A Space to Show

Indian ethos feeds my work in a way the the West could not.”

The Indian art market — recovering from the effects of the Great Slowdown — is the great lure. Collectors,who have just entered the market and are looking to buy art at affordable prices,provide a ready market for the likes of Schade,Siddiqui and Singh whose works are priced within Rs 1 lakh. “The Indian audience is very open and absorbing,” says Siddiqui,38,who is extremely happy with the response she received for her latest show “Ode to Tea”.

Gallerists are also ready to take the risk if they believe in an artist. Shefali Somani,director,Gallery Shrine Empire,Delhi,says young contemporary artists are willing to explore the sensibilities of the Indian audience along with their own. Shrine Empire recently exhibited New York-based artist Gautam Kansara’s video-,photo- and sound-based show,“Don’t Hurry,Don’t Worry”. The gallerists were quite overwhelmed by the response the show received,considering that it was 31-year-old Kansara’s first show in India. Kansara’s work moves towards new media and experimentation.

While there is a heightened awareness of art in the West — with even schoolchildren exposed to the works of masters — they also have a hierarchy of artists and one needs at least five-six years of experience to be able to show at galleries. The developing phase of the Indian art scene — with new galleries opening almost every month in metros like Mumbai and Delhi — makes it easier for artists to showcase their work here. “Unlike Canada,where the art scene is still opening up and a specific jury selects your work,it is easier to get your foot in the door in India,” says Siddiqui.

Not only has the number of galleries increased in Indian cities,but their infrastructure has also improved with shipment services,pricing structures,provision of authentication certificates and better documentation of art through cataloguing and online websites. This has made it easier for both gallerists and artists to arrange shows. Renu Modi,director,Gallery Espace,says,“The infrastructure around art has improved,which makes it easy for both Indian artists living abroad and foreign artists to show their work here. It’s a natural progression.”

Even senior artists,like Virginia-based Delna Dastur whose delightful abstracts were recently shown at Delhi’s Gallery Art Motif,have turned to India as a viable venue to showcase their art. Says Dastur: “My being an American artist of Indian origin and the possible success that this fact may garner did not enter the equation. It was a personal decision and I did not investigate whether other foreign artists were successful in India or not.” Having said that,Dastur,63,goes on to admit that her show was quite a success in India. Admittedly,she got more press than she would have back in the US and the economics of showing in India has enabled her to work across Mumbai and Virginia.

Although,as Schade claims,the Indian art market is not an “incestuous bubble” anymore,a lot still seems wanting. “There is lot to be desired in the quality of the dialogue surrounding art,even if the quantity has increased,” says Singh. But with growing popularity and affordable pricing,art,she says,is getting more “permission from the masses to be out there”.