

Says Aasheesh, “We will give art works to only corporate houses who would take at least 10 to 15 art works at a time. We will charge 10 to 20 per cent of the total value of the work of art. The work would be given for a period of one year. And we will also change once or twice a year on demand.”

Adds Meena, “Renting the art works is a very risky idea. So, we will first insure the works before renting them out. In case of any damage to the work, the taker would have to pay a penalty. We will also take security (say bank security) to make sure the user doesn’t run away with it.” The corporate house which takes works on rent can also pay the full amount as security if they want. “On that, we will give them as much interest as they may get from the bank,” says Aasheesh.

Besides the works already in stock, a few would be made on demand as well. And the artists would be young and new, not the established ones.

But then, the biggest hitch for the art takers would be a clause that the temporary owner of an An Yah!! art work will have to return the work if An Yah!! finds a buyer for it. But in that case, this temporary owner will also be given the first option of buying that work of art prior to the new buyer, else he will get a replacement. “Our objective is not to earn money from art on rent as it is not a profitable option for us and we aren’t doing a CSR activity either. We pay a hefty salary to our artists, give a fat increment each year and commission on the work sold. We also don’t sign a bond with them so that they don’t feel caged.” An Yah!! hopes to sell the works to individuals at less than a lakh, though the lowest price is Rs.5000.

“So far, art works have been selling on individuals’ names. We want to turn An Yah!! into a brand for quality art. For that we will soon start a retail store for art works too.”

M FHusain may set up a museum of Indian cinema

2010-07-10T14:17:00.003+05:30

Maqbool Fida Husain may be living in exile, but the Qatar-based artist now says he wants to set up a museum of Indian cinema in India. The venue will be either Mumbai or Kerala.

The artist is no stranger to Bollywood. He has directed movies like 'Gaja Gamini' and 'Meenaxi'. And, of course he loves painting Bollywood actresses - Madhuri Dixit, Amrita Rao and the latest is Vidya Balan.

"For the cinema, it should be in Bombay or if not Bombay, you know my most preferable place in India is Kerala. I like to do something in Kerala as far as this (museum) is concerned because there are great filmmakers there. At the moment, there is Adoor Gopalakrishnan, a great master of cinema, he is there," said Husain.

Invitation for the Emerging Artist Award 2010 by FICA

2010-06-03T11:17:00.002+05:30

FICA is inviting applications for the Emerging Artist Award 2010. The award seeks to promote young artists studying or practicing in India who demonstrate extraordinary skill and promise in the visual arts. The winner will be selected by an independent jury of distinguished artists and professionals in the field.

The winner will receive an eight-week international residency and a solo show at Vadehra Art Gallery, New Delhi in 2011. The award includes round trip travel from the artist’s city of residence in India to the residency. The deadline for the award is July 15, 2010 and the winner will be announced in September, 2010 for studio-residency in March-April 2011.

REQUIREMENTS

• The applicant must be an Indian citizen residing in India, and a student of art or an emerging artist under the age of 35.
• The selected artist must have a valid Indian passport prior to the residency.
• The winner will have to abide by the FICA terms and conditions* on accepting the award.
Please include the following material:
• 5-10 images (on a CD or DVD, no slides please), each image labelled with the artist’s name, title of work, date, dimensions and medium. For video based work, up to 10 minutes of video file(s). The video file(s) should be compatible for playback on Windows Media Player/Quick Time Player/Real Player. Clearly mark the CD with artist’s name and contact information. CD/DVDs which do not open or are damaged will not be considered a valid entry.
• This two-page application form with an artist’s statement including an explanation of the works in the space provided herein. Please send your current resume as a separate attachment.

MAIL APPLICATION AND MATERIAL TO:

The Foundation for Indian Contemporary Art (FICA)
D-178, Okhla Phase 1, New Delhi 110 020, India
Okhla Phase 1,
New Delhi 110 020, India
tel: +91 11 6547 4005 fax: +91 11 2681 2973
website: http://www.ficart.org/

All material received will be the property of FICA and will not be returned.

DEADLINE JULY 15, 2010

Indian art taken to new frontiers by Private promoters.

2010-06-03T11:10:00.000+05:30

The India Art Summit plans to attract new art collectors through a sustained programme

2010-05-27T15:08:00.002+05:30

Things may have slowed down this summer for the India Art Summit — what with it being postponed to January 2011— but behind the apparent inertia there is a lot happening. Already, a list of participating galleries has been drawn up — about 75 galleries will take part in the General Exhibition Section next year. And, more interestingly, a special programme to cultivate the interest of art collectors — who will be wined and dined and taken by the hand to look at art across the country — will come into being in September this year.

“We understand that the long-term requirement of the Indian art market is the creation of a solid collectors’ base across the country,” says Neha Kirpal, director, India Art Summit. “As a precursor to the summit, we will host collector outreach programme in Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chennai and Kolkata. The format of the event will include an interactive session with an international contemporary art expert followed by sharing the highlights of what international art collectors can expect to see at the forthcoming art summit.” Of course, the talk will be over cocktails and the travel in AC buses.

They will be looking at young Indian entrepreneur-collectors with a good amount of purchasing power, those with an inclination to look at art as a long-term investment and not an overnight retail commodity. While one wonders if this exercise will create a new power clique in the art world, Kirpal points out that this is just meant to widen the collectors’ base and bring in new talent. Now, we have an art world order where only the powerful galleries get to promote their artists. But with the outreach programme, one might see a democratisation of the process, as a large number of players and stakeholders enter the fray. “We are not talking of just Delhi and Mumbai, but art from cities like Bangalore and Chennai,” assures Kirpal.

Currently it is mostly the owners of blue-chip companies who possess large, valuable collections of art. By ushering new entrepreneur-collectors, the summit hopes to create fresh pools of people interested in buying and looking at art. It will still not be a commodity for the masses, but it will be a wider cultural experience.

‘Contemporary Art in India: At Home and in the World’ - I

2010-05-27T14:45:00.002+05:30

Below are the succinct observations by art critic Keith Wallace on Indian art and its expanding horizons:

The context for the production of contemporary art in India is signifcantly different from that found in Canada, the consequence of an art system that is, or perhaps is not, in place there. Whereas in Canada artists have a number of options for the exhibition of their work, India has little infrastructure for the support of its artists.

There are, of course, private galleries in India, but for the most part they are conservative enterprises with vested market interests. Public galleries also exist in India, but they are few and far between, with many of them serving as rental galleries that result in exhibition programs lacking cohesion or direction, and that provide scant educational opportunities.

Having said this, India has a highly dynamic contemporary visual arts scene. Artists are well trained and well read. Yet, relative to the size of the population India is the second most populous nation in the world the number of artists is surprisingly modest, but the benefits of this is a cultural ecology that fosters close communication and a self-supportive environment. With an equally small number of critics and curators who can articulate and provide insightful analysis of the artwork being produced, much of the dialogue that does take place is primarily generated among the artists themselves, and they are generous in attending exhibitions within their own communities and not shy of frank critical feedback regarding each others work.

And it is perhaps productive to think about creative communities of artists whether they be in Delhi, Mumbai, or Bangalore in considering India's contemporary art beyond a national perspective. While there is no representative or consistent style or trend that manifests itself in any of these cities, and certainly not across the country, the artists are well aware of, and connected with, the international art scene.

Painting and sculpture continue to maintain a strong presence in contemporary Indian art, but photography, video, and installation are quickly taking root within the visual arts, and have been embraced by the outside art world as some of the most significant art produced in India today. Like China, India is a growing economic and cultural force that has attracted increased interest and investment from the outside, with one benefit being the attention given to cultural production.

Contemporary Indian Art

2010-05-27T14:36:00.001+05:30

Contemporary Art refers to "art that has been and continues to be created during our lifetimes". There is a certain amount of overlapping between "Contemporary" and "Modern" art in India. The origin of this kind of art can be traced back to 1960's. The complete gamut of Indian Contemporary Artworks since the last 30 years has been connected to: feminism, multiculturalism, globalization, bio-engineering and AIDS awareness.

The evaluation of the current market scenarios shows that the contemporary Indian art market is now springing back to life. The current market is flourishing constantly day by day. The art galleries, even outside the major cities in India have proven to be increasingly successful. It is remarkable that inspite of the record inflammation India has faced, contemporary Indian art market has been doing very well. 21st century has seen a steep rise in the performance of the contemporary Indian Art market. A robust economy, raise in the overall per capita income, and the full-fledged chipping in of the young enthusiastic Indians are the factors contributing to the raise in overall sales.

Since India has always been in close association with foreign countries, its wide influence can be seen in its art conspicuously. Indian artists remain connected to the ever-changing trends and easily adapt to the emerging European and Oriental styles. Apart from this there are many Indian artists immigrating to the west; artworks in such cases showcase their feelings about the amalgamation of their past with the current western culture. As a result, contemporary Indian art is now travelling offshore to fetch sky-high prices. It might be significant to know that while contemporary artists in India take inspiration from various sources, Indian art somehow continuous to retain its uniqueness and originality. The same tends to lure the art lovers around the world.

Contemporary art is strongly influenced by the artist’s cultural background, history, training and experiences. It provides a brilliant opportunity to comprehend today's India through the eyes of its artists. Here the artists consistently bring in new styles; the kinds which cannot be specifically classified.

Contemporary Indian art is readily accessible to tourists and general public. There are many art centres across Mumbai, New Delhi, and Calcutta. Besides, internet makes it so very easy to surf through various collections of stupendous paintings, crafts, drawings and sculptures of superbly talented Indian artists and if you want to buy them, you can do so right away through secure online payments.

Indian Art Galleries

2010-05-27T14:32:00.002+05:30

The art produced on the Indian subcontinent is referred to as Indian Art. It has had its existence since 3rd millennium BC. For centuries, Indian Art has been a source of fascination for art lovers around the world. Indian period is very special and unique in terms of art, literature and architecture, they say. Indian art is extremely captivating, as colourful and interesting as the customs and traditions here. It demonstrates a strong influence of religion, philosophical systems and includes rich associations with religion and spiritualisation, wild imaginations as well as humanization of celestial beings. Infact the effort is made to interpret the single purpose of life through art. Its characteristic can be observed in its modern as well as traditional forms.

Categorization of Indian art can be done in terms of its period of existence:

Ancient Period (3500 BCE-1200 CE)
Islamic ascendancy (1192-1757)
Colonial Period (17571947)
Independence and the Postcolonial Period (Post-1947)

For Indian art-lovers several art galleries have been established in major cities. "Art Gallery" refers to an art museum where they display and sell paintings and sculpture. A number of them have now sprawled all over the country. It may be interesting to note that there had been almost nil art galleries 2- 3 decades ago. The upcoming generation is showing more and more interest and passion in the Indian artworks. Indian art galleries feature a collection of Indian paintings, abstract art, realistic art, surrealistic art, watercolour paintings, etc. These are consistently working towards recognising, encouraging, patronizing & grooming this talent.

Top 5 Indian art galleries can be listed as: Pandol Art Gallery (Mumbai), Chemould Art Gallery (Mumbai), Ashish Balram Nagpal Gallery (Mumbai), Vadehra Art Gallery (New Delhi), Dhoomimal Gallery (New Delhi) and Nature Morte (New Delhi).

Apart from the regular art galleries there are online galleries which are spreading much faster. Technology here offers easy home access to the finest artworks of India. Online art galleries run as a business with the purpose of displaying artwork being to promote it to the potential buyers. Through web you would be able to display numerous artworks on the website to millions of users at the same time. The websites focus at keeping up with the fast changing global art scenario and provide an opportunity to keep a constant track of the art world. As more and more people come to realize the uniqueness and distinctiveness of Indian art it is well-understood that the Indian Artworks has bright prospects and potential in the coming days.

Twelve art works of Ravindranath Tagore to be auctioned at Sotheby’s.

2010-05-26T10:56:00.004+05:30

Twelve important art works by Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore belonging to the London-based Dartington Hall Trust will go under the hammer June 15 at Sotheby’s in London.

The compositions, mostly ovoid visages of women and figures which Tagore was known for, are appearing in the market for the first time, coinciding with his 150th birth anniversary celebrations.

The pre-sale combined estimate of the works are approximately 250,000 pounds.

