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Journalism of Courage
The first edition of United Art Fair complete with a dissenters forum kicks off in September,aiming to promote lesser-known artists in a big way
By bringing together over 2,000 works of art by 520 artists who are rather unfamiliar names to most art aficionados,the United Art Fair (UAF),in its debut year itself,aims to be a platform for upcoming Indian talent. Putting the aim of the fair in the forefront,its chief curator Johny ML says,Gallerists have certain aesthetics and usually they decide who should be projected at a fair. We didnt want that hegemony. Alongside UAFs founder and director,Annurag Sharma,JohnyML is busy finalising the details of the annual feature,the first edition of which kicks off on September 27 at Pragati Maidan.
Besides from its unique focus on young artists,the three-day fairs programme seems to have been inspired by the bigger and now established India Art Fair (IAF),which is held in the Capital every January.
The similarities begin from the sculpture park,an integral feature of the IAF. Placed near the UAF gates will be KS Radhakrishnans 22-feet-tall Time,Tide and Growth,and Subodh Kerkars Bread Route,a fibreglass installation that maps colonialism along the Indian shore,particularly Goa. Meanwhile,playing in a loop at the video lounge will be works by Ranbir Kaleka,Sharmila Samant and Ravi Agarwal,among others.
UAF,quite like the IAF,will also have seminars to discuss issues concerning the art world both its artsty and commercial dimensions. Psychoanalyst Sudhir Kakar will speak on Art and Psychology,while leadership development consultant Santhosh Babu will discuss the relationship between artists and corporate branding. A seminar on photography will accompany a photo exhibition. It is a genre that is gaining repute and needs to be discussed, notes JohnyML.
However,its bid to promote the young doesnt mean the fair will completely ignore recognised artists. So a curatorial exhibition titled Mind the Gap will bring together the likes of Chintan Upadhyay,Amitava Das,Manjunath Kamath and Veer Munshi,and the Masters Hall will have works of 50 modern masters including MF Husain,Tyeb Mehta and Ram Kinkar Baij.
Aware that it is now becoming challenging to find commercial success for lesser-known artists,and the inevitable comparisons with the IAF,the organisers have arranged for a feedback platform. Interestingly,the second day of the fair is Dissenters Day. Anyone who has a different opinion about the art market or even against the UAF,could present their papers, adds JohnyML.
While the curtains are still to go up on the first edition,preparations are already on for its second year emerging talent from South East Asia and Europe will be flown to Delhi in 2013.
