“Not Just In Numbers, The Scope And Ambition Of Our Presentation Will Be At The Highest Level”
How is the fair different from the previous years?
This is the first time that India Art Fair will have more than a hundred exhibitors. Not just in numbers, the scope and ambition of our presentation this year will also be at the highest level, with some of the most interesting art and design on view.
The upcoming fair is our landmark 15th edition, and the largest to date with more than a hundred galleries, institutions and design studios showing at the fair, spanning cutting-edge contemporary art and design, pieces of South Asian living traditions and modern masterpieces, a brand-new design section. There is a studio space presenting the fair's Digital Artist in Residence programme along with other digital projects.
How many international galleries are participating this year?
At the fair this year, we have 12 international galleries including some of the world’s leading galleries such as Galleria Continua, Marc Straus and neugerriemschneider, alongside younger galleries showing emerging artists such as Indigo+Madder from London. We are proud to also have participation from Carpenters Workshop Gallery, known for its boundary pushing work with design, at the fair for the first time this year. Many of our Indian galleries will also show international artists including Galerie Isa, Nature Morte, Akara Contemporary and ZOCA. Alongside galleries, we will also have booths by international institutions including the Britto Arts Trust from Dhaka and The Arts Family from London.
What advice would you give to young collectors looking to buy their first piece of art at the fair?
At the fair, take the time to look through works on display. Talk to gallerists at their booths to learn more about the stories behind the works and of course, the range of price-points. They could also join a curated tour of the exhibition to get a sense of the span of art and design at the fair. In the end, the decision to acquire a work has to be personal and emotional.
We have been steadily nurturing and growing the next generation of collectors through our Young Collectors’ Programme (YCP), which has become a much-anticipated part of the arts calendar in Delhi. Through programmes like the YCP, we hope to encourage strong networks and secure a strong future for the arts ecosystem.
If you had to pick three highlights from the fair this year, what would these be?
Our inaugural ‘Design’ section is a definite highlight this year. Introduced to encourage greater cross-pollination among creative fields and to expand our offering to collectors, the section will put a spotlight on seven pioneering studios specialising in collectible, unique and handmade design from South Asia and beyond. These include Ashiesh Shah, Vikram Goyal, Gunjan Gupta, Karishma Swali & Chanakya School of Craft, Rooshad Shroff, Studio Renn and de Gournay.
We will also have large institutional quality outdoor art projects in the fairgrounds, supported by institutions like the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), sā Ladakh, the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art (KNMA), Bangladesh Art Week and others, as well as an installation of the first MTArt Agency x India Art Fair Artist Prize, by winner Sajid Wajid Shaikh. Inside the fair tents will be a special installation by Jitish Kallat, supported by FICA and JSW Foundation.
We also have a robust programme with talks led by arts and culture experts from India and the world.
If a visitor had just 60-minutes at the art fair, what should he not miss?
Walk into the fair on a special carpet designed by Artist in Residence, Khatra and take in the magnificent fair facade, designed by Thukral & Tagra and which will be repurposed into limited edition collectible bags by Chamar Studio after the fair.
Check out the kinetic installation by the winner of the first-ever MTArt Agency x India Art Fair Artist Prize, Sajid Wajid Shaikh on the theme of surveillance before heading into the exhibition tents. Experience Sashikanth Thavudoz’s immersive multi-sensory installation outside the BMW Collectors’ Lounge on the theme of ‘Forwardism’. The artist is the winner of the 3rd edition of ‘The Future is Born of Art’ Commission, led by BMW India and India Art Fair. Also make sure to see Jitish Kallat’s large work ‘Antumbra’ especially created for India Art Fair 2024, supported by the Foundation for Indian Contemporary Art and JSW Foundation.
Take a walk through the exhibition halls, and try to stop by at least one design studio, one international gallery, one gallery showing South Asian living traditions. Take the time to learn more about anything that specially catches your eye. Before you leave, stop by the Studio and Institutions Hall to check out the Digital Residency Hub and interactive and immersive digital artworks!
The India Art Fair is on from FEB1-4 at the NSIC Exhibition Grounds Okhla, New Delhi.