The Nobel laureate, born in 1861, metamorphosed into an artist rather late in life at the age of 67. The poet, who started doodling on his writing sheets eventually moved to mastering contemporary artistic techniques like water colour, gouache, charcoal, pastels and coloured ink for his expressionist and abstract compositions.

He created a body of 2,500 art works in course of a little more than two decades.

The Dartington Hall Trust, a charitable organisation is located on the Dartington Hall estate, near Totnes in south Devon.

“The rarity and the distinguished provenance of the 12 Tagore paintings - in addition to the fact that they have never appeared in the open market before - makes their auction debut a once in a generation opportunity for collectors in the field. Together, the group unquestionably ranks as one of the most important collections of works by the artist to have ever come to the market,” a senior Sotheby’s official said.

All the works in the lot are untitled.

An “Untitled” portrait of a woman in watercolour, coloured ink, pastel in an imagery typical of Tagore, is estimated at 30,000 pounds while another composition of a lady with a fan, is expected to fetch 30,000 pounds.

A figure in black with bare arms and a green background that has been in the collection at Dartington Hall in the 1930s, is estimated at 40,000 pounds.

A landscape in yellow, black and green boasts of a pre-sale price of 15,000 pounds, while a figure in yellow and black is estimated at 30,000 pounds.

A series of human figures in sepia is expected to generate 20,000 pounds.

Commenting on the lot, Holly Blackberry, deputy director of Indian Art at Sotheby’s said: “Bringing the 12 museum-quality paintings by one of the key modern masters of Indian painting has been a privilege. Together, they form a stand-put group and all of them have an impeccable provenance of having been in the possession of Dartington Hall most of their life. Given their exemplary history and the Tagore’s status as one of India’s most illustrious heritage artist, the sale is an once-in-a-lifetime acquisition opportunity.”

Sotheby’s has a successful history of selling works by Tagore. In May 2008, it had set an auction record for a composition, “Death Scene” from the collection of W.G and M. Archer, that sold for 144,550 pounds.

The top prices for Tagore’s art at Sotheby’s include a composition “Bird” that sold at Sotheby’s London for 70,000 pounds, “Head of a Woman” that sold at Sotheby’s New York sale at $104,500 in September 2008 and another at $55,000 in September 2007.

Tagore was closely associated with Dartington Hall. Leonard Elmhirst and his wife, American heiress Dorothy Whitney Elmhirst, who owned the estate and set up the trust, acquired the 12 paintings as a personal gift from the Nobel laureate.

Leonard had met Tagore in US as a student of Cornell University. After graduating from Cornell in 1921, Leonard travelled to India to work as his private secretary.

He also created a department for rural reconstruction on an estate belonging to Tagore’s family.

Indian art at London's BRIC show

2010-04-27T17:09:00.002+05:30

Contemporary Indian artists like Subodh Gupta, Jitish Kallat, T V Santosh and Atul Dodiya find a place among emerging art masterpieces from Brazil Russia and China at the upcoming BRIC auction in UK.

The 438-lot sale at London's Saatchi Gallery dedicated to contemporary art, design and photography from the four countries will be held on April 23 and 24, says auctioneers Philips de Pury & Co.

Estimated at 13 million pounds, the auction features among others, works by Os Gemeos, and Lygia Clark from Brazil, Alexander Rodchenko, Eric Bulatov and Alexander Kosolapov from Russia and Zhang Xiaogang, Yue MinJun and Ai Weiwei from China.

"The BRIC sale will reflect the widespread growth of interest in contemporary art coming out of these incredibly rich cultures. This growth runs parallel with the emergence of these countries as significant powers in the global economy," the auctioneers said.

Investors seek 'traditional art' as prices rise

2010-04-21T10:35:00.000+05:30

BBC News Traditional art is proving popular for high-end buyers as prices in the UK arts and antiques market continue to rise, a survey has found.

Oil and watercolours have performed well with works priced at more than £50,000 rising in value, surveyors say. But the survey by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors found that the rise was driven by traditional, rather than contemporary art.

More affordable art was outperforming the higher end, it said. Prices in the first three months of the year were rising owing to a lack of supply of art, the survey found. Silver There were increases in prices reported in the silver and jewellery sectors, which have often been seen as havens for investments.

Much of this was the result of the high scrappage values of precious metals, the survey said. "Last quarter's improvement in the contemporary art market turned out to be the result of the Frieze art fair last October rather than a solid turnaround.

However, the arts and antiques market remains a strong performer as an asset class with prices rising in nearly all categories," said Simon Rubinsohn, Rics chief economist. He suggested that the bad weather at the start of the year had prevented some works being brought to auction.

However, the weather failed to deter buyers, many of whom bid over the telephone or on the internet. Evidence of the kind of amounts fetched for paintings at the highest end will be in evidence in May when a painting by Henri Matisse, celebrating the first Bastille Day in France after World War I, is auctioned at Sotheby's in New York.

The painting - "Bouquet for July 14, 1919" - is expected to fetch between $18m (£11.8m) and $25m (£16.5m). The colourful painting, which measures 116cm by 89cm and depicts a bouquet of flowers on a table, is being exhibited in Hong Kong and London before being auctioned in New York. The record for a Matisse was set in Paris in February 2009, for his 1911 piece "Cuckoos on a Blue and Pink Carpet", which fetched $45.2m (£29.7m)

Ravi Varma popularised Indian culture abroad

2010-04-21T10:30:00.002+05:30

Every work of art is born out of a context; hence, it is baseless to criticise an artist like Raja Ravi Varma who lived over 100 years ago, said ace filmmaker Adoor Gopalakrishnan.

He was speaking at the programme organised by Artspace Foundation here on Sunday to introduce the book ‘Raja Ravi Varma - The Painter of Colonial India’ penned by renowned art restorer, Rupika Chawla.

Kerala has given birth to many a great artist over the centuries.

Ravi Varma probably marked the beginning of this band of great artists. Ravi Varma had been successful in popularising Indian culture abroad by adapting stories and situations from our myths and epics as the theme of his paintings, said Adoor Gopalakrishnan.

B.Hridayakumari, who introduced the book to the gathering, said Rupika has replied to the critics of Ravi Varma through her thorough and well-studied detailing of the maestro’s paintings.

His paintings on Indian Gods and mythologies are narratives encapsulated on canvas, she said.

The book deals on various stages of Ravi Varma’s life, his bonding with his family members, especially with his brother Raja Raja Varma, and all the illustrious travels he made to the different parts of India which inspired him to create world class paintings. Additional Chief Secretary K.Jayakumar, architect Shankar and sculptor K S Radhakrishnan were also present.

Game for some art at the Commonwealth Games

2010-04-21T10:29:00.001+05:30

The art fraternity wants to make the best out of the Commonwealth Games that will be held in New Delhi from October 3 to 14. From art exhibitions to rallies, special shows to installations, they have planned it all during the Games.

Recently former Indian cricketer Kapil Dev’s NGO Khushii got 11 artists including Dileep Sharma, Jagannath Panda, George Martin, Paresh Maity, Naina Kanodia, Jayshree Burman and Mithu Sen to paint rickshaws. These paintings will be a part of one of the VIP rallies at the games. Dileep says, “These rickshaws are a part of the charity auction organised by Khushii every year. These will be auctioned in May and will become a part of this prestigious rally.”

The Lalit Kala Akademi, one of the oldest art organisations in Delhi, has also planned an interesting exhibition to coincide with the Games. Ashok Vajpayee, the president of the Akademi, says, “We are planning to show a specially curated art exhibition which will focus on sports. Through this exhibition we are going to trace the relevance of games and sports in the miniature paintings and also in contemporary artworks.”

Even private galleries in Delhi are taking a lot of interest in organising special shows. Renu Modi of Gallery Espac says, “About 5-6 big galleries in the city are in the process of organising exciting and collective art projects.”

Even the government of India has decided to play an active role in promoting Indian art. Kewal Sharma, principal secretary with the Public Works Department (PWD), says, “We will be displaying public art in the form of sculptures and installations at various locations.

Architect Pradeep Sachdev says, “The plan is to show artworks made of things that are environment-friendly — to prove that the city cares for nature.”

Art Museums in India

2010-03-30T11:39:00.003+05:30

An art museum is a place which reflects the true rich cultural heritage of a country. These art museum exhibits the works of art, usually visual art. The most common art work which is exhibited at art museums is paintings apart from Photographs, sculptures; illustrations etc. many art museums also display applied arts objects. Art museums are encyclopedia of cultural knowledge of a country. Not only they display wonderful art works but they also provide plethora of knowledge about the arts and artists. India, a country with rich cultural tradition and history also has many art museums. Most of these Indian art museums have a prize a collection of great art works.

The National Gallery of Modern Art also known as NGMA, New Delhi. It also has branches in Mumbai and Bangalore. This is the foremost art museum in India. NGMA has amazing collection of almost 15000 art works. The prized collection of NGMA includes works of Rabindranath Tagore, Jamini Roy, Amrita Sher gill, Gaganendranath Tagore, Abanindranath Tagore, Nandalal Bose to name a few. Not only that, NGMA also had foreign artists’ collection like that of Thomas Daniell and Pablo Picasso.

Goa State Museum is another famous Indian art museum. It has numerous art works collection such as Sculptures, Christian arts, Banerji arts, art works of Religious Expression, Menezes Braganza arts and Contemporary art works.

The Government Museum and Art Gallery is situated in Chandigarh. One of the prestigious museums in India, it has multiple portraits collection, architecture classics, ancient indian and gandhra sculptures, amazing section of indian miniature paintings, metal sculptures, Medieval Indian sculptures and tempting works of contemporary arts.

Salar Jung Museum, Hyderabad is one of the foremost art museums in the country. It has built its reputation on great collections of European Paintings & sculptures, Mughal Miniatures, Japanese Silk Paintings, Chinese Porcelain, Carpets, rare manuscripts, Clocks, Double figure by Italian sculptor G.H Benzoni, Sculpture of Veiled Rebecca, Musical clock, jade crafted knifes of Jehangir & Nurjahan and few famous European paintings like ‘Venice’, ‘Soap Bubbles’ etc. it has several galleries and all of them possess distinct collections.

Victoria Memorial Museum, Kolkata has a rich collection of paintings, sculptures and other art works displaying cultural diversity of Kolkata. Apart from the above mentioned museums there are several others and each one of them having a distinct and wonderful assortment of various art works.

Nicholas Roerich at National Gallery of Modern Art, New Delhi

2010-03-30T11:26:00.001+05:30

The Ministry of Culture, Government of India & National Gallery of Modern Art celebrate Indo-Russian Cultural Relations by mounting a special exhibition titled “Nicholas Roerich: An Eternal Quest” at Jaipur House, National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA), New Delhi, that will be on view till April 11, 2010.

The exhibition showcases 75 works taken from The International Centre of Roerichs, Moscow, and other leading museums in India. The prolific Russian artist Nicholas Roerich made India his home in the latter part of his life, and is today counted amongst the great Indian masters such as Rabindranath Tagore, Nandalal Bose and Jamini Roy.

Nicholas Roerich was an extraordinary personality, a unique individual, having an immense thirst for knowledge, and a deep appreciation of beauty in all forms. A trained painter and lawyer, also archaeologist, ethnographer, geographer, poet, historian, philosopher, scientist, traveller, fighter for peace, defender of cultural values of all nations, Roerich throughout his life, devoted himself to the ideal of the common good of mankind.

Says Prof Rajeev Lochan, Director, NGMA: “Roerich’s outlook of the world was unique, based upon the knowledge of the fundamental laws of Existence. He was convinced that by increasing the level of masses’ spiritual culture, one could transform life on earth and defeat ignorance, vulgarity, exploitation and wars. In his own words “Where there is culture, there is peace”. Being convinced of the transforming power of culture, Nicholas Roerich devoted himself not only to artistic, but also to educational activities.”

