The New Art Circuit

Those familiar with the art mart might argue that the amount would suffice to purchase a mid-range artwork,but that is also the price art

enthusiasts are willing to pay to be introduced to art giants.

A rising interest in art has aided several parallel industries. Experts are now giving lessons to art enthusiasts and teaching them how to distinguish between impressionism and impasto. If at Delhi’s National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA),art historians are giving lessons on the evolution of Indian art; at Devi Art Foundation,people can opt for a guided tour of the extensive exhibitions curated from the Lekha and Anupam Poddar Collection. “The masses are now interested in the nuances,” says Sujata Parsai,head of cultural learning programmes at Flow Associates,a UK-based organisation promoting culture education,which opened office in Delhi last year.

Flow Associates offers tours for adults on different periods in Indian art — from “Contrasting Traditions: Indian Miniature Painting and European Traveller Artists” to “From Modern to Contemporary: Spanning the Period from the 1970s to the Present Day”. Besides,museum programmes and workshops for children are also held.

“Each tour examines the key developments using the wealth of India’s national modern art collection as a starting point. The walks are designed for beginners as well as those with some knowledge to share,” adds Parsai,who charges Rs 1,200 for a one-hour walk at NGMA,and her workshops for children cost Rs 800 onwards.

While Adventures in Art was established just last year,Arvind Vijaymohan,director of Delhi-based Art Ventures & Management Advisory,has been assisting tourists explore art for more than five years now. His clients include museum experts and art collectors from all over the world. “They are usually people who have been buying art or are well-acquainted with it. I take them to museums,art galleries and at times,even organise interactions with the artists,” says Vijaymohan. The trips can be customised too. “We exchange several emails before the clients’ arrival in India,” adds Vijaymohan.

For those looking for a more basic round-up,artist Manisha Gera Baswani has taken it upon herself to promote art awareness. Her apartment complex in Gurgaon is dotted with posters of the works of artists from different periods and movements: from Raja Ravi Verma to the Bengal School and Amrita Sher-Gil. During a guided tour,she takes small groups around the complex and acquaints them with the work of each of these artists. “My aim is to initiate people into art and encourage them to explore,” she says.