Dangling the Art Carrot

With the market blues yet to fade after the 2008 global economic slowdown,and the red dots still far and few,galleries are trying every strategy to attract art lovers and buyers. While Art Positive has undergone a makeover though it is only a year old,another gallery,Art Konsult,in Hauz Khas,is starting an auction house called Art Bull India. Its first auction is scheduled for November,and “this auction house will specialise in affordable art,” informs owner Siddharth Tagore.

“After the initial boom and trading,there is now a realisation that to go to the next level,it is important to take initiatives aimed at art awareness,” says Roshini Vadehra,director of Vadehra Art Gallery. The gallery has started a scholarship under its Foundation for Indian Contemporary Art project,which promotes art. Last month,Vadehra selected curator Nida Ghouse as the first recipient of a three-month research fellowship at Goldsmiths University,London,under this scholarship programme. Apart from hosting talks and seminars,FICA also has a club for those passionate about art. For an annual fee of Rs 7,000,members are invited for discussions and given a tour of galleries. Similarly,Religare Art,which has shifted from Connaught Place to Saket has lined-up annual residencies,art workshops and lectures open to public — all in a bid to add to the number of connoisseurs.

The need to stand out has also resulted in gallerists stepping out of familiar territory. For instance,Kumar Gallery,established in 1955,will host its first exhibition outside its gallery,at India Habitat Centre in September. “It is Sohan Qadri’s biggest retrospective,spanning 1961 to 2010,and we want everyone to see it. The footfalls in a gallery tend to be limited,” says Sunit Kumar,director. Many galleries showcase works at malls,or at the other popular alternatives — India Habitat Centre or Lalit Kala Akademi.

Gallerists are also realising that there is a need to package art better; hence,they are in constant touch with potential buyers through regular e-mails and SMS. Bhavna Kakar,director of Laitude 28,for instance,keeps her regular collectors informed about events in the art world through her magazine,Take on Art,while Kolkata-based Vikram Bachhawat,director of Emami Chisel Art,publishes the quarterly magazine called Art Etc.

“In order to grow,it is important to keep experimenting,” says Renu Modi,director of Gallery Espace. The gallery’s successful projects have included Video Wednesdays,a monthly screening of video art,as well as the chance to watch artist Manjunath Kamath drawing on the walls for a week. Earlier this year,Modi launched “Corporate Espace” to organise discussions and exhibitions as well as advise corporates on all matters pertaining to art.