India Art Fair 2018: The 10th edition of the festival focuses on art galleries

The 10th edition of India Art Fair opened in Delhi on February 9 with a “refreshed and expanded programme” and a continued focus on South Asian arts.

With Jagdip Jagpal as the new director, this year’s fair promises to test new ideas with participation from galleries, artists, private foundations, arts charities, artists’ collectives and national institutions.

A total of 78 art galleries are attending the four-day festival at NSIC Grounds here with a “particularly strong representation of Indian galleries, enabling deeper engagement with artists from the local art scene”.

Indian galleries returning to the fair include Chatterjee & Lal, Jhaveri Contemporary, The Guild, Threshold Art Gallery, Latitude 28, Kalakriti Art Gallery, Chemould Prescott Road and Vadehra Art Gallery.

A visitor looks at art project The Flow by Subba Ghosh during the India Art Fair. (AP/Manish Swarup)

While DAG and Dhoomimal Gallery, among others, are showcasing the region’s modern masters, younger galleries including TARQ and Anant Art, alongside first-time participants like Samara Art Gallery and ZOCA, focus on the region’s cutting-edge emerging art scene.

“We are thrilled to announce the first highlights of our 2018 programme, which is about inspiring visitors to discover the best of the local and regional art scene, from its fascinating history through to its modern-day icons and emerging talent,” Jagpal said.

She also said that the fair will be taking this opportunity to “explore and test ideas to shape the long-term future of India Art Fair, to ensure that it reflects the cultural diversity and distinct identity of the region”.

The director also pledged to support the artists, galleries and institutions “not only at the fair but year- round”.

Besides the focus on regional artists and galleries, the fair is also hosting international galleries including David Zwirner, Karla Osorio Gallery, Mo J Gallery and Richard Koh Fine Art participating for the first time.

Other international galleries like Sabrina Amrani, Aicon Gallery, baudoin lebon, 1X1 Art Gallery and Lukas Feichtner Galerie have also returned this year.

Visitors stand next to a Raja Ravi Varma painting. (AP/Manish Swarup)

The art fair this year will see a larger participation of non-profit and public institutions compared to the previous years.

Institutions including Kiran Nadar Museum of Art, Foundation for Indian Contemporary Art, Floodlight Foundation and B M Anand Foundation, Gujral Foundation, Devi Art Foundation and KHOJ will engage with international institutions like Korean Culture Center, and the Institut français en Inde.

The art fair will end on February 12.

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