Showing posts with label IAF. Show all posts
Showing posts with label IAF. Show all posts

1 Dec 2022

Art News: India Art Festival in Bangalore

India Art Festival attracts over 30 galleries and 400 artists for its second edition in the city



The 2nd Edition of India Art Festival (IAF) in the city starting from December 08 – 11 at the Palace Ground, Kings Court, Gate No. 5, Bellary Road, has grown in scale and size this year, bringing cutting-edge contemporary art to the city, presented by over 30 Art Galleries and 400 artists, coming from 40 different cities across India, Singapore and USA.

Opening on December 08, the 2nd Bengaluru edition of IAF will bring all forms of artistic expressions in the art fair including painting, sculptures, photography, ceramics, installations, offering insights into current art trends in India and Asian diaspora.

India Art Festival, Bangalore, Image for Art Scene India
Aditiraje Bhonsle

Founded in 2011 by the publishers of Indian Contemporary Art Journal, IAF is the only art fair held annually in three metro cities and which has mounted 22 editions so far at Mumbai, New Delhi and Bengaluru.

Whether, it is a seasoned art collector, or a new art buyer who want to acquire the first piece of art, the India Art Festival with 4000 pieces of art across 100 booths, on display at the Palace Ground is a perfect place to fall in love with art. At IAF, the art collectors are spoilt for choices to choose from many mediums and styles - oil paintings, acrylics, water colour, original prints, installations, drawings in myriad styles dealing with varied subjects including landscapes, figurative, abstracts, cityscapes, seascapes, urban and rural scenarios, portraits, nudes, semi-nudes, religious art, traditional paintings, murals, warli art and many more.


The master artists displayed by the galleries include Sakti Burman, Yusuf Arakkal, Lalu Prasad Shaw, S G Vasudev, Laxman Aelay, Gurudas Shenoy, Laxma Goud, Jatin Das, Jogen Chowdhury, Manu Parekh, N S Harsha, P Gnana, Seema Kohli and many others.

India Art Festival, Bangalore, Image for Art Scene India
Yusuf Arakkal

The Artists’ Pavilion with individual booths by independent artists is so designed as to create a dialogue between the viewers and the art maker, and the artist. It also encourages dialogue between the art market and the artists directly. Here the sale and purchase of the artwork is on an open platform and the buyer or collector can approach an artist and the choices are numerous.

India Art Festival, Bangalore, Image for Art Scene India
Vinita Dasgupta
This kind of freedom is rarely possible as both the artist and the buyers benefit from this arrangement. India Art Festival Director Rajendra says, "the process of democratizing ‘art viewing and buying’ initiated twelve years ago in Mumbai sort of became a movement; the growing interest in Indian contemporary art slowly made this movement spread to New Delhi and Bengaluru covering significant length and breaths of our country."

Apart from 200 established artists exhibited by art galleries, more than 200 independent artists are displaying in the ‘Artists’ pavilion’ at the art festival. The subjects broached by the artists vary from personal experiences to intense narratives.

India Art Festival, Bangalore, Image for Art Scene India
Dhyana Das
 'Tripurasundari’, a feminine mystique of the goddess by artist Dhyana Das and Kalyani Ravishankar’s ‘Radha-Krishna’, both blend the nuances of classical paintings and contextualize them within Indian religious sensibilities. 

In another instance, artist Karthik Kamath, Sonali Surana and Tejaswi depicts embodiment of renunciation, Buddha, the enlightened one in his splendid aura with wavy hair curls & the monastic robe covering both shoulders and arranged in heavy classical folds. 

Sunitha Krishna, Smita BP, Kalyani Sinha and Tripti Pandey indulge in an artistic imagery using religious images, cultural symbols and motifs that touches the spiritual chord of the viewers.

Artists Gaurav Dagar, Jyothi Prakash and Prakash Bal Joshi beguile the viewers with their abstract composition using pure forms & colours, whereas artist Muthukrishnan Ramalingam and Rajitha Bonthala chose the middle path of semi-abstract idiom to present their visual stories.

Wildlife, animal and bird paintings is one of the oldest art forms found since ancient times in the cave art. Animal and bird art have come a long way since then in technique and imagination and occupies major part of the contemporary art space in India. Artist Isha Valentine’s symbolic deer with antlers, Priyanka Sehgal’s Sunbird, big cats and elephant by artist Apurba Das, Shakila Ananth and Sudha Anandampillai displayed in the art festival is a fusion of art elements found in Bundi style of traditional art with contemporary times.