Roerich’s lifetime work comprises around 7000 paintings and sketches, which can be found in famous museums and private collections all around the world. His early works bear strong influences of his Russian heritage. Based on Russian themes and legends, the panoramic Russian landscapes, history and folk art, he travelled extensively, first in Russia, later in Europe and America, before realizing his long cherished dream to come to India. Drawn inexplicably to the vast mountain ranges of the Himalayas, like no other painter, Roerich was able to grasp and depict the subtle-most shades, hues and tones of the mountains, and their ethereal transparency. He was proclaimed the ‘Master of the Mountains’. He sensed the subtle spirit and harmony of the mountains, their solemn, mighty essence and significance for humanity as the symbol of the purest, highest aspiration towards beauty and knowledge. ‘Treasure-house of the Spirit’ – thus Roerich used to call his beloved Himalayas.

The legacy of Roerich is a joint Russian-India cultural heritage. The National Gallery of Modern Art thanks the lenders to this exhibition, The International Centre of the Roerichs, (ICR) Moscow, Russia, The International Roerich Trust, Naggar; Allahabad Museum; Baroda Museum and Picture Gallery; Government Museum and Art Gallery, Chandigarh; Bharat Kala Bhavan, Varanasi; for their generous loans of paintings. These, along with the collection of NGMA aim to recreate the magic of the spirit of Nicholas Roerich: An Eternal Quest.

A wide variety of prints, portfolios and memorabilia have been specially created towards the exhibition. Special films on the life and work of Nicholas Roerich will be screened daily. The exhibition would be on view till April 11, Tuesdays to Sunday, 10-5 pm at the Jaipur House wing of the National Gallery of Modern Art, India Gate Circle, New Delhi. A definite must see!

Art of the Matter

2010-03-30T11:08:00.002+05:30

As you might have noticed, several art magazines have been launched in the recent past. A couple of weeks ago, The Bombay Art Society had a formal launch of its Indian Contemporary Art Journal in the city. Today, most art magazines are available at limited venues, for instance at galleries and a few other outlets. The editor of the Indian Art Journal revealed that they plan to retail the publication through popular bookstores, which is an excellent idea as it will greatly enhance accessibility and availability.

Interestingly, at this point not a single magazine is being brought out of Bangalore. On the other hand, Mumbai, New Delhi and Kolkata have several art publications to their credit. However, what we do have are writers and artists. In fact, there are many writers from the city who contribute to these publications, (it is another matter that many of them write for most of the magazines - no exclusivity here!)

Quite a few artists have put forth the need to have a dedicated art magazine that is brought out of Bangalore. A publication such as this may give a much needed impetus to the art scene here. Even a simple online version, to begin with might be a good idea. Apart from being a source of information to people interested in art, such a publication could focus on a larger number of artists in the area – smaller shows and upcoming artists can also be profiled. A wider circulation to other parts of the country would provide greater exposure to artists and galleries.

Incidentally, the number of galleries in the city is rather limited, even though there are many artists who reside here, but end up showing their works outside, or moving out of Bangalore in search of opportunities.

The problem, I am sure is not in bringing out a magazine, which is comparatively an easy task, but in maintaining it. The logistics and financial aspects of running an entire publication is a daunting process and needs a large amount of support in order to be sustainable. However, it is eminently doable and one hopes that one of the many corporate offices in the city may take up the challenge to take on the entire responsibility or at least fund it.

Gallerie Alternatives presents Towards Utopia a solo exhibition by Sunaina Bhalla

2009-09-30T17:03:00.001+05:30

Gallerie Alternatives presents Towards Utopia, a solo exhibition of paintings by Sunaina Bhalla.

September 30 - October 19, 2009
at Gallerie Alternatives, 102, DT Mega Mall,
DLF City, Phase - I, Golf club road, Gurgaon

Artist’s Statement
The paradox that is India – and the questions this paradox raises in my mind are posed in this body of work. Given the current socio-political-economic situation the world over, one needs to stop and think about the direction we are moving in.

Humans have become a laughable bunch of inhabitants of our earth! Fighting over who rules, who’s bigger, who’s better…. Religion, which is intended to guide man to live a better life, seems to have become the focal point of controversy, along with money….

And who gives anyone the right to “better” the world by forcing their individual versions of religion onto others?

The futility of it all is what amazes me. The fear of the after life is making the current one unbearable.

India has risen to be a global force to be reckoned with…and herein lies the anamoly that is India…where economic growth is fantastic but co-exists with social ills in the name of religion...and self centeredness…

Anant Art Presents Piyali Ghosh's New Works

2009-09-30T16:56:00.001+05:30

Piyali Ghosh is self-consciously aware of her role as witness and commenter on contemporary social, political and economic ills plaguing the country. She uses the language of satire and animal allegory to mock the politician/ bureaucrat fattened on unbounded greed. Where the man is visualized positively swine-like with a thick neck and hint of a snout, the cocks and crabs, notorious for their in-fighting are used to represent a class of people who are unable to peacefully cohabit. She refers here to politicians who change allegiances based on personal greed and benefit rather than ideology or belief systems. But she also refers to the entangle India and Pakistan find themselves unable to ravel and thus must constantly watch each other warily, periodically peck at each other with no end of the conflict in sight. Piyali writes herself into the work, as the dog, that is ever-present, watching and mocking the posturing, greed and lies of the ‘peoples representatives’.

Piyali presents pitfalls that we can identify in this deeply flawed world. Her work has a moral purpose, drawing on a rich lineage of folk and fairytales, which include the works of Bengali writers Rabindranath Tagore, Upendra Kishore Ray Chaudhury, his son Sukumar Ray and grandson Satyajit Ray. Piyali also acknowledges the influences of the murals of Kerala and miniatures of Rajasthan on her work.

This is Piyali’s second solo exhibition. Along with paintings, drawings on paper, the artist experiments for the first time with installations, which include paintings, woven wire mesh, metal swords, shields and crabs that cast shadows on canvases and walls and create a layered visual experience.

The shows you shouldn’t miss

2009-09-19T13:06:00.000+05:30

It’s a busy week in the art world. Five exhibitions that stand out for their content as well as technique.

1. Gender—Genesis—Genetics

(Group show of Indian contemporary women artists; mixed media)

Curators at Gallery Espace thought that the chain of words, Gender-Genesis-Genetics, aesthetically connotes the nuances of gender politics. And that’s what they titled the show that brings together seven Indian contemporary women artists: Benitha Perciyal, Gayatri Gamuz, Mona Kamal, Surekha, Vibha Galhotra, Parvathi Nayar and Tejal Shah.

Renu Modi, curator, believes that the participating women do not take recourse to the stereotypical feminism or visual translations of academic feminist theories. Instead, they use their personal journeys and experiences as raw materials to celebrate their womanhood and critique gender disparities.

In her work, for instance, Mumbai-based artist Shah, uses one of her encounters in a mental asylum in Paris to develop photographic visuals, in which she acts out the roles of various patients.

The works are priced between Rs15,000 and Rs4 lakh.

When: 12 September-3 October

Where: Gallery Espace, 16 Community Centre, New Friends Colony, New Delhi

2. Cultural Debris

(N.S. Harsha solo show; painting)

Mysore-based artist N.S. Harsha’s works are known for their socio-political engagements articulated using techniques of some Indian narrative traditions and popular art forms. This body of recent works was painted over two years.

Moving away from the everyday landscape that formed much of the setting for his earlier works, these paintings enter a metaphysical space and engage with issues of human existence and anxieties relating to a larger cosmic reality.

Price on request from the gallery.

When: Till 3 October

Where: Sakshi Gallery, Synergy Art Foundation Ltd, Nathalal Parekh Marg, Colaba, Mumbai

3. Spinning Secrets

(Manisha Parekh solo show; painting, collage, drawing, paper, fabric, gouache, graphite)

Under the Blue, 2009 by Manisha Parekh. Gouache on paper

Nature Morte gives us New Delhi artist Manisha Parekh’s fifth solo show with the gallery. Parekh is one of the few artists working in India today who continues to explore an exclusively abstract language. Here, she straddles painting, collage and drawing to create works that incorporate both the geometric and the organic.

New sculptural works will expand this vocabulary into three dimensions, exploring the qualities of man-made fabrics.

The artist’s newest work is a suite of graphite drawings. While taking off from her established language of biomorphic abstraction, she introduces references to both landscapes and astronomical diagrams.

The works are priced between Rs7.5 lakh and Rs20 lakh each.

When: Till 16 October

Where: Gallery Nature Morte, A-1, Neeti Bagh, New Delhi

4. Someday it all has to end

(Srinivasa Prasad solo show; bamboo and wire)

Someday it has to all end, 2009 by Srinivasa Prasad. Thorny bamboo and wire

Someday it all has to end is a range of sculpture installations constructed using bamboo sticks and thorns. It was built concurrently with the construction of artist Srinivasa Prasad’s new home. The artwork is a study of bird’s nests and the feeling of home and security that they provide.

Prasad created these installations over the last six months and will be working on the pieces during the exhibit. He plans on expanding one to human proportions so visitors to the gallery can actually crawl into the artwork.

When: Till 7 October

Where: Galleryske, The Presidency 82, St Marks Road, Bangalore

Price on request from the gallery.

5. The Monsoon Chapter 4

(Group show of contemporary painting on climate change)

Curated by Red Earth, Monsoon Chapter 4 seeks to bring Indian contemporary painting closer to motifs from nature. The exhibition encourages artists to engage with issues of climate change and the growing unpredictability of the monsoons.

The show brings an impressive line-up of artists together: Bibhu Patnaik, Biplab Muzibar Rahman, Gagan Singh, Manil Gupta, Nandan Ghiya, Pranay Lal, Pratul Dash, Rajendra Kapse, E.H Pushkin, Tanuja Rane, Viraj Naik, Debarchan Rout and Waswo X. Waswo.

The works are priced between Rs25,000 and Rs3.75 lakh.

When: Till 30 September

Where: Gallery Nvya, 101-103 Square One Designer Arcade, C2 District Centre, Saket, New Delhi

Indian art’s bumpy ride in the market

2009-09-08T10:55:00.002+05:30

Art has only one language. Even if you don’t understand the content, you should at least be able to say, ‘My God, this is a good piece,’” asserts Subodh Gupta, who passes me one of a series of mangoes strewn around his Delhi studio. But the fruits aren’t for ingestion; the solid bronze pieces are a sculptural Dutch 17th-century still life, their “skins” dappled with subtly delineated blemishes.

The mangoes will go on show in an exhibition of new works by the Indian artist at Hauser & Wirth in London in October, the artist’s first UK solo show, alongside other impressive sculptural creations such as a reworking in bronze of Marcel Duchamp’s moustachioed Mona Lisa, a 7ft-wide stainless steel thali plate, two 9ft spoons and a set of cast Jeff Koons “Puppy” gift boxes.

This nod to a fellow art market darling (“I will never ignore Jeff Koons and Damien Hirst, they have given so much strength to young artists worldwide”) is another canny move on the part of Gupta, 45, who is acknowledged as India’s first contemporary art superstar. The Bihar-born artist, who started as a painter in the 1980s before branching into installation and video, has led the South Asian contemporary art boom with his towering sculptures crafted from tiffin food pots, milk pails and cow-dung patties. “My family works on the railways. I remember taking food to my dad in a tiffin,” says Gupta, devouring lunch.

His slick, intelligent use of homespun materials reflects the tipping point of India’s economic transformation but also strikes a chord with international art audiences. Gupta’s installation of cooking utensils made waves at London’s Frieze Art Fair in 2005, and “in a metallic flash everything changed”, says Lucian Harris of The Art Newspaper. “His monumental 1,000kg skull made of pots and pans, ‘Very Hungry God’, which French billionaire François Pinault placed outside his Palazzo Grassi gallery in Venice, became one of the must-see attractions at the 2007 Biennale.”

The artist is keen, however, to keep a “healthy distance” from patrons. But he emphasises: “I respect Pinault and [the late French film-maker Claude] Berri. They have money and they collect art. Four or five people in India are among the richest in the world but they have no passion for supporting art. We only have the Poddars who are sharing their collection.”

Anupam Poddar, who owns the Devi Garh resort chain, is one of the most influential homegrown collectors driving the contemporary art scene in India today. His 7,000-strong collection includes works by Anita Dube and Mithu Sen, while his mother Lekha has been acquiring work by artists of the Indian Progressive and Bengal schools since the 1970s. Their not-for-profit Devi Art Foundation opened in Delhi last year.

