24 Jul 2012
Press Release - India Art Fair Announces 5th edition, Continues to Support Long Term Growth of Indian Art Scene
Now in its 5th edition, India Art Fair continues to support the long term growth of the India art scene
18 July, 2012, New Delhi: India Art Fair, the country’s single largest modern and contemporary art fair, is delighted to announce its 5th edition, taking place from 31 January – 3 February 2013 including a VIP Preview on 31 January at NSIC Exhibition Grounds in New Delhi. Founded in 2008, India Art Fair (formerly India Art Summit) is widely recognized as the country’s premier art fair, and as being representative of the country’s promising art market. Since its inception, the fair has sought to provide a relevant and sustainable platform for the development of the Indian art scene including providing infrastructure, access and transparency, contributing to the overall growth of the domestic market and helping put India on the global map for art.
Established in 2008 at the beginning of a global economic down turn, the art fair has sustained an impressive 3-fold growth rate in terms of scale, footfalls, and participation amidst a challenging economic environment. 260,000 visitors from 67 cities around the world, over 4 years, made India Art Fair one of the world’s most attended art fairs. International participation grew from 3 foreign galleries in 2008 to 44 in 2012, while the total number of exhibitors grew from 34 to 91. The total size of the fair has increased from 1500 sq meters in 2008 to 20,000 sq meters in the upcoming edition. The fair’s continued growth has been representative of key trends in the development of the overall Indian art scene including an increased international interest in India, with international galleries taking a long term view of educating and cultivating interest amongst Indian collectors. Further, the art fair’s increasing regional participation created access for a greater number of artists, galleries and collectors from around the country, and contributed to the rising interest in multiple regional art scenes within India.
2012 marked a significant turning point with the fair drawing in international partners, Sandy Angus and Will Ramsay, who collectively own 22 art fairs in key markets around the world including the Hong Kong International Art Fair. The fair also moved out of the state run Pragati Maidan into a custom built exhibition tent built up by international art fair production consultants 20:20 Events, and designed by highly regarded Indian space designer Sumant Jayakrishnan.
India Art Fair is considered to be the single largest destination for art in the region, and its extensive VIP programme has drawn reputed private and institutional collectors from India and all over the world including the Ullens Center for Contemporary Art, Kiran Nadar Museum of Art, the Samdani Art Foundation, (Bangladesh), Outset India, Tourism Development and Investment Company (TDIC, Abu Dhabi), Tate, Guggenheim, New Museum, San Jose Museum of Art, Pompidou Centre, Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) and the Singapore Art Museum amongst others.
The forthcoming 5th edition will showcase approximately 100 galleries displaying over 1000 established and emerging artists. The fair will feature a number of leading galleries from around the world, in particular from Asia. The fair will also see a larger and broader representation of Indian art, with Indian galleries taking up larger spaces and many galleries exhibiting booths in both the General Exhibition section and Solo Projects this year. The 5th edition will include a highly tailored VIP programme for collectors and museums attending from around the world and daily business hours, which were introduced to the fair schedule last year, will be continued as a result of positive exhibitor feedback. The expanded Solo Projects will be an opportunity to see in-depth individual presentations of a diverse set of artists.
This edition of India Art Fair will also unveil exciting curated art projects in public spaces on the fair’s premises and around the city of Delhi. As it has in previous years, the fair will be held for 4 days including a VIP preview (by invitation only) on 31 January, followed by 3 public days from 1-3 February. Visitors will also have access to the Speakers’ Forum, curated walks, a video lounge, book launches and an art book store. For more information on visiting India Art Fair, please visit www.indiaartfair.in.
13 Jul 2012
Artist Profile - Abhilash Sivadas
Abhilash Sivadas (born 28th Jan, 1985 in Muvatupuzha, Kerala) is a Bangalore based artist, photographer and graphic designer. He has over the years acquired a style best described as magical realism with an emphasis on symbolism. Abhi’s exposure to Philosophy and Symbolism spurred his desire to look inward for subjective truths. His paintings are essentially an attempt to present his perception and understanding of social issues and philosophies in a contemporary manner. He says, ‘For me, my paintings are a way to present the truth about life, and in the process I am discovering myself through others, and others through myself. I intend only to engage the viewer’s intellect and evoke a reaction.’
In an attempt to further his style of painting, he has explored a variety of media, techniques, and subject matter through which he has managed to capture in his art, subjects from figure and landscape to nonobjective abstraction. He believes that being receptive to visuals be it in the form of painting, sculptures, music or movies has helped him present a different perspective through his art.
Abhi had his first exhibition at Chitrakala Parishad Bangalore, and is currently displaying his works in various galleries across India. He is represented by Gowri Arts in Kerala. Abhi currently works out of his studio apartment in Bangalore, where in addition to painting; he indulges in playing the violin, clicking photos, creating short films and designing.
The human mind is conditioned to the environment that it belongs to and for the same reason ever so often, people choose to not look beyond the cave that they are forced to live in. Social conditioning ensures that be it imperialist or consumerist policies of society/nations people are willing to live with it without even treading to look beyond it. In this painting, the wall with the window represents the mental block that conform people to such conditioning, and what is shown as the world outside is a representation of what life could be. Life could be as beautiful and joyous as a spring morning, if only we allow ourselves to look beyond all the norms that we force ourselves to live in.
The White Lotus
It does not matter where you come from, it only matters what you make of what you have got. Rising from the muddy physical mire at the bottom of the pond and floating on the water, it represents how material life passes through the surging waters of emotions, and blossoms in the fresh attitude of new life, looking towards the open skies of spiritual inspiration. The lotus flower which is a symbol of much mystic also embodies life in the four human worlds: the physical, the emotional, the mental, and the spiritual. The lotus also captures beautifully the cycle of life & death, birth & re-birth, signifying the eternal promise of renewal and of continuation.
(Text & images by artist)
(Text & images by artist)
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