Art festival offers 'democratic' platform for artists and buyers
The India Art Festival, an art fair held annually in Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru, is one of the first major art events to be held after the pandemic. The festival that starts today and continues until April 10 in New Delhi offers a platform for dialogue and collaboration between art galleries, dealers, buyers, artists, interior designers, architects, and art connoisseurs.
"Our mission is to democratise the art presentation, viewing, and buying process," said Rajendra, founder and managing director, India Art Festival. "Monopoly chokes the market and deprives a large section of artists of the art fair circuit; many art fairs present only master artists with elite art galleries. In India, we have more than one lakh artists and 350 art galleries. India Art Festival allows them all to present their work before art markets in cities like New Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru."
In the last 11 years, many India Art Festival-discovered artists have been inducted into a gallery system, helping them become a part of the mainstream art circuit.
The India Art Festival allows independent artists to gain recognition by sharing a stage with countless master artists and allows them to showcase their art to various audiences and patrons. It widens their access to potential markets such as private foundations, art charities, artists collectives, national institutions, cultural events, and festivals.
At this year's edition of India Art Festival, 450 artists, including 200 master artists represented by 25 art galleries, and 250 independent artists, will present 3500 works.
"Participating in the festival helped me showcase my work to a vast audience of art enthusiasts," said artist and gallerist Snehalata Prasad of Hyderabad, who is excited about her presence at the fair. "I could also interact with my audience directly."
Bengaluru artist Chethana Ravi is "overjoyed" to have an opportunity to be physically present at a real fair after the last two years of inactivity.
"For upcoming artists, it a high to be viewed by big buyers like architects and interior designers who may buy a limited number of signature artists like Manu Parekh, Jogen Chowdhury or Anjolie Ela Menon for their projects but also rely on refreshing artworks in large quantities from new talent to add character to spaces," said Ravi.
It is not the prospect of sales alone that excites artists. India Art Festival's joint "Galleries and Artists' Pavilion" helps foster a dialogue between stakeholders.
Art sales take place on an open platform where the buyer can approach an artist. The Galleries and Artists' Pavilion also facilitates direct dialogue between the dealers, the art market, and the artists. Both the artist and buyer benefit from this arrangement.
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