But Poddar, and other collectors such as the Mumbai-based art advisor Amrita Jhaveri, are an exception; in general, the dearth of committed contemporary art buyers in India poses a dilemma for domestic dealers. “In India, there are very few serious contemporary collectors,” said an exasperated Peter Nagy, who runs Nature Morte gallery in the Indian capital.

However, foreign buyers were quick to spot the potential of Gupta and his compatriot artists. These include Gupta’s wife Bharti Kher, TV Santosh, Sudarshan Shetty and Jitish Kallat. British buyers include Frank Cohen and Charles Saatchi, who plans a show of Indian art at his Chelsea space early next year. The clamour for work by Gupta came to a head in June 2008 when his untitled circular installation of stainless steel tiffin utensils (2007) fetched £601,250 at Christie’s in London, and his “Still Steal Steel #9” painting (2008) went to a European collector for €450,000 at Frieze in October.

“Non-resident Indian collectors, or NRIs, are also buying contemporary, but it is usually just a few prestige pieces,” says Prajit Dutta of Aicon Gallery in London. If the contemporary market is still challenging, however, the 20th-century modern art market is a different matter. Indians based abroad played a strong role in the revival of the Indian art market in the late 1990s when “NRIs in cities such as Dubai, New York and London, flush with new-found wealth, joined the rush to buy art. They turned to a critically underrated tradition of postwar Indian painters such as FN Souza, MF Husain and SH Raza. Prices for this school, known as the Progressive Artists Group, went through the roof,” according to Harris.

This stampede peaked when the Bollywood star Tina Ambani paid £1.3m for FN Souza’s “Birth” (1955) at Christie’s, London, in June last year. In fact, the excitable Indian modern art market has been driven almost exclusively by Indian money, both at home and abroad. “I was surprised to see how strong the local market was in India for modern art, unlike in China where foreign buyers mainly sustain the market,” reiterates Gunnar Kvaran, director of the Astrup Fearnley museum in Oslo, which is currently hosting the Indian Highway exhibition.

So how hard has the economic downturn hit modern and contemporary Indian art? The last major market test took place two weeks ago in New Delhi with the launch of the India Art Summit fair, which aimed to bolster the city’s lacklustre gallery scene. More than 50 galleries, mostly Indian but with a sprinkling of European participants, including London’s Lisson gallery, made up this second edition.

Representatives from local venues Vadehra Art Gallery and Gallerie Nvya trumpeted that the fair was “extremely busy” with “better than expected” sales. Cautious Indian collectors outnumbered buyers from Hong Kong, London and New York while “price points for modern art ranged from Rs15 lakhs (£18,500) to Rs90 lakhs (£114,000), with discounts of 20-25 per cent. For contemporary Indian artists, prices went from Rs50,000 (£600) for small paper works to Rs50 lakhs (around £62,000) for larger works,” says Mamta Singhania of New Delhi’s Anant Art Gallery. Talk of the market bottoming out dominated the stands. Nagy is nonetheless refreshingly honest about the post-crash dynamics of the sector: “Contemporary art prices have come down 25-30 per cent, some artists have dropped as much as 50 per cent.” The bubble has deflated at auction for modern art, with Raza’s top price this year ($211,936 for a 1969 medium-sized oil) a far cry from the eye-watering $2.5m paid last year for his larger acrylic work “La Terre” (1973). Husain’s market remains steady with oils selling for an average of $130,000. Souza fetched wildly contrasting prices at Sothebys’ London Indian art sale in June, from £46,850 for “Death and the Maiden” (1966) to £403,250 for the larger work “Orange Head” (1963), the top lot. Total sales for 59 lots were just more than £2m, with an average lot price of £35,040.

Christie’s June sale in London made £2.4m in total (the June 2008 sale reached £5.4m) with an average lot price of £31,977. “We are certainly setting more realistic estimates,” says Yamini Mehta, director of modern and contemporary Indian art at Christie’s. This reality check is hardly surprising in a market fuelled in the last four years by investment potential rather than aesthetic appreciation. A plethora of Indian art funds sprang up in 2007 and 2008, creating a hugely speculative market within a newly prosperous economy. But the new climate has dampened the fever, admits Tunty Chauhan, fund manager of the Religare art fund: “The fund closes on January 31 2011. The valuation as of March 31 has gone down by 17 per cent. We have just spent 75 per cent of our fund.”

Gupta, whose untitled 2006 oil went for $201,250 at the Saffronart auction held online in June, is sanguine about the slump. The heavily hyped Indian art scene, he says, meant that college students in India were making works with the market in mind, “which is dangerous”, he says. “With the boom, the market was flooded with dealers but where are they now? Eighty per cent have disappeared. But they will return when the market picks up ...” Gupta has been a pivotal player in that drama, so his UK show will be a barometer of market recovery. The Indian art world eagerly, and nervously, looks to London.

Largest Indian contemporary art exhibition opens in Austria

2009-09-08T10:51:00.000+05:30

This is the largest exhibition of contemporary Indian art to open in the Austrian capital in recent times, “Chalo! India” is certainly making visitors more and more curious about the South Asian giant.

“India’s impressive economic progress has spurred interest in the artistic developments of the country as well,” said professor Karlheinz Essl, founder of the Essl Museum of contemporary art.

“Chalo! India” was inaugurated by Austrian President Heinz Fischer. Apart from more than 100 works by 27 artists, the two-month long exhibition will see many a talk and workshop. Names like Subodh Gupta, Bharti Kher, Gulammohammad Sheikh feature in the show.

At a symposium titled “Concepts of Modernity - The Indian Perspective”, audiences were curious to know what modernity means to most Indians. Pointing to traditional images of gods and goddesses in the works of many artists, some visitors felt the trend did not spell modernity.

“Our sense of the modern is less singular than that of Europeans. We are able to embrace new ideas without giving up the old,” explained artist Sheikh, a leading light of the Baroda School in the 1970s.

He said no single definition of modernity exists in his mind.

“Contemporary India is able to live in the midst of several epochs at the same time amidst a feeling of a tremendous sense of time, a tremendous sense of continuity,” said Sheikh who was born in 1937 in Gujarat and lives in Vadodara.

In recent times he has been creating 3-dimensional works and hi-tech video worlds that include mythologies from different cultures.

His contribution at “Chalo! India” includes a travelling shrine made from a three-screen video triptych of a circular world without borders populated by a digital collage of sufis and yogis and figures of Gandhi, Kabir, Mary Magdalene and Majnu. The gigantic but colourful installation begins with the question “Whose World?”

He said an exhibition like this is proof enough that participants are obviously aware of local traditions but not bound by them.

There were more questions from the floor on the relationship and conflict between art, religion and economics in India.

“We still have a long way to go. India has to do much more by way of human development but I am happy that we are moving in the right direction,” said Professor Sunil Kanwar from the Delhi School of Economics.

Curated by Akiko Miki to mark the fifth anniversary of Japan’s Mori museum, “Chalo! India” first opened in Tokyo in November 2008 for four months.

Essl is already home to some 6,000 works of contemporary art from Europe, the US, Australia, Mexico and China, all collected by Karlheinz and his wife Agnes over 30 years.

The Essls are perhaps owners of Europe’s most important private art collection and the couple is considered one of the top 100 players in today’s art world.

The interest of the Essls in Indian art goes back to the early 1990s. Since then they have chosen the work of at least 30 young and yet unknown Indian artists which will be displayed for the first time at an exhibition at the Essl Museum early next year.

Beyond the form

2009-08-06T10:43:00.000+05:30

It’s not very often that one visits a group art show to return with an experience that is both enriching and visually appealing. Perhaps what gets ignored in this quick-fix age of putting together a saleable collection is one most important aspect — that while organising and viewing a group show, one must assess how the group strengthens, rather than weakens, individual creativity. While most group shows are either a motley collection of artworks from the gallery’s existing stock, some rejoice in creating a parochial theme as the connecting thread. Group shows exalting the imagery of anything ranging from monsoon to terrorism, from environment to sexuality have almost become our staple diet.

A preview of the latest group show to hit the capital, organised by Bajaj Capital Art House as its first anniversary show, however, dispels most of these concerns. Curator Sushma Bahl has created an aesthetic balance between commerce and art. The selected artists are some of the most sought-after names and the works fresh. The theme of the show is academic yet personal. There is no gimmick here, just plain and simple quality art!

According to Sushma Bahl, curator of the show, “‘Beyond the Form’ attempts to focus on the underlying concerns, issues, emotions and stories that artists as creators delve into beyond what the eye can see as a ubiquitous form. Most of the artworks have been specially created for the exhibition in response to the theme and give the viewers an interesting visual and aesthetic panorama of contemporary art in varied expressions, oeuvres and genres.”

No wonder then, the exhibition includes more than 40 works and spans a range of mediums — water colours, oils, pastel and acrylics on canvas and aluminum, digital archival ink on canvas, mixed media on paper and sculptures. To be exhibited in Delhi at Visual Arts Gallery from August 5 before moving to Mumbai’s acclaimed Jehangir Art Gallery, the show brings forth stunning artworks of stalwarts like Krishen Khanna, Satish Gujral, Maya Burman, Paresh Maity and their younger contemporaries like Anil Gaikwad, George Martin, Jagdish Chinthala, Jayasri Burman, Murali Cheeroth, Nitish Bhattacharjee, Sunil Padwal, Viveek Sharma, Vivek Vilasani and TM Azis.

Generation gap between the artists is of no concern, though, to the young luminaries in the show. The theme itself is! Going beyond what the form can teach or the eye can see, each has created a visual world that is replete with overlying layers of context and imagery.

For instance, Vivek Vilasini’s digital archival ink on canvas work titled ‘Mind the Giap’ portrays General Giap, a Vietnamese army general who fought and defeated French and American soldiers while his other work ‘Holy Bible’ is based on an existent Bible that can be bought off the shelves in Bangalore. Says the artist: “Both my works are an anomaly because Vietnam being a small country could resist such powerful invasion while the Bible, covered in camouflage, reminds me of the historical period of the crusades.”

Artist Viveek Sharma’s oil on canvas, in a similar manner, delves into our social milieu but makes the narrative hidden behind the form. The situation in either of his works are not ubiquitous; like in the case of ‘Bullet Proof’, the image of an invincible Chathrapathi Shivaji on horseback signifies the victory of commandos during the Mumbai terror attacks. On the other hand, ‘Brain Wash’ depicts the urban and rural masses of India, their heads as repository and brains as receptacle for an earmarked product of mass consumerism.

One can see a similar aura in Anil Gaikwad’s oil, pastel and acrylic work titled ‘Shadow Becomes Reality’ where the light emanating from the colour pervades the canvas, resulting in a sublime and serene landscape. Says the artist: “My images are identified with certain terrain, valley or a landscape, but in reality I delve deep into an inner space, which unfolds gradually making it a meditative place.”

Taking the canvas beyond the concept of merely a colourful abstract, George Martin’s acrylics on canvas titled ‘A Touch of Elegance’ and ‘Looking For Closure’ enact an enigmatic drama of contemporary life in simplistic urban situations. Applying a unique methodology — first by the mediation of a camera and then by a programme that enables the artist to deconstruct the first image — the unity of the images are broken down to make it look like colourful patches.

Inspired from the built environment, rather than the luxurious flora and fauna he grew up with in Kerala, while Murali Cheeroth’s new video work is based on the use of pesticides on cashew crops in and around rural South, his paintings look closely at multiple layers of urban identities. The colorful theatrical images — surrounded by machines in one of the works and under the arch-lights in another — seem to unveil human body and mind entangled in multiple identities and society’s increasing dependence on technology.

Unlike Cheeroth, TM Azis’s oil on canvas is steeped in the expressionistic figuration of Kerala from where he too hails. His characters in mixed media reflect situations that represent state of mind, body, gesture and dramatic movements from life. He says: “I have never been particular about maintaining a style as experiences change with time and form with every work.”

Similarly, Sunil Padwal too works in mixed media and explores the androgynous urban male by giving him a definite form and identity. A mélange of colours, graffiti and Russian icons come together on his canvas and effectively convey the angst ridden face of mankind. He enjoys adding dimension to his works, an unusual curved surface instead of a flat one, a molded back to make the painting move away from the wall, a form of twisted metal or an old signboard.

