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Journalism of Courage
A Damien Hirst show, the recent art summit and Anupam Poddar8217;s museum. Is Delhi leaving Mumbai, once the Mecca of Indian art, behind?
Delhi is back in the limelight with three big events: the opening of Anupam Poddar8217;s private museum under the aegis of his firm, Devi Art Foundation, the recent Indian Art Summit and a show that featured paper-works by Damien Hirst, the superstar artist of the British art scene. Add to this the enviable space of the India Habitat Centre, the Apeejay Gallery and the gallery boom in Gurgaon, it becomes apparent where Delhi8217;s edge lies.
Mumbai, on the other hand, has its art district in Colaba with all the galleries closely knit and constantly growing. What it doesn8217;t have is land. 8220;Mumbai has always had pressure on space. Galleries, artists studios, residency spaces and naturally fair grounds in the capital are bound to be more lavish than in Mumbai,8221; says Shireen Gandhy, whose own 12,000 square foot gallery is one of the enviable spaces of Mumbai. 8220;It is not a coincidence that Anupam Poddar, the one person who could open a museum like this, lives in Delhi. It is the luxury of space that allows for this kind of development,8221; she adds. In Europe and the US, it is common for affluent families to open their personal collections to the public, like the Peabody collection that is showcased at the Peabody Essex Museum.
Another big grouse is that the National Gallery of Modern Art, Mumbai, hasn8217;t had an honorary director after Saryu Doshi8217;s exit. 8220;Mumbai is a pulsating city and the fact that the NGMA here has not changed its show in two months makes it appear to be stagnant. Having shows more often would only be possible when the city gets its own honorary director,8221; says Gandhy, who rues the dismissal of the Mumbai director in 2004.
An example of Mumbai8217;s inability to showcase a prized collection is the late Jehangir Nicholson8217;s legacy of quality works by Moderns like S.H. Raza, F.N. Souza and M.F. Husain. The proposed eponymous museum has run out of steam. Cryus Guzdar, the heir of the bequeathed collection, remains tightlipped on the future of Nicholson8217;s fabulous gems. Early paintings by Raza, never-seen-before Souzas and rare Husains are more likely to surface in an auction rather than as a collection painstakingly put together.
Nicholson was legendary for his taste of art, cars and the company of good-looking women. His collection, says Alka Pande of the Habitat Centre, is one of the most important India has. 8220;Jehangir Nicholson started out without any particular direction or agenda. However, as he gained expertise and developed an interest in art, his non-specific buys began taking on a definite pattern. He was the owner of one of the most comprehensive collections today and he bought art because he said 8216;it did something for my soul. I never thought of it in terms of value appreciation.8217;8221;
Anupa Mehta, who was approached for the project of putting together his collection, says the doyen8217;s art-trove was not made for commercial gains. 8220;If the government sits up and looks at art as wealth and cultural legacy, only then the attitude towards it will change,8221; says Mehta, who was the first editor of the Art India News Magazine and is currently an independent art consultant and curator.
Manu Dosaj of Gallerie Alternatives in Gurgaon says there is no substantial difference between the two cities. 8220;I have been doing shows with the Mumbai8217;s Art Musings. I do not feel that the infrastructure is better in Delhi. If anything, I would say Mumbai is more receptive, but Delhi does score on the issue of space,8221; says Dosaj, who showcased a Mumbai artist, Bharati Kapadia besides Delhi-based Narendra Pal Singh and the director of National Gallery of Modern Art Rajiv Lochan. Mehta points out her perceived two differences of the markets: 8220;Mumbai has more informed buyers, while many Delhites have a lot of surplus cash8221;.
If you are a young graduate from art school, however, Mumbai and the sense of community its artists have is a better bet for you. You8217;d also have an easier access to the art market than anywhere else.
Besides, the galleries that are constantly encouraging young talent, artists like Bose Krishnamachari, Mehlli Gobai and Akbar Padamsee, mentor many young artists8212;sometimes with a modicum of discretion and sometimes with openly curated shows.
But a private museum? No one in the art business sees it happening any time soon.
