Leaving behind slowdown

Over 40,000 visitors from 32 countries, around 250 artworks sold, worth around Rs 26 crore — the second edition of India Art Summit (IAS), which concluded on Saturday, has been a huge hit.

Over 40,000 visitors from 32 countries, around 250 artworks sold, worth around Rs 26 crore — the second edition of India Art Summit (IAS), which concluded on Saturday, has been a huge hit.

HT Image

In comparison, last year’s inaugural summit recorded around 10,000 footfalls and did business worth Rs 10 crore.

“The success of the IAS has been phenomenal both in terms of the access and education of art it has led to over three days, as well as the sales the galleries have made,” said Neha Kirpal, associate director of IAS.

“It’s been phenomenal,” agreed Ashish Anand of Delhi Art Gallery (DAG) ecstatically.

Anand showed a sizeable 80 works, including such modern masters as FN Souza, Chittoprasad and GR Santosh, of which 15 sold out. “The response has surpassed all my expectations and could be the tipping point to galvanise the market.”

Equally happy is Sunaina Anand of Delhi’s Art Alive Gallery, whose gallery had put up small, 9"X12" paintings by 45 artists, well-known names like SH Raza and Jogen Choudhury among them, all priced in the range of Rs 20,000-Rs 7.5 lakh. She sold a good 60 per cent of the works, with another 20 per cent reserved.

“Market sentiment and behaviour are generally on the upswing,” Thomas Erben of the eponymous gallery from New York voiced the general consensus.