On the other hand, femininity is the world created by Jayasri Burman who creates a balance between beauty and nature through her mixed media work on paper and canvas while Maya Burman’s watercolours are detailed with a strong fantasy element.

The show also incorporates abstracts by Nitish Bhattacharjee and his narratives can be best explained as a passionate encounter between lines and hues. In fact, the degree of abstraction is so immense that the viewer is compelled to question the content behind the inexhaustible layers of texture and colour as well as the frantic movement of brush strokes that occupy his canvas.

While one would have wanted to see more sculptures in the show, those that have been exhibited are top notch. Jagdish Chinthala papier-mâché and aluminum sculptures titled ‘Anniversary’, ‘Best Man’, ‘Room Mates’ and ‘Man at Miami Beach’ are inspired by folklore, toys, acquaintances and incidents from his childhood. Each piece depicts the artist’s astute perception of the outside world and the fallibility of human nature; its character subtly revealed through clothing, facial expressions, posture and use of hands.
Two sculptures by Satish Gujral, apart from his trademark canvases, add a special touch as well.

A happy time for quality art, once again!

The centrestage is, of course, taken by Krishen Khanna, the elusive stalwart whose works rarely find their way into art shows. Through his large scale paintings immersed in thick impasto, familiar figures appear and disappear jogging one’s distant memories. The two drawings here feature one of his most popular and engaging subjects — the bandwallas. Wearing their typical hats and coats holding up their brass instruments, the bandwallas are seen to herald a time for celebration and joy for others though they themselves have to struggle to make a living.

The celebrations do not end with the art though. Bajaj Capital Art House director Anu Bajaj shares the launch of Bajaj Capital Art House’s ‘Artist Fellowship’, a one-year fellowship aimed at mid-career visual artists.

It’s certainly a happy time for quality art once again!

First Major UK Solo Show for Subodh Gupta to Open at Hauser & Wirth in October

2009-08-03T17:53:00.001+05:30

Describing himself as 'the idol thief', Subodh Gupta is one of the most exciting and audacious contemporary artists to have emerged in recent years. The man dubbed by The Guardian as the 'subcontinental Marcel Duchamp' will exhibit simultaneously at Hauser & Wirth’s Piccadilly and Old Bond Street galleries throughout October. Among the works he’s making specifically for this, his first major UK solo show, is a three-dimensional reworking in bronze of Duchamp’s moustachioed Mona Lisa, L.H.O.O.Q, (1919). 'Art language is the same all over the world', he claims, 'which allows me to be anywhere.'

Many will know Gupta for his works incorporating everyday objects that are ubiquitous throughout India, such as the mass-produced steel tiffin boxes used by millions to carry their lunch, as well as thali pans, bicycles and milk pails. From such ordinary items the artist produces breathtaking sculptures that reflect on the economic transformation of his homeland while acknowledging the reach of contemporary art. For instance, Line of Control (2008) — a colossal mushroom cloud constructed entirely of pots and pans prominently displayed in the last Tate Triennial — created an overarching symbol through small and commonplace items. Through its fusion of global issues with local ingredients the work spoke across cultural boundaries, commenting on the deadly extremes nations go to in maintaining their borders.

In his new works Gupta moves away from composite sculptures towards objects that possess an auratic quality. Readymade commodities experience transformations in scale and material, transmogrifying from factory-produced items into extraordinary artefacts. Employing such culturally loaded mediums as bronze, steel and marble, he presents subject matters whose symbolism varies from the universal to the enigmatic, and whose emotional impact ranges from menace to nostalgia. Appropriated icons from the canon of Western art share company with replicas of perishable, interchangeable goods associated with India, and items whose import is specific to the artist. Gupta’s work treats unlike things with equal respect, embodying the clash between impersonal and individual experience in contemporary society. He tests the ways in which meaning and value are constructed, exploring art’s capacity to withstand and channel the effects of expansion, displacement and translation.

Subodh Gupta was born in 1964 in Khagaul, Bihar, India. He studied at the College of Art, Patna (1983 – 1988) before moving to New Delhi where he currently lives and works. Trained as a painter, he went on to experiment with a variety of media, which culminated in his first installation in 1996 entitled '29 Mornings'. His work has been prominent in major international biennials and has been the subject of numerous solo exhibitions across Asia, Europe and America. Recent group exhibitions include The Garage (GCCC Moscow)’s 'A Certain State of the World?', works from the Pinault Collection (2009) curated by Caroline Bourgeois; 'Altermodern: Tate Triennial 09', curated by Nicolas Bourriaud; 'Indian Highway' (2008), curated by Julia Peyton-Jones and Hans Ulrich Obrist, Serpentine Gallery, London, currently on show at Astrup Fearnley Museum of Modern Art, Oslo and touring to other venues; and 'Where in the World' (2008), curated by Kavita Singh, Shukla Sawant and Naman Ahuja, Devi Art Foundation, New Delhi.

Historic and Contemporary arts collection from Indian art gallery

2009-08-03T17:46:00.001+05:30

LIST OF Art Galleries in Delhi

2009-07-08T11:17:00.000+05:30

• Anant Art Gallery
• Art Alive
• Bodhi Art
• Delhi Art Gallery
• Gallerie Nvya
• Gallery Art Positive
• Gallery Espace
• Gallery Threshold
• Ishat Art
• Nature Morte
• Palette Art Gallery
• Rahul & Art
• The Mint
• Vadehra Art

Kathakali in India

2009-05-14T10:20:00.001+05:30

Kathakali is the classical dance-drama of Kerala, South India, which dates from the 17th century. Kathakali has a harmonious combination of literature (Sahithyam), music (Sangeetham), painting (Chithram), acting (Natyam) and dance (Nritham). All the five forms of art have a very important place in this combination. Its literature is narrative , poetic and dramatic. Costumes are of vivid colours, facial makeup is done by the artist himself and a distinct headgear made of wood is worn during the play. The Aharya (Make-up) has many faces like Pacha, Kathi, Thadi, Minukku etc.

These colours and names denote nature of the characters. The make-up is complicated, requiring several hours to apply. During the drama the dancers do not speak, but the hand movements known as 'Mudras' and unique facial expressions all imbibe to a sign language. All the drama and dance are accompanied by powerful vocal music. Drummers provide a rhythmic background to the drama. Kathakali performances usually begin with a musical note called Thiranottam. The dance extravaganza last all through night to dawn.

There are 24 Basic Mudras (hand gestures) in the "Hasthalakshana Deepika", the book of hand gestures, which Kathakali follows. There are 'Asamyutha Mudras' (that is shown using single hand) and 'Samyutha Mudras' (mudras shown in double hands) in each Basic Mudras, to show different symbols. Considering all these Mudras and their seperations there are totally 470 symbols used in Kathakali.

1. Pathaaka (Flag)
2. Mudraakhyam
3. Katakam (Golden Bangle)
4. Mushti (Fist)
5. Kartharee Mukham (Scissor's sharp point)
6. Sukathundam (Parrot's peek)
7. Kapidhakam (The fruit of a tree)
8. Hamsa Paksham (Swan'swing)
9. Sikharam (Peak)
10. Hamsaasyam (Swan's peek)
11.Anjaly (Folded hands in Salutation)
12.Ardhachandram (Half moon)
13. Mukuram (Mirror)
14. Bhramaram (Beetle)
15. Soochimukham (Needle's sharp point)
16. Pallavam (Sprout)
17. Thripathaaka (Flag with three colours)
18. Mrigaseersham (Deer's head)
19. Sarpasirassu (Serpant's head)
20. Vardhamanakam (Seedling)
21. Araalam (Curved)
22. Oornanabham (Spider)
23. Mukulam (Bud)
24. Katakaamukham

It was one of the Rajas (Chieftain) of Kottarakkara, who wrote the first play intended for Kathakali performance. They form a cycle of eight stories based on Ramayana. The performance for each story was designed to last for six to eight hours. The performed stories were then known as Ramanattom (play pertaining to Rama), which later came to be called as Kathakali. Stories based on other epics and puranas were added to its repertoire in later period. More information about Kathakali:

Major Kathakali Centres of Kerala

1. Kerala Kalamandalam, Cheruthuruthy, Thrissur District.
2. P.S.V. Natyasangham, Kottakkal, Calicut District.
3. Gandhi Seva Sadanam, Pathirippala, Palakkad District.
4. Unnayivarrier Smaraka Kalanilayam, Iringalakkuda, Thrissur District.
5. Cochin Cultural Centre, Cochin, Ernakulam District
6. Art Kerala, Valanjambalam, Ernakulam District.
8. R.L.V. Thripunithura, Ernakulam Dt.

Mohiniattam

2009-04-30T15:27:00.001+05:30

Mohiniattam is a traditional South Indian dance form Kerala, India. It is a graceful dance meant to be performed solo by women. The term Mohiniattam comes from the words "Mohini" implying a feeling of warm enchantment and "aattam" meaning graceful and sensuous body movements. The word "Mohiniattam" literally means "dance of the enchantress".

The dance has influences and elements from two South Indian dance forms, the Bharatanatyam and Kathakali. The dance involves the swaying of broad hips and the gentle movements of an erect torso from side to side. This is reminiscent of the swinging of the palm leaves and the gently flowing rivers which abound kerala, the land of Mohiniattam. The costume includes white sari embroidered with bright golden fabric at the edges. The dance follows the classical text of Hastha Lakshanadeepika, which has elaborate description of Mudras (gestural expressions by the hand and fingers).

The vocal music of Mohiniattam involves variations in rhythmic structure called as choll. The mohiniattam dance is performed to this accompaniment by the subtle gestures and footwork of the danseuse. The performer uses the eyes in a very coyish yet sensual manner. The purpose being to enchant the mind without enticing the senses.

Kuchupudi

2009-04-30T15:26:00.000+05:30

Kuchupudi is a classical dance said to have evolved out of the Nattuva Melas. Kuchupudi is the name of a village in Divi Taluq in Krishna District very near Srikakulam, a place where the Krishnadevaraya of Vijayanagara Empire ruled. The Brahmins here practiced the dance form. Once Golconda King Abdul Hasan Tanesha camped at Kuchupudi for a night and was so impressed with the dance form that he gifted about 600 acres of land to nine families of kuchupudi scholars.

Siddhendra yogi is considered as the first scholar who scientifically framed the art. He was responsible for giving shape to the dance drama and also imparting training to the young Brahmins. The yogi reserved this dance for males and callled it "Bhamakalapam".
In olden days, a kuchupudi performance invariable began with the aura built up initially, like a curtain showing up over which a braided plait was thrown. It was like throwing a challenge to any artist or audience to come and defeat the performer of the evening and then claim the plait, by simply cutting it off.

Ornaments worn from kuchupudi dance were originally made from a light wood called "Boorugu" in Telugu. Shoulder blades, crowns, armlets, arm bands and wristlets were carved out of wood and colored. But today they have given way to metal ware.

Kathakali

2009-04-30T15:25:00.003+05:30

Kathakali is said to be derived from the words 'katha' meaning 'story' and 'kali' meaning 'play or performance'. Kathakali is one of the most expressive forms of Indian dance-drama. It originated in Kerala over 500 years ago and is considered one of the oldest dance forms. Kathakali is a combination of drama, dance, music and ritual. Kathakali dancers re-enact stories from the Mahabharatha and Ramayana. Their faces are heavily painted and costumes are elaborate.

Nala Charitam (Story of a king betrayed by Gods), Duryodhana Vadham (Story from Mahabharat), Kalyanasowgandhikam (Story of Bhima going to get flowers for Panchali from Mahabharat), Keechaka Vadham (another story of Bhima and Panchali from Mahabharat), Kiratham (Arjuna and Lord Shiva's fight from Mahabharat), Karna Shapadham (another story from Mahabharat), Ramayanam are the most popular stories enacted. Recently, new stories have made an entry, like the story of Mary Magdalen from the Bible, Shakespeare's King Lear etc. The songs used for the Katahkali are a mix of Malayalam and Sanskrit. Poets like Unnayi Warrier have contributed to the Kathakali script which is called "Kathakali Padam". Each "Padam" is a poem recited in one of the Karnatic music ragas.

