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The India Art Summit
Timed before the economy nosedived, the India Art Summit in Delhi was a sucess. Even though some of the major galleries refused to participate, complaining they could not do so at a short notice, the first national Art Summit saw a host of Indian and international art dealers come together to display art and exchange notes. A sequel is planned for August 2009, indicating that the first was a success.
Hammer up, hammer down
PERHAPS the biggest downer for 2008 was when Subodh Gupta’s work did not find any takers at the Sotheby’s auction in Hong Kong in October. Gupta had previously netted $480,000 (Rs 2 crore) in a contemporary sale hosted by Christie’s and his paintings were fetching almost Rs 7 crore at other auctions. However, many art pundits said Gupta was not a marker of the market, since his works were priced exceptionally high. Gallery owners say they have seen a serious deflation in the market of buyers who hoped to cash in quickly on their purchases and are now looking forward to serious and meaningful collectors. Indeed.
A li’l global buzz
While Indian artists took part in exhibitions across the globe, back home the shows were bereft of foreign names. 2008 changed that a little. Delhi galleries looked global even if it was for replicas of Salvador Dali sculptures. Gaurav Assomull brought them along with small Picasso lithographs and some lesser-known European artists for the inaugural exhibition of his company Marigold Fine Art. Religare Arts Initiative had a solo of American artist James McGarrell at Arts.i gallery, while Khoj organised the Capital’s first public art festival that included installations from Argentina and the US, and even Slovenia and Canada.
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