Fair Start

“The fair will allow direct interaction between artists and the public,with no galleries involved. Often people are sceptical to invest in an artist not known to them,but here,they are assured of the potential with strict procedures of selection,” says Annurag Sharma,founder-director of the four-day-long fair,pointing out that upcoming artists will be the USP of the UAF that will open its doors for a special preview today,and will be open to the public from Friday.

Travelling to Delhi will be over 500 contemporary artists from across India,who have been selected by a jury comprising artists KS Radhakrishnan and Diwan Manna,and art critics Nanak Ganguly and JohnyML,among others. With the price of artwork starting at Rs 15,000,Sharma emphasises that the works are “within the reach” of young collectors as well.

While the focus will be on the young,one of the highlights of the fair are photographs by Raja Deen Dayal. Sourced from the artist’s estate,the 45 works are authenticated by his family. Priced at Rs 1.25-3.5 lakh,depending on the size and edition number,these span a variety of subjects — Writers Building in Kolkata,Charminar in Hyderabad,portraits of Fateh Singh Rao Gaekwad of Baroda,and Lord and Lady Curzon with a kill. A portrait of the 19th century photographer,taken by his son Dharam Chand,will also be part of the collection.

There will be another section dedicated to the masters,comprising works of 13 artists including Akbar Padamsee,Anjolie Ela Menon,FN Souza and Ram Kumar . “The market demands make it important to acknowledge their work. I have attempted to show the history of modern art and provide a background to where the 500-odd young artists come from,” says JohnyML.

Even though the corridors will be abuzz with informal conversations on art,seminars have also been organised for formal discussions. While psychoanalyst-theoretician and novelist Sudhir Kakar will dwell on the relationship between art and psychology on September 28,Pablo Bartholomew will be on the panel to discuss ‘Photography Today’ on September 29. The audience,including those who wish to express their displeasure with the art mart or even the fair,will get an opportunity on Dissenters Day on September 28.

“We hope to make the fair a celebration for everyone — artists and audiences,” says Sharma. In the gallerists-driven market,are their noble intentions realistic? “Galleries can only represent limited number of artists. Here,we have hundreds of them. In fact,this could be an opportunity for gallerists to pick artists,” notes JohnyML.