India Art Festival, Bangalore, Image for Art Scene India
Akshata Shetty

The black and white paintings displayed in the art festival by Akshata Shetty, Beena Surana, Om Thadkar, Preeti Baliga, and Priyanka Maurya prove that the paintings need not have to be always done in striking colours to create visual splendour! Viewers are bound to be mesmerize by the unfolding visual drama of muted blacks, ash greys, dark flashes, starry whites with harsh shadows employed in the work of Om Tadkar in his galloping white stallion, whereas Priyanka Mauraya’s dreamy flowery land and symbolic portraits of all sorts by Akshata Shetty and Preeti Baliga creates powerful viewing; these paintings can go with entire range of minimalist modern décor & interior to create aesthetic ambience around living spaces. 


Since ancient times to modern times, from fertility goddess to modern-day multitasker, artists have always enjoyed exploring the subject matter of women folk in art. But when the subject is explored by female artists herself, it assumes different significance like artist Geeta Yerra, Parul Sharma and Swati Burde who are exhibiting in the art festival. 

India Art Festival, Bangalore, Image for Art Scene India
P Gnana
The figurative works by Ravi Verma and Vanita Gupta along with Atul Todi and Jayaram Krishna’s figures emerging through geometric patterns on closer look is an added in attraction for viewers. 

The notion of beautiful and sublime with sharp contrasts of light and shadow is exemplified in the landscapes by Poornima Deepak and Reema Ravindran whereas Deepshikha Bishoyi, Mridul Garg, Pooja Muthuraj, Shankari Kundu, T V Sairam and Vidhu Pillai prefers suggestive style of abstract landscape which focuses more on expressing emotion while still capturing the essence of a landscape. Seena Mani’s cityscape, Aditiraje Bhonsle, and Kasturi Dutta’s flowerscape are different genre in landscape painting in the art festival that would leave a lasting impression on the viewers. 

Among several others noticeable works by master artists, the artists pavilion present a fresh face of India Art Festival at the Garden city. India Art Festival, with mammoth art collection of all sorts of art under one roof is a one stop mega art jamboree for art enthusiasts in this week to enjoy art without getting tired in hopping around art paces in city!

The participating art galleries include Akanksha Art Gallery, Charvi Art Gallery, Green Footprint
India Art Festival, Bangalore, Image for Art Scene India
Laxman Aelay
Art Gallery, H Art Gallery, Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath, Sara Arakkal Gallerie (all Bengaluru), ArtDesh Foundation, Artvista, House of Emerge, Nitya Artists Center, Studio Pankaj Bawdekar, Studio Rustgrey, Studio3 Art Gallery, The Bombay Art Society, thecurators.art (Mumbai) , ArteHut, Eminent Art Gallery, Gallery Pioneer, Nifa Art Gallery, Gallery Vision Art (New Delhi), Pastel Tale & Uchaan (Gurgaon), Gnani Arts (Singapore), Kalabhawan (Agartala), M Narayan Studio (Pune), Pichwai by Beyond Square (Udaipur) and Subodh Fine Art Studio (California, USA) among others.


India Art Festival will be on from 08 to 11 Dec 2022 at Kings Court, Palace Ground, Gate No.5, Bellary Road, Near Mekhri Circle, Bengaluru from 11 am- 8.30pm on all days.


For further details contact: 9820737692



Excerpted from the press release


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28 Jan 2020

Art News: India Art Fair 2020

All Roads Lead To Delhi For The India Art Fair

The India Art fair 2020 combines cutting-edge contemporary visual art with modern masters, vernacular artistic traditions, and an expanded performance and talks programme 
Ai-Weiwei.-Martin-2019.-Cast-iron-230-5-x-352-x-238-cm-©-Ai-Weiwei.-Courtesy-the-artist-Lisson-Gallery-and-neugerriemschneider-Berlin
Ai Weiwei 
Ai Weiwei, Martin
Cast iron, 230.5 x 352 x 238 cm / 90 3/4 x 138 1/2 x 93 5/8 in. © Ai Weiwei Courtesy of Lisson Gallery 
and neugerremschneider Berlin 
The India Art Fair previews on 30th January in New Delhi with 81 exhibitors spanning 20 different global cities. In its 12th edition, the fair has evolved into a significant exhibition of modern and contemporary art in the country, combining cutting-edge contemporary visual art with modern masters, vernacular artistic traditions, and an expanded performance and talks programme. 