A Kathakali actor's training may last for around 8-10 years. In Kathakali, the story is enacted out purely by the movements of hands (called 'mudras' or actions) and facial expressions and bodily movements. A kathakali dancer has to have perfect control over the facial muscles. Drummers, singers, make-up artists and costumers complete the ensemble of highly trained specialists.
One of the most interesting aspects of Kathakali is its elaborate make-up code. The make-up has 5 main parts to it namely Pacha, Kathi, Kari, Thaadi, Minukku (green, knife, black, beard or jaw and polish). Characters are categorized according to their nature. This determines the colours used in the make-up. The faces of noble male characters, such as virtuous kings, the divine hero Rama, etc., are predominantly green. Characters of high birth who have an evil streak, such as the demon king Ravana, are allotted a similar green make-up, slashed with red marks on the cheeks. Extremely angry or excessively evil characters wear predominantly red make-up and a flowing red beard. Forest dwellers such as hunters are represented with a predominantly black make-up base. Women and ascetics have lustrous, yellowish faces.

The main facial expressions of a Kathakali artist are the 'navarasams' or Nine Tastes. There are 24 main mudras and numerous other lesser mudras. Almost always, the viewer is told or is supposed to have knowledge of the story being enacted before the start of the play.

Kathakali

2009-04-30T15:25:00.002+05:30

Kathakali is said to be derived from the words 'katha' meaning 'story' and 'kali' meaning 'play or performance'. Kathakali is one of the most expressive forms of Indian dance-drama. It originated in Kerala over 500 years ago and is considered one of the oldest dance forms.

Kathakali is a combination of drama, dance, music and ritual. Kathakali dancers re-enact stories from the Mahabharatha and Ramayana. Their faces are heavily painted and costumes are elaborate. Nala Charitam (Story of a king betrayed by Gods), Duryodhana Vadham (Story from Mahabharat), Kalyanasowgandhikam (Story of Bhima going to get flowers for Panchali from Mahabharat), Keechaka Vadham (another story of Bhima and Panchali from Mahabharat), Kiratham (Arjuna and Lord Shiva's fight from Mahabharat), Karna Shapadham (another story from Mahabharat), Ramayanam are the most popular stories enacted.

Recently, new stories have made an entry, like the story of Mary Magdalen from the Bible, Shakespeare's King Lear etc. The songs used for the Katahkali are a mix of Malayalam and Sanskrit. Poets like Unnayi Warrier have contributed to the Kathakali script which is called "Kathakali Padam". Each "Padam" is a poem recited in one of the Karnatic music ragas.

A Kathakali actor's training may last for around 8-10 years. In Kathakali, the story is enacted out purely by the movements of hands (called 'mudras' or actions) and facial expressions and bodily movements. A kathakali dancer has to have perfect control over the facial muscles. Drummers, singers, make-up artists and costumers complete the ensemble of highly trained specialists. One of the most interesting aspects of Kathakali is its elaborate make-up code.

The make-up has 5 main parts to it namely Pacha, Kathi, Kari, Thaadi, Minukku (green, knife, black, beard or jaw and polish). Characters are categorized according to their nature. This determines the colours used in the make-up. The faces of noble male characters, such as virtuous kings, the divine hero Rama, etc., are predominantly green. Characters of high birth who have an evil streak, such as the demon king Ravana, are allotted a similar green make-up, slashed with red marks on the cheeks. Extremely angry or excessively evil characters wear predominantly red make-up and a flowing red beard. Forest dwellers such as hunters are represented with a predominantly black make-up base. Women and ascetics have lustrous, yellowish faces. The main facial expressions of a Kathakali artist are the 'navarasams' or Nine Tastes. There are 24 main mudras and numerous other lesser mudras. Almost always, the viewer is told or is supposed to have knowledge of the story being enacted before the start of the play.

Odissi

2009-04-24T16:45:00.000+05:30

Odissi is the traditional style of dance which originated in the temples of the state of Orissa in Eastern India, where it was performed by the devadasis. It is one of the oldest surviving forms of dance, with depictions of Odissi dancing dating back as far as the 1st century BC. Like other forms of Indian classical dance, the Odissi style traces its origins back to antiquity. Dancers are found depicted in bas-relief in the hills of Udaygiri (near Bhubaneshwar) dating back to the 1st century BC. The Natya Shastra speaks of the dance from this region and refers to it as Odra-Magadhi.

Over the centuries three schools of Odissi dance developed: Mahari, Nartaki, and Gotipau. The Mahari tradition is the devadasi tradition; this is the use of women who are attached to deities in the temple. The Nartaki tradition is the school of Odissi dance which developed in the royal courts. Gotipau is a style characteristed by the use of young boys dressed up in female clothing to perform female roles.

Odissi dance was held in high esteem before the 17th century. Nobility were known for their patronage of the arts, and it was not unheard of for royalty of both sexes to be accomplished dancers. However, after the 17th century, the social position of dancers began to decline. Dancing girls were considered to be little more than prostitutes, and the "Anti-Nautch" movement of the British brought Odissi dance to near extinction.

Independence brought a major change in official attitudes toward Indian Dance. Like the other classical arts, dance was seen as a way to define India's national identity. Governmental and non-governmental patronage increased. The few remaining Odissi dancers were given employment, and a massive job of reconstructing the Odissi dance began. This reconstruction involved combing through ancient texts, and more importantly, the close examination of dance posses represented in bas-relief in the various temples.

There were a number of people who were responsible for the reconstruction and popularisation of Odissi dance. Most notable are Guru Deba Prasad Das, Guru Mayadhar Raut, Guru Pankaj Charan Das, Guru Mahadev Rout, Guru Raghu Dutta, and Guru Kelu Charan Mahapatra.

Style

There are a number of characteristics of the Odissi dance. The style may be seen as a conglomeration of aesthetic and technical details. Odissi is characterized by fluidity of the upper torso (the waves of the ocean on the shores of Puri) and gracefulness in gestures and wristwork (swaying of the palms), juxtaposed with firm footwork (heartbeat of Mother Earth). All classical Indian dance forms include both pure rhythmic dances and acting or story dances. The rhythmic dances of Odissi are called batu/sthayi (foundation), pallavi (flowering), and moksha (liberation). The acting dances are called abhinaya.
One of the most characteristic features of Odissi dance is the Tribhangi. The concept of Tribhangi divides the body into three parts, head, bust, and torso. Any posture which deals with these three elements is called Tribhangi. This concept has created the very characteristic poses which are more contorted than found in other classical Indian dances.
The mudras are also important. The term mudra means "stamp" and is a hand position which signifies things. The use of mudras help tell a story in a manner similar to the hula of Hawaii.

Themes
The themes of Odissi are almost exclusively religious in nature. They most commonly revolve around Krishna. Although the worship of Krishna is found throughout India, there are local themes which are emphasised. The Ashtapadi's of Jayadev are a very common theme. Although incorporating a range of emotions and mythologies, the eternal union of Radha and Krishna (Gita Govinda) is central to the abhinaya in Odissi Dance.

Music
The musical accompaniment of Odissi dance is essentially the same as the music of Odissa itself. There are various views on how the music of the Odissi relates to the music of greater North India. It is usually considered just another flavour of Hindustani sangeet, however there are some who feel that Odissi should be considered a separate classical system.

There are a number of musical instruments used to accompany the Odissi dance. One of the most important is the pakhawaj, also known as the madal. This is the same pakhawaj that is used elsewhere in the north except for a few small changes. Other instruments which are commonly used are the bansuri (bamboo flute), the manjira (metal cymbals), the sitar and the tanpura.

Kathak

2009-04-24T16:42:00.000+05:30

Kathak is a North Indian dance form that arose from the Vaishnava devotees dancing in temples, to the episodes from Krishna's life. It was later transformed into a court dance during the Mughal era, changing it from devotional to courtly entertainment. A main feature of this dance form is the sound of the 'Ghungroos' bound to the feet of the dancer.It was during this period that the signature 'chakrs' (spins) of Kathak were introduced. The straight-legged position gave a new vitality to the footwork, which wove percussive rhythms in its own right, whether together with or in complement to the tabla and pakhawaj.

History of Kathak

The word Kathak is derived from the word katha, meaning story. The ancient Kathakas, or story-tellers, were traveling bards who used this dance form to communicate their tales to the masses. Stories from the Puranas, the Mahabharata and the Ramayana, were performed through mime, instrumental and vocal music, drama, and most importantly, Kathak. Temple audiences used Kathak as a part of the daily tradition of religious worship.

During the Moghul Rule, dancers were enticed from the temples to the courts by gifts of gold and jewels. Patronage soared as a social class of dancers and courtiers emerged in the royal palaces and were changed to suit the purpose of entertainment. During the era of fervent worship of Radha-Krishna, Kathak was used to narrate tales from their lives. Popular performances included Shri Krishna’s exploits in Vrindavan, and tales of Krishna’s childhood. Many specific emperors contributed to the growth and development of Kathak into different gharanas, or schools of dance, named after the cities in which they developed, like the Lucknow gharana, emphasizing sensuous, expressive emotion and the Jaipur Gharana, which became renowned for highly intricate and complex footwork, and fast, sharp, and accurate dancing.

Today, Kathak is recognised as one of the seven classical dance forms of India. The influence of theatre dance has presented itself in the movement towards dance productions of stories such as Shakuntala. Expressive motion, rhythmic accuracy, graceful turning, poised stances, technical clarity, hand gestures (mudras) and subtle expression (bhava-abhinaya) are important components of modern Kathak. The work of the Maharaj family of dancers (Acchan Maharaj, Shambhu Maharaj, Lachhu Maharaj and one of the greatest current dancers still alive today, Birju Maharaj) has been extremely successful in spreading the popularity of Kathak. The structure of a conventional Kathak performance tends to follow a progression in tempo from slow to fast, ending with a dramatic climax. A short danced composition is known as a 'tukra', a longer one as a 'tora'). There are also compositions consisting solely of footwork.

Bharatanatyam

2009-04-24T16:39:00.001+05:30

Bharatanatyam is a classical dance form originating in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Originally known as sadir, it owes its current name to Krishna Iyer and later, Rukmini Devi Arundale. Bharata could refer to either the author of the Natya Shastra or to a legendary king after whom the country of India was supposedly named Bharata and natyam is Sanskrit for the art of dance-drama. It was brought to the stage at the beginning of the 20th century by Krishna Iyer. Bharatanatyam is thought to have been created by the Bharata Muni, a Hindu sage, who wrote the Natya Shastra, the most important ancient treatise on classical Indian dance. It is also called the fifth Veda in reference to the foundation of Hindu religion and philosophy, from which sprang the related South Indian musical tradition of Carnatic music. In ancient times it was performed as dasiattam by mandir (Hindu temple) Devadasi's. Many of the ancient sculptures in Hindu temples are based on Bharata Natyam dance postures. In fact, it is the celestial dancers, apsara's, who are depicted in many scriptures dancing the heavenly version of what is known on earth as Bharatanatyam.

Essential ideas
Bharatanatyam is the manifestation of the South Indian idea of the celebration of the eternal universe through the celebration of the beauty of the material body. In Hindu mythology the whole universe is the dance of the Supreme Dancer, Nataraja, a name for Lord Shiva, the Hindu ascetic yogi and divine purveyor of destruction of evil.

Bharatanatyam is considered to be a fire-dance, being the mystic manifestation in the human body of the metaphysical element of fire, is one of the five major styles that include Odissi(element of water), and Mohiniattam (element of air). The movements of an authentic Bharatanatyam dancer resemble the movements of a dancing flame.

Contemporary Bharatanatyam is practiced as Natya Yoga, a sacred Hindu meditational tradition by a few orthodox schools. A professional danseuse (patra), according to Abhinayadarpanam (one of the two most authoritative texts on Bharatanatyam), must possess the following qualities. She has to be (1) young, (2) slender, (3) beautiful, (4) with large eyes, (5) with well-rounded breasts, (6) self-confident, (7) witty, (8) pleasing, (9) well aware of when to dance and when to stop, able to follow the flow of songs and music, and to dance to the time (thalam), (10) with splendid costumes, and (11) of a happy disposition.

Local kings often invited temple dancers devadasis to dance in their courts, the ocurrence of which created a new category of dancers and modified the technique and themes of the recitals. By that time, devadasis had already gone from being high-status life-long celibate priestesses (brahmacharya) to being lower-status temple servants who were allowed to have children from priests and later to even prostitution.

