Zain Masud hopes to make curatorial interventions for a more focussed IAF 2016

You had constantly tried to make Art Dubai more inclusive, with artwork from across the region, including Korea and Lebanon. Is there a vision that you have for the IAF as well?
Every fair reflects its context. Dubai is a hub for countries across the world; several flights to the neighbouring regions are routed through Dubai. When we look at India, it has a very deep-rooted sense of history and we need to strengthen that and solidify the identity of the fair that brings in people from across the region. We will bring art from other parts of the world but not arbitrarily, it will be countries that have links with India. Changes will be made incrementally, building on our strengths and engaging with the younger audience. We will scale down the fair, with fewer exhibitors, which will instantly improve the quality. I will also engage with the participating galleries to have a more curatorial approach within the booths.

I believe that, this year, there will an “institutional” section comprising international and Indian museums and art foundations.
Every year, several of their representatives visit the fair but we thought of doing it in a more organised manner. These will be institutions that share a relationship with India, for instance, someone with a huge collection of Indian art.

You were born in Saudi Arabia, studied in the UK, spent some years in Paris and are now based in Moscow. Does living in different cities help you develop a world view?
Absolutely. I have also been visiting China for two months every year, it is where my father is based. Living in different places helps one keep in touch with the pulse of what is going on there, and also become acquainted with the challenges of different markets.

Were there any exhibitions of Indian art in the last few years that you particularly enjoyed?
I visit India often. I was here for the opening of Galleryske in Delhi last year, and then for the Kochi Biennale. One of the comprehensive shows of Indian art recently was the travelling exhibition “Indian Highway”, which was simply beautiful. The Mrinalini Mukherjee retrospective at NGMA was breathtaking. It is sad that she passed away; she had established herself as one of the great living artists around the world.