The Indian art scene appears vibrant once again

(By Nalini S Malaviya)

After the remarkable success of the recently held India Art Summit there are many art connoisseurs who are now looking forward to the Art Expo 2009 happening in Mumbai this month. The second edition of the expo will be held on 25th to 27th September at the Nehru Center. At the moment, there are approximately 25 galleries participating in it, and a few speaker sessions have also been planned, spread across the three days. According to the organizers, the expo “is a perfect platform for launching Indian art in the international arena with meticulous selection of top galleries and well-conceived program of special exhibitions, seminars and other events.”

What makes such art events interesting, apart from the more immediate benefits such as networking, is that they offer a forum to discuss issues related to the business of art before a wider audience. Art collectors and investors also benefit hugely, not only in terms of access to information, but also in terms of access to a wide spectrum of art - all under one roof.
Talks by experts in the field, and an opportunity to interact with artists, gallerists, critics and other key members from the art fraternity add value to such events. Insights into various aspects related to the art market, such as world markets, evaluations, regulations and so on, make the event more interesting.

With the maturing of the Indian art market, and its remarkable growth in the last few years the current phase is going to be crucial in establishing credibility. The recent recessionary phase highlighted many gaps in the art market, and now that the market is poised, once again, to grow to the next level, it is in the larger interests of everyone concerned that better business practices are implemented to steer the growth in a healthy direction. In such a scenario major art events that invite participation from across the country and abroad can offer an excellent opportunity for discussing key issues along with the business side of the art scene.

If planned and executed properly such events can turn to be much more than just a networking opportunity and become a great learning experience for art connoisseurs.

(Published in Financial Times)