Rukmini Devi Arundale raised Bharatanatyam to a puritan art form, divorced from its recently controversial past by "removing objectionable elements" (mostly, the Sringar, or the expressive Tantric elements) from some original styles of Sadir (such as Pandanallur, Tanjore or Thanjavur, Vazhuvoor, Mysore etc.), according to Shri Sankara Menon. Rukmini Devi Arundale founded the school Kalakshetra outside the city of Madras to teach it and to promote other studies in Indian music and art. She was one of first teachers to instruct a few men to perform the dance, which until then was the exclusive domain of women, while men, called Nattuvanars, had only been teaching Bharatanatyam without actually performing it.

At present, Bharatanatyam recitals are usually not performed inside the temple shrine but outside it, and even outside the temple compounds at various festivals. Most contemporary performances are given on the stage with a live ensemble. Learning Bharatanatyam takes 3-15 years. There are dancing institutes in many countries, including India, the United States, Singapore, Malaysia, India, and many others. The Technique includes
• abhinaya (mime) - dramatic art of story-telling
• nritta pure dance movements, reflecting different rhythms of the universe
• nritya combination of abhinaya and nrittta

Elements
Although most of the contemporary Bharatanatyam ballets are popularly viewed as a form of entertainment, the Natya Shastra-based dance styles were sacred Hindu ceremonies originally conceived in order to spiritually elevate the spectators. Bharatanatyam proper is a solo dance, with two aspects, lasya, the graceful feminine lines and movements, and tandava (the dance of Shiva), masculine aspect. Typically a performance includes:
• Ganapati Vandana - A traditional opening prayer to the Hindu god Ganesh, who removes obstacles.
• Alarippu - A presentation of the Tala punctuated by simple syllables spoken by the dancer. This really is sort of an invocation to the gods to bless the performance.
• Jatisvaram - An abstract dance where the drums set the beat. Here the dancer displays her versatility in elaborate footwork and graceful movements of the body.
• Shabdam - The dancing is accompanied by a poem or song with a devotional or amorous theme.
• Varnam - The center piece of the performance. It is the longest section of the dance punctuated with the most complex and difficult movements. Positions of the hands and body tell a story, usually of love and the longing for the lover. Padam - Probably the most lyrical section where the dancer "speaks" of some aspect of
• love: devotion to the Supreme Being; or of love of mother for child; or the love of lovers separated and reunited.
• Thillana - The final section is an abstract dance when the virtuosity of the music is reflected in the complex footwork and captivating poses of the dancer.
The performance concludes with the chanting of a few religious verses as a form of benediction. When a dancer has mastered all the elements of dance, as a coming out performance, he or she generally performs an Arangetram, which everyone in his/her institute attends. After that, he/she is entitled to teach and his/her lessons are finally over.

Other elements
• Costume - From the ancient texts and sculptures, one can see that the original costume did not cover most of the dancers' bodies. The medieval times, with the puritanistic drive, caused the devadasis to wear a special, heavy saree that severely restricted the dance movements. There are several varieties of Bharatanatyam costumes, some of which do not restrict the dancer's movements, while the others do. The modern costumes are deeply symbolic, as their purpose is to project the dancer's subtle body.
• Music - The music is in the Carnatic style of south India, "purer" than the classical music of north India (Hindustani music) only in the sense that it was not heavily influenced by traditions, like those of the Persians, from outside of India.
• Ensemble - Instruments for Bharatanatyam include, the mridangam (drum), nagaswaram (long black wood pipe horn made from a black wood), the flute, violin and veena (stringed instrument traditionally associated with Saraswati, the Hindu goddess of the arts and learning).
• Languages - Tamil (predominant), Sanskrit, Telugu and Kannada are traditionally used in Bharatanatyam.

Krishen Khanna

2009-02-25T17:09:00.002+05:30

"They call it drawing. I really have no name for it. It's a compulsion, an itch. It is enjoyable but it can also hurt when nothing emerges but an incomprehensible mess."

These are the words Krishen Khanna uses to describe his art. Khanna does not favour the profusion of figuration, common in Indian paintings.

Khanna transfers his observations onto the canvas, with spontaneity and exuberance, without obliterating his subject matter. His earlier works are reproductions of scenes that have imprinted themselves on his mind. He was profoundly moved by the events he witnessed during the Partition of India in 1947. He painted 'News of Gandhiji's Death' after the Mahatma's assassination, which shows a group of people standing motionless around a traffic island in Delhi, all immersed in their newspapers.

Born in Lahore in 1925, Khanna learnt the tools of his trade at the evening classes conducted at the Mayo School of Art, Lahore. In the wake of India's partition he moved to Simla and thereafter to Delhi where he currently lives and works. So far, he has had over forty one-man shows held at galleries in India and abroad. He has participated in the Tokyo Biennale, in 1957 and 1961, the Sao Paulo Biennale (1960) and in the Venice Biennale (1962). He won the National Award of the Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi in 1965, the Gold Medal at the First Triennale of Contemporary World Art, New Delhi in 1968. He was a recipient of Padma Shree, awarded by the President of India, in 1990.

Indian contemporary arts exhibition opens

2009-02-25T17:06:00.000+05:30

VietNamNet Bridge – An exhibition featuring India’s contemporary art opened in Hanoi on October 15.

Among items showcased at the exhibition are 42 artworks by 34 Indian artists. They include photos, paintings, statues and installation artworks using a variety of stuff such as cloth, paper, wood and stainless steel.

The week-long exhibition is co-organised by the Vietnam Cultural and Fine Arts Exhibition Centre, the Vietnamese Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Indian Lalit Kala Institute.

Indian contemporary art is reflected in the colourful designs drawn in chalk on the doors to welcome visitors, collections of statues representing Hindu gods and genies from myths of old, and works created using a combination of traditional painting with modern technology and techniques.

Fashion & I Introduces New Exclusive Collection.

2009-01-19T13:31:00.001+05:30

Tailoring the whims and fancies of the Indian fashionistas Fashion & I presents a range of ethinic ensembles inspired by the rich and varied tradition of classical Indian crafts with a modern twist. Harmonious blend of design and effervescent style makes Fashion & I an electrifying brand for fashion forward women. Tempting, fashion conscious women with gloriously exciting colours, mesmerizing styles and exquisite designs Fashion & I is emblematic of elegance glamour and versatility.

About The Collection:

Feminine, urbane and classy Fashion & I appeals to glamorous style savvy women and is the final destination for such fashion forward women. Their creations are set against a milieu of distinct lines of design: the classical style, the unusual and contemporary designs and the trendy and casual range. Each of these styles adapts age-old techniques, traditional materials and crafts to make unique creations that express ones individual personality. The collection with its comforting textures coupled with detailed intricacy and novel use of conventional fabrics is their signature style. The range consists of unstitched salwar suits, ready-mades, mix and match garments, kurti, ponchos and sarees. In the unstitched section, fabrics like cottons, linens spell comfort on the other hand captivating chanderis, crepe, georgette, matka, regal raw silk define luxury.

In the ready-made segment various drapes of the fabrics are improvised with diverse cuts and patterns reflect on the refine look. Kurtis with trendy embellishment cater to the mood of the young and hip, while the sober ones with a more formal look are designed, keeping in mind mature women. Skirts in trendy patterns, available in diverse and fascinating combinations of fabrics, playfully engage us in a conversation with fusion. Suits with sexy cowl necks, dreamy flowy sleeves, smart asymmetrical hemlines, mainly comprise the readymade section. The embellishments are incredibly trendy and compliment the look of the garment. The presence of patterned and tailored fabrics ensures a custom fit.

Ethnic sarees, with a universal appeal have been representing traditional and exotic Indian clothing is designed to entice women across demography and geography. The idea behind designing sarees which appeals to every woman is to bring back the glory of a simple yet unbelievably elegant nine yard drape. Celebrating the quintessence of bling and glamour the hottest addition to FI beautifully blending tradition and modernity is the FI accessory. The lustrous accessory range adds elegance and a speck of glitter to every design and showcases the artistry of the master craftsmen and applauds style.

The use of enthusiastic colour schemes and beautiful design work makes an unparalleled impact. It flawlessly replaces and compliments the various Indian traditions with a plethora of colours. The collection, though a concoction of east and west it unmistakably reflects the inherent Indian soul. Engaging us in a conversation with magnificence the drapes and the embroideries take us back to an era of romance as the silhouettes take inspiration from the dramatic past. At the same time the amalgamation of diverse fabrics is rich yet subtle. Ranging from romantic rural mystique of the traditional handloom to contemporary laser perforated power looms; FI has worked with a variety of fabrics. The creations have been melodiously intertwined with elaborate embellishments and enthralling volumes. The hallmark of every design is refined draping, delicate construction and flawless majestic finish. With fresh, clear silhouettes the collection is poised and elegant.

Kathakali

2008-12-23T10:23:00.001+05:30

Kathakali is the classical dance-drama of Kerala, South India, which dates from the 17th century. Kathakali has a harmonious combination of literature (Sahithyam), music (Sangeetham), painting (Chithram), acting (Natyam) and dance (Nritham). All the five forms of art have a very important place in this combination. Its literature is narrative, poetic and dramatic. Costumes are of vivid colours, facial makeup is done by the artist himself and a distinct headgear made of wood is worn during the play. The Aharya (Make-up) has many faces like Pacha, Kathi, Thadi, Minukku etc.
These colours and names denote nature of the characters. The make-up is complicated, requiring several hours to apply. During the drama the dancers do not speak, but the hand movements known as 'Mudras' and unique facial expressions all imbibe to a sign language. All the drama and dance are accompanied by powerful vocal music. Drummers provide a rhythmic background to the drama. Kathakali performances usually begin with a musical note called Thiranottam. The dance extravaganza last all through night to dawn.

There are 24 Basic Mudras (hand gestures) in the "Hasthalakshana Deepika", the book of hand gestures, which Kathakali follows. There are 'Asamyutha Mudras' (that is shown using single hand) and 'Samyutha Mudras' (mudras shown in double hands) in each Basic Mudras, to show different symbols. Considering all these Mudras and their seperations there are totally 470 symbols used in Kathakali.

1. Pathaaka (Flag)
2. Mudraakhyam
3. Katakam (Golden Bangle)
4. Mushti (Fist)
5. Kartharee Mukham (Scissor's sharp point)
6. Sukathundam (Parrot's peek)
7. Kapidhakam (The fruit of a tree)
8. Hamsa Paksham (Swan'swing)
9. Sikharam (Peak)
10. Hamsaasyam (Swan's peek)
11.Anjaly (Folded hands in Salutation)
12.Ardhachandram (Half moon)
13. Mukuram (Mirror)
14. Bhramaram (Beetle)
15. Soochimukham (Needle's sharp point)
16. Pallavam (Sprout)
17. Thripathaaka (Flag with three colours)
18. Mrigaseersham (Deer's head)
19. Sarpasirassu (Serpant's head)
20. Vardhamanakam (Seedling)
21. Araalam (Curved)
22. Oornanabham (Spider)
23. Mukulam (Bud)
24. Katakaamukham

It was one of the Rajas (Chieftain) of Kottarakkara, who wrote the first play intended for Kathakali performance. They form a cycle of eight stories based on Ramayana. The performance for each story was designed to last for six to eight hours. The performed stories were then known as Ramanattom (play pertaining to Rama), which later came to be called as Kathakali. Stories based on other epics and puranas were added to its repertoire in later period. More information about Kathakali:

Major Kathakali Centres of Kerala
1. Kerala Kalamandalam, Cheruthuruthy, Thrissur District.
2. P.S.V. Natyasangham, Kottakkal, Calicut District.
3. Gandhi Seva Sadanam, Pathirippala, Palakkad District.
4. Unnayivarrier Smaraka Kalanilayam, Iringalakkuda, Thrissur District.
5. Cochin Cultural Centre, Cochin, Ernakulam District
6. Art Kerala, Valanjambalam, Ernakulam District.
8. R.L.V. Thripunithura, Ernakulam Dt.

