India Art Fair 2024: A potpourri of artistic, thought-provoking and engaging works
Monica Arora
Spring is just round the corner and the Delhi art scene is all set to come alive with the 15th edition of India Art Fair. It is being held at the NSIC Exhibition Grounds in New Delhi from February 1 to 4 and features 108 exhibitors, including 72 galleries and prominent national and Southeast Asian art institutions.
The highlight of this latest edition of India Art Fair is the Design section. It has been envisaged to display “limited edition and handmade collectible design” of seven creative studios, ranging from designers Vikram Goyal and Gunjan Gupta from New Delhi, atelier Ashiesh Shah, Rooshad Shroff, Karishma Swali & Chanakya School of Craft based out of Mumbai, amongst others.
As Fair Director Jaya Asokan articulates, “The 15th edition of India Art Fair is truly a celebration of the best of the best in South Asia, and we are proud to be able to host the wide spectrum of creativity in the region, from the most established artists and designers to the emerging stars of tomorrow. Our programme of commissions and projects is our most ambitious yet and we are proud to have such an illustrious group of experts taking part in our talks and workshops.”
What makes India Art Fair stand out is its motley mix of famous personalities, budding artists and some unique, experimental voices, all of whom display works in the form of photographs, paintings, sculptures, installations, body art, interactive audio-visual displays and so much more. From art connoisseurs to art students; from curious onlookers to seasoned page three celebrities; from buzzing influencers to serious collectors and investors, here is an art mela where everyone is hobnobbing with the best of the best in the most democratic and simple manner. The energy within the exhibition grounds is pregnant with excitement.
Amongst the famous artists, the names to look out for include Jamini Roy’s works presented by Chawla Art Gallery, Dhoomimal Gallery and DAG; Ram Kumar’s art exhibited by Sanchit Art; Thota Vaikuntam and Manu Parekh’s creations presented by Art Alive Gallery; Mithu Sen featured by Chemould Prescott Road; Dayanita Singh’s works by Nature Morte and many more.
An important part of the India Art Fair is the Talks series. Entitled ‘Art Across’, it brings together gallerists, designers, artists, scholars, writers and prominent art institutional heads and patrons, along with market specialists, to conduct meaningful conversations on the thriving art and design market in India and Southeast Asia and project visions for the future.
Shrine Empire
The India Art Fair outdoor art projects are the heartbeat of this event and the 2024 edition hosts some seminal artworks. These include Sajid Wajid Shaikh’s ‘Walls Have Ears Too’. The artist has bagged the first MTArt Agency x India Art Fair Artist Prize. The work comprises an actual kinetic installation of perfectly crafted human ears that have antenna-like structures protruding from them. These “ears” follow us as we walk along and is an apt metaphor for the digital media that is omnipresent and is “hearing” what we say, and even what we don’t.
Another interesting project is ‘Elevator to the Subcontinent’ by artist Gigi Scaria. It comprises a multimedia installation of an elevator moving through diverse socio-economic dimensions of India’s geographical landscape and is a commentary on the changing social demographics as we traverse through the country. The art fair’s main façade is designed by artists Thukral & Tagra and once the fair concludes, this will be repurposed into collectible bags crafted by Chamar Studio, thereby throwing the spotlight on important issues of sustainability and eco-friendliness.
There is also a month-long programme entitled ‘Parallel’. It will see participation from local galleries and institutions in the form of exhibitions and events across the city. For instance, the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art brings a show of the archives of prolific photographer Raghu Rai, while Dhoomimal Gallery showcases modernist FN Souza’s rare works, amongst others.
