Ved Prakash Bhardwaj
It is a good sign that many galleries have displayed works by young artists at the India Art Fair 2023. Many of these artists have forged their own identities, while some are just starting their journey. Senior and famous artists usually get priority at art fairs but it is good to see that the India art fair is giving young artists an opportunity to display at an international event. For the last several years, the works of old masters like Picasso, Dali, Miro, etc. have been seen in one form or another at the fair. From Hussain, Souza, Akbar Padamsee, Gaitonde, SH Raza, Paramjeet Singh, Arpita Singh, K Ramachandran, and Anjali Ila Menon to popular artists of the later generation like Paresh Maity, Jayashree Burman, Subodh Gupta, Satish Gupta, etc. as Indian masters are included this time. One of the galleries is displaying paintings by Ragini Nathdwara. It is pleasant to see traditional Indian arts at the International Art Fair.
Vadehra Art Gallery has showcased masters and established artists such as Atul Dodiya, Anju Dodiya, and Jagannath Panda. Galleries like Art Explore and Art Positive have given opportunities to relatively young artists, recognizing their potential. Vipul Kumar’s ceramics are the center of attention this time. TAG Art has exhibited works by Annie Kumari. The Delhi Art Gallery has always been the center of attraction at the art fair as they provide an opportunity to see the works of masters that are not usually seen.
As is customary, new artistic experiments will be on display at the fair this year. Today, young artists in the country and abroad are experimenting with different mediums. The old mediums of art are no longer sufficient to express the various dimensions of present-day life. A big change has come to art in the meantime, as artists are working in non-traditional mediums as well as in those mediums that, till now, were considered the medium of commercial products. The artistic presentation that lights up like a neon signboard attracts, yet the art element is still to be discovered in it.
Palette Art Gallery is displaying the work of Rajesh Ram who has been trying to give a new definition to the present by making new experiments in mediums. In this context, the works of Natasha Sachdeva, Kavita Khajuria, and Rajesh Dev can also be called remarkable and are displayed by the Art Heritage Gallery. The booth of this gallery includes paintings by Anupam Sud and KG Subramanian as well as bronze sculptures by G. Raghu.
Love demands stability, and form attracts. This is often the case in art. There is an attraction to new experimental forms in art but it often does not get converted into art. There is both stability and depth in art. There is continuity in it, with constancy like love. When any new experiment in art gets traction, it becomes an art trend. We always get to see many new experiments at the art fair. It is only through such experiments that art moves forward and new avenues of expression open up. However, it has been observed that the majority of the experiments remain just that: experiments. They are not able to become the character of art.
The dialogue of the new generation with the old generation can be said to be a specialty of the India Art Fair. This time there are 71 art galleries and 14 institutes participating in the fair. The “Digital Art in Residency” programme is one of the many programmes organized at the fair. In this program, participants will get an opportunity to learn how photography and other digital mediums can be better used in art creation. Apart from the traditional styles of art, innovations will also be seen at the art fair, which will be a better learning opportunity for young and upcoming artists.
Most seminars at art fair do not go beyond one event. There is an express need to pay attention to this. We need to give this a thought with a lot of contemplation and planning and this should not be event to event. This will come with ongoing work for flow of thought and discussion on art with a wider group of participants and not just few known names.