'Subodh Gupta's canvas to be highlight of Sotheby's Hong Kong sale

2008-09-29T12:14:00.001+05:30

Hong Kong is the world's third largest market after New York and London in terms of art traded at the auction. Of the seven Indian artworks, which are to be up for sale, the cornerstone of this tightly curated clutch of art will be an "Untitled" oil-on-canvas by Subodh Gupta, estimated at HK $12-16 million ($ 1.5 million- $2.05 million).

The canvas which is about migration, a theme common to contemporary Indian art, ranks among the most important works by Gupta to appear in the auction market in terms of value and size.

The large-format painting measuring 203 X 421 cm is an insightful tribute to India's constantly changing society. In many of his works, Gupta elevates "gharti" (household equipment tied in a bundle) to the status of a ceremonial icon, often showing it being carried in processions at airports. In the canvas, which will be on sale in Hong Kong, it has been placed on the top of the iconic Ambassador taxi.

The artist has, however, has not made it clear whether this is the beginning or the end of the journey, a factor which best represents the continuous cycle of migration.

Another highlight of the show is the Rickshawpolis-3 by Mumbai-based artist Jitish Kallat. The canvas is estimated at HK $ 1,200,000- $ 1,600,000 (US $ 1,55,000-$210,000). Kallat's work has been influenced by all the contemporary genres from popular culture, movies, political posters to slick billboards of international advertising.

The sale will also feature works by T V Santosh, Jagannath Panda, Justin Ponmany, Thukral & Tagra and Chintan Upadhyay.

"We are all very excited to be offering works by Indian contemporary artists in Hong Kong. This is a market that has seen rapid growth in recent years and we feel that this is the perfect time to introduce Indian artists to our contemporary Asian art sale there.

"The seven works on offer were carefully selected. They are all top quality pieces and Gupta's work is one of the most important works by him to ever come to the auction market," Zara Porter-Hill, director and head of Indian art at Sotheby's, said in a press statement issued from Britain.

'Subodh Gupta's canvas to be highlight of Sotheby's Hong Kong sale

2008-09-29T12:08:00.000+05:30

Akshardham temple in New Delhi temple gains Guiness World Record

2008-09-18T12:28:00.012+05:30

The Hindu temple in India which is part of the same movement as UK's flagship Neasden temple in north-west London has been listed as the largest Hindu temple in the world by the latest Guinness World Records book, published Wednesday.

The New Delhi temple, which covers 86,000 square feet, has been visited by 12 million people from 113 countries since it opened in November 2005.

Measuring more than 100 metres long and 96 metres wide, the Swaminarayan Akshardham is the centrepiece of a 100-acre complex which has become a point of world pilgrimage for the ancient art, culture and spiritual heritage of Hinduism.

The temple joins other world record holders in the 2009 edition of the classic bestseller, including the world's tallest and shortest living men. The new book reveals Edna Parker in the US as the world's oldest living person, at 114 years and 115 days, and the UK's Edith Gulliford as the world's oldest bridesmaid at 105. The longest dog is Irish Wolfhound Mon Ami von der Oelmuhle, who measures 232 cm nose-to-tail.

In the religious section, Guinness World Records lists:

Highest Pilgrimage

A route on Mount Kailash in western Tibet, which measures 33 miles and reaches an altitude of 6,714 m. The mountain is sacred to followers of Buddhism, Jainism, Hinduism and Bonpo, a pre-Buddhist religion.

Largest Gathering of Sikhs

More than eight million Sikhs gathered at the Anandpur Sahib gurdwara in Punjab, India, from 13 to 17 April 1999 to celebrate the 300th anniversary of the Sikh Khalsa, an order of the Sikh religion.

Longest Religous Circuit

The longest religious circuit around a spiritual site as part of a pilgrimage is 53 miles and goes around Lake Manasarovar in Tibet.

Longest Irregular Religous War

The Reconquista - the series of campaigns in the Iberian Peninsula to recover the region from the Islamic Moors began in 718 and continued intermittently for 774 years until 1492, when Granada, the last Moorish stronghold, was finally conquered.

Most Threatened Religion

As of 2006, only four members of the United Society of Believers in Christ's Second Appearance, otherwise known as the Shakers, remain, making theirs the most threatened religion. The remaining members of the faithful live in a small community, the Sabbathday Lake Shaker Village, near New Gloucester, Maine, USA.

Most Valuable Object of Religion

The most valuable religious artefact is the 15th-century gold Buddha in Wat Trimitr Temple in Bangkok, Thailand. It is 3m tall and weighs an estimated 5.5 tonnes, and is estimated to be worth nearly £40 million.

Sotheby's New York to Hold Sale of Modern and Contemporary Art South Asia on 18th September.

2008-09-18T12:28:00.002+05:30

Sotheby’s fall sale of Modern and Contemporary Art South Asia: India—Pakistan will be held in New York on September 18, 2008. The auction will include a diverse offering of paintings, sculpture and photography by such important Indian artists as Tyeb Mehta, M.F. Husain, F.N. Souza, Ram Kumar, Thukral & Tagra, Subodh Gupta, Ravinder Reddy, Sudarshan Shetty, Rashid Rana and Shilpa Gupta, among many others. The offering of 127 lots is estimated to bring $7.6/10.6 million.

The top lot of the sale, and leading the Modern offerings, is a rarely available Tyeb Mehta, Untitled, one of the latest examples from his Falling Figure with Bird series (est. $1/1.5 million). The canvas, dating from 2003, features the artist’s hallmark use of large diagonal planes of flat color, here masterfully executed in starkly contrasting tones of red and magenta with pristine whites. Living in India during Partition and after World War II, Mehta experienced firsthand the violence, anguish and distress of the period, to which experts attribute his consistent illustration of struggle in his works throughout his career. Here, the enormous bird and central human figure twist through the canvas, entwined and violently distorted. Yet the picture delicately balances the struggle with the sparseness of line and deceptively simple composition for which Mehta’s later work is lauded.

Also being offered are several works by Francis Newton Souza, including The Orange Head from 1963, (est. $400/600,000). Souza in the 60s remained tirelessly experimental, revealing an artist confident in his skin, keen to stretch his own artistic boundaries yet in a manner that remained true to his own artistic vision. At this time his canvases became more fluid, his application of paint more varied and the texturing of his backgrounds more detailed. The current work is an exceptionally large example from this important period in his career. Souza compared himself to Picasso—whom he considered the measuring stick of originality and artistic invention—revealing his determination to remain firmly within the boundaries of figurative art while continuing to break new ground in his approach. By the early 60s he was moving away from the rigid construction of the previous decade, expanding his signature parallel lines with signature motifs appearing alongside the crosshatched lines, in particular the water droplet or amoeba-like circle which is integral to the current work.

The sale will also feature a selection of early figurative works by Maqbool Fida Husain, highlighted by an Untitled image of horses (est. $250/350,000), a subject of fascination for the artist from an early age. In the work seen here it is unclear whom the figures along the left edge of the work represent, but in such an early example of the horses in Husain’s work it is possible that the tall bearded man is his grandfather, who used to take him to the local farrier in Indore—visits that had a permanent impact on the artist. Husain returned to the subject of the horse repeatedly in his work. In classical Indian art and myth they are symbols of the sun itself, of time and of knowledge, and horses were often sacrificed to secure fertility. For Husain they are also symbols of life-sustaining forces. Riderless, his horses look out across timeless landscapes or back towards an unseen audience. The images are metaphorical, at times powerfully erotic or sublimely tragic.

Rabindranath Tagore’s creative output as a poet, author, playwright and artist was immense, and in 1913 he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature, the first non-Westerner to be honored with the award. His career as a painter dates from around 1928, though he is known to have drawn sketches throughout his career. What began as doodling on his working manuscripts became an obsession after 1930, and it is thought that in the last ten years of his life he produced over two thousand pictures. His work was publicly displayed for the first time in Paris in 1930. Tagore’s work is represented in this sale by Head of Woman, left, from 1939 (est. $30/40,000), formerly in the collection of William Elmirst of Dartington Hall in England. It is well documented that the artist had a close relationship with the Elmhirst family, and was a frequent visitor to the estate.

Another highlight of the modern portion of the sale is Untitled (Portrait of a Parsee Lady), est. $80/120,000, by Raja Ravi Varma, a leading exponent of the new class of Indian artists who emerged in the mid-19th century. The precepts of European realist painting were introduced in India with the establishment of art schools in Madras, Calcutta and Bombay during that period, aiming to wean Indian artists away from the formulaic and centuries-old miniature painting tradition and instead cultivate the skills to faithfully render the natural likenesses of their subjects. Ravi Varma was the first Indian painter to adopt Western painting traditions, but his choice of subjects remained firmly rooted in Indian life, as can be seen here.

Also included is Untitled (Varanasi) by Ram Kumar (est. $150/200,000), from 1965. From the mid-1950s, Kumar produced a series of figurative works that provide a visual commentary to the despair experienced by so many in post-Independence urban India, with forlorn figures staring out of bleak urban landscapes. But in 1961 his visits to Varanasi, and the desolation he sensed there, marks a significant shift in his work, from his figurative phase to a semiabstracted world where the human figure is noticeably absent. The dramatic intensity of his figurative paintings is retained in the Varanasi canvases, but the works attain a kind of austere brilliance, a certain ascetic purity. This process, whereby form and the orchestration of color becomes central to his artistic process, was to continue for many years. Yet the paintings themselves retain the urge to express the desolation or loss that the artist so frequently witnessed in the lives of those around him.

The Indian Contemporary Art portion of the sale is highlighted by Subodh Gupta, whose radical invocation of the cow visually sets forth the rural-tourban, local-to-global dialogue that dominates 21st-century thinking about the art of India. One Cow, 2003 (est. $600/800,000) is an outstanding example. Prior to 2003, Gupta’s paintings and sculptures of cows were recognizable as the sacred bovines that have wandered the streets of India for centuries, as both providers of sustenance and living objects of veneration. But now, in the big cities of India, cows are herded and penned, and milk is delivered by bicycle-riding doodhwallahs (milkmen). Through his re-consecration of the cow as a stand-alone icon—both idol and art—Gupta has transported it in paint and metal from a local to a globally revered object (both four-legged and two-wheeled), while opening wider the dialogue about mobility as it is manifest in the art world. The doodhwallah’s bicycle is immediately recognizable to any urban Indian. It is not an invented fantasy, but an everyday object, like so many that Gupta has transformed into art, glorifying, these quotidian symbols of rural India through their placement in 21st century venues of cultural worship, art galleries and museums.

Also featured is Thukral & Tagra’s Metropolis 1 (est. $120/180,000), a diptych from 2007. Jiten Thukral and Sumir Tagra work collaboratively in a wide variety of media inspired as much by fashion and advertising as by art history. Utilizing their fake brand “Bosedk” (a tonguein-cheek Anglicization of an abusive term in Punjabi), Thukral & Tagra blur the lines between fine art and popular culture, product placement and exhibition design, artistic inspiration and media hype. The current work brings together a number of these themes to present massive billboard-style images that comment on consumerism, the commoditization of art and the recycling of styles. The effect is to make one conscious of the collusion between the art market, the retail industry, globalization and fashion branding.

The contemporary portion of the sale also features a selection of works by contemporary South Asian artists working in a variety of media, such as Atul Dodiya, Justin Ponmany, Balasubramanian, Jitish Kallat, Hema Upadhyay and Ayesha Mariam Durrani.

Sculpture highlights include G. Ravinder Reddy’s large terracotta head, Untitled (Radha) (est. $160/220,000) from a private European collection, acquired from the Camden Art Center exhibition that toured the U.K. in 1993. Also featured is an early bronze sculpture by Meera Mukherjee, Untitled (est. $60/80,000), and other Untitled works by Sudarshan Shetty (est. $20/30,000) and Nataraj Sharma (est. $6/8,000).

Sotheby’s has been at the forefront in including cutting-edge photography in their sales of Indian art, and this sale is no exception, featuring works by both established contemporary artists such as Shilpa Gupta and Rashid Rana, whose Dislocation II (Edition 2 of 5) is seen here (est. $45/55,000) as well as relatively new names. The latter group illustrates many of the current trends in contemporary photography such as conceptual themes (Vivek Vilasini), comments on social issues (Sunil Gupta) and performance (Tejal Shah).