Fair Director Jagdip Jagpal elaborates, “The fair’s programme draws together galleries and artists, private foundations and arts charities, artists’ collectives, national institutions, cultural events and festivals. This enables international audiences to engage in innovative ways with the cultural history and development of the region. Each year, we introduce new elements to the fair that invite and interest audiences of all ages and backgrounds.”
B.Prabha.-Fisherwoman-1979.-Courtesy-of-Dhoomimal-Gallery
B.Prabha. Fisherwoman 1979. Courtesy of Dhoomimal Gallery
The IAF Selection committee evaluates applications and makes selections based on quality of proposals. Jagpal explains, “2020 will see a diversity of international blue chips, with Indian galleries still in the majority – a defined 70% India, 30% international split – with international galleries showing works not previously shown to Indian audiences. IAF is committed to work closely with galleries to develop India Art Fair’s on-site experience, ensuring the fair is the first place to see and discover artists from the region."

The idea is to develop a stronger and expanded public programme, to create a truly distinct cultural experience that reflects and is inspired by India’s cultural heritage, and constantly - developing modern-day identity. And, continue to place the artist’s voice at the centre of the programme.
Olafur-Eliasson.-Dew-Reflector-2019.-Partially-silvered-glass-spheres-paint-black-yellow-stainless-steel-©-Studio-Olafur-Eliasson.-Courtesy-the-artist-and-neugerriemschneider-Berlin
Olafur Eliasson. Dew Reflector 2019. Partially silvered glass spheres paint black yellow stainless steel ©Studio Olafur Eliasson. Courtesy the artist and neugerriemschneider Berlin


In this edition, new entrants include Art Explore, Arts of the Earth, Gallery White, Pichvai Tradition & Beyond from India and 4 new international participants - Saskia Fernando Gallery (Colombo), Gallery Tableau (Seoul), PSM (Berlin), Marc Straus (New York).

BMW Group India continues its association with the IAF and will showcase the BMW Art Car by Andy Warhol – one of the nineteen prominent artists from across the world to have created Art Cars using contemporary BMW automobiles of their times, all offering a wide range of artistic interpretations. This will be complimented by The Warhol Talk.
Andy Warhol's BMW Art Car, 1979. Courtesy of BMW Group India
Andy Warhol's BMW Art Car, 1979. Courtesy of BMW Group India

The Performance Art Programme has been successful in bringing new audiences, and this year will present a strong line-up of leading artists including -Maya Krishna Rao, national-award winning theatre performer and social activist; Lagos based multimedia artist Jelili Atiku whose works address political concerns for human rights and justice; multi-disciplinary artist Piyali Ghosh following from her recent exhibition at the Venice Biennale; and Raisa Kabir, an interdisciplinary artist exploring the politics and cultural anxieties around globalised neo-colonial textile production and nationhood.
Priyantha-Udagedara-Orientalism-XII-2019-Mixed-Media-on-Canvas-122cm-x-183cm-Courtesy-of-Saskia-Fernando-Gallery
Priyantha Udagedara Orientalism XII 2019 Mixed Media on Canvas 122cm x 183cm Courtesy of Saskia Fernando Gallery

6 large-scale installations by high profile Indian and international artists will be showcased as Outdoor Art Projects and will include pieces by Anita Dube, Farah Mulla, Martin Parr, Rathin Burman, Sameer Kulavoor and Vijay Pichumani.

Idris-Khan.-The-Old-Tune-2019.-Digital-C-print-mounted-on-aluminium.-Courtesy-of-Galerie-Isa
Idris Khan. The Old Tune 2019. Digital C print mounted on aluminium.
Courtesy of Galerie Isa
Jagpal reiterates, “India has some of the world’s strongest curatorial exhibitions, whether it is Kochi Muziris Biennale, Serendipity Arts Festival or Chennai Photo Biennale, which have a significant profile internationally, especially within the arts scene. While issues relating to display and curation may be similar, the challenges of organising a 4-day exhibition across a 12,000 square meter venue are unique. The biggest challenge, however, is to build and de-install temporary exhibition tents in order to give our exhibitors and visitors the best possible on-site experience.”

The fair ensures accessibility for all and will include tactile artworks, braille signages and fair guides, offering personalised accessibility tours for visitors.


India Art Fair: NSIC Grounds, Delhi, India Fair Dates: 31 January – 2 February 2020 Preview: Thursday 30 January 2020

All images courtesy India Art Fair

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