The Lakh Limit

The buzz has faded from the auction circuit of India,with no new record prices and the once-proactive collectors turning conservative. But this does not deter Siddhartha Tagore,the director of Art Konsult,who has started an auction house that focuses on affordable art. And affordable,in this case,means “less than Rs 1 lakh,” says Tagore with a smile. The first auction will take place in November under his banner,Art Bull India,and most works will be priced under six figures.

“The auction will highlight young talent. We will refrain from showcasing the works of veterans in the next couple of auctions. The collectors today want good quality and reasonably priced art,” says Tagore,sifting through the works of over 80 young artists,all under 35,whose artwork will be auctioned.

Tagore says that the lots will feature works depicting

diverse themes and different mediums. Coming under the hammer will be digital photographs of Kolkata-based Taxi Duo and Puneet Kaushik’s installations in steel wires,leather and cotton. There are also works of Gurgaon-based Anindita Bhattacharya,Dhaneshwar Shah and Vinita Dasgupta from Delhi,and Baroda-based Priyanka Govil. “We will

convince some of our collectors to pre-bid in order to make sure that the works are placed in the right collections,” says Tagore.

Vandana Kalra