India Art Summit 2009 India Art Summit

Do you love art? Have you ever found yourself bemoaning a lack of comprehensive knowledge of art? Have you always wanted to own an artwork but couldn’t afford it? Or perhaps, could afford it but didn’t know how to navigate the process of acquiring it? If any of these questions have you nodding your head in acquiescence, then India Art Summit is the place to seek answers.
 
Held at Pragati Maidan in New Delhi, between the 19th to the 22nd of August, it’s India’s own modern and contemporary art fair. 2009 will be its second year, and the fair’s scope seems only to be increasing. India Art Summit’s premiere last year had 34 art galleries showcasing their artists, alongside a seminar program with talks and discussions. But thanks to its stupendous success last year, this year has lots more galleries participating (55, both from India and abroad), the seminar programmes are spread over all three days, and the satellite activities spread across Delhi are worth a dekko.
 
The venue for the India Art Summit  hosts a number of exciting activities. The Curator’s Walk, as its name suggests, comprises a walkthrough and detailed explanation of the curator’s selection of artworks for his audience. With a number of curator’s at the fair and a choice of walks, this is a must-do for both the aficionados and those who’re green behind the ears. With life size installations that greet you as soon as you enter, and the Sculpture Park playing host to sculptors’ works in a variety of media and materials, this is set to be a very exciting space for interaction between the audience and works of art. The term ‘works of art’ embodies a wide gamut of art, and is not restrictive to drawing and painting. Sculptures, performances, photography, video, mixed media and lots of other forms also belong within the space of art.
 
Unfortunately lack of education and exposure more often than not, leave other art forms out in the cold. In an effort to begin a dialogue, facilitate understanding and to provide exposure, the India Art Summit has introduced the Video Lounge which uses key video art works to encourage people to take in a form which is fast emerging and being recognised around the world. And the art feast just keeps on rolling! Join in on the International Speaker’s Forum, and soak in all the knowledge you can. Artists too are gearing up for the Purple Wall Project being curated by Gayatri Sinha, which will have a mix of artworks and installations strung together by a common theme, spread across the art fair, on view for all to see.
 
But as a lot of art connoisseurs and enthusiasts will bemoan, art in India needs to be available at many different spaces, and at a variety of levels. Bearing this in mind the India Art Summit will have a shuttle bus starting at the venue to take people to various galleries which have exhibition openings coinciding with the art fair. Anupam Poddar of the Devi Art Foundation will have artists from Pakistan, India and Sri Lanka displaying their works; the British Council’s public interactive art installation by Vishal Dhar is sure to fascinate many; and to commemorate World Photography Day on 19th August, the Max Muller Bhavan and Alliance Francaise will play hosts to German photography exhibitions. The shuttle bus will also do the rounds of exhibitions in galleries such as Anant & Vadehra (Noida), Art Motif (Lado Sarai), Thomas Erben (Travancore House), and Talwar Gallery (Neeti Bagh).  
With India Art Summit getting ready to kick-off its second edition, the city of Delhi too is gearing up to pull out all artistic stops. With galleries throwing open their doors for exhibitions, with participating artists and galleries coming from all over India and the world, with eminent speakers, intellectuals, critics, curators, and art funds descending on the capital, there’s going to be no excuse good enough to not be there and join in the artistic carnival.
 

India Art Summit™ will take place for the 2nd year running this August in New Delhi. Following the landmark success of India Art Summit™ 2008, which attracted over 10,000 art enthusiasts from India and overseas and saw about 50% of the artworks sold, the art fair is being seen as a definitive factor in setting the mood for the art market this year. This year’s exhibition space has been expanded three-fold from 1500 sq m. to 4,500 sq m. at Pragati Maidan, ITPO. Support from the art community has been unprecedented with 54 leading galleries participating as compared to last year’s 34 galleries. From the 3 international galleries in 2008, there are now 17 galleries from around the world including some of the most prominent international galleries from Europe, Asia & the United States.  
India Art Summit comes at a time when there is an audible demand in the art market for an inclusive, international platform for Indian art. Besides being the single largest showcase of Indian art, the event will be the first major exposition of international art in the country. An important objective of India Art Summit™ is its focus on education and raising awareness about art.  Part of this extended outreach is a specially convened International Speakers’ Forum, with over 45 influential Indian and international speakers.
The 2nd edition of India Art Summit™ is supported by Sotheby’s and brings together a string of collaborations with organizations in support of the fine arts including Asia Art Archive, Asia Society, Lalit Kala Academy, The Devi Foundation, and The British Council.