New galleries power a shift in India's art scene

Mint

a day ago

There's a quiet yet determined shift in the Indian art market landscape. Newer art galleries are whetting the appetite of collectors, both seasoned and novice, as interest continues to evolve. Many of these galleries showcase the personal collections of longtime art collectors. For some, the galleries represent a chance to give their artworks a home. For others, it's a way to tap into a growing fraternity that's interested in acquiring art.
HOMES FOR ART COLLECTIONS
In Ashish Thapar's art gallery, which opened earlier this year in the National Capital Region (close to KNMA's mammoth art space slated to open sometime next year), the idea was to give centrestage to lesser-known but significant modernists of India, and more obscure works from leading modernists.
In Thapar's view, it's not enough to only talk about M.F. Husain's horses, F.N. Souza's nudes, or S.H. Raza's bindu series. 'We should talk about Husain's Blue period and Raza's White period when the artists were evolving in their own right," says the graphic designer, curator and art collector. Thapar Art Gallery's inaugural exhibition in February, Celebrating the Modernists of Indian Art, was a showcase some of the lesser-known works of the progressives along with other artists such as Sakti Burman, Ramkinkar Baij, Himmat Shah, G.R. Santosh, Bimal Das Gupta, Sadanand Bakre, Haku Shah, Abdul Aziz Raiba, B. Prabha, B. Vithal, Laxma Goud, Sankho Chaudhuri and Abdulrahim Appabhai Almelkar.
While a majority of the paintings on display are owned by Thapar, many of them are on sale. He's already working on the estates of two lesser-known Indian modernists, besides gearing up for forthcoming shows in his gallery.
In Mumbai's Fort area, Subcontinent is a new gallery space started in March by husband-wife duo Dhwani Gudka and Keshav Mahendru. 'Our vacations are all about visiting museums and looking at works of art," says Gudka, adding that the reason behind opening their own gallery space was to foster dialogue with South Asian art. The inaugural show last month, curated by Jesal Thacker, Ya Ghat Bheetar/Rediscovering Form, was a retrospective of Vadodara-based Haku Shah, who gave indigenous folk art a twist through his distinctive style of painting. Gudka and Mahendru are managing the artist's estate, which is why many of Shah's previously unseen works were displayed in the gallery.
Self-confessed 'art nerds", Gudka and Mahendru talk about paintings over meals, on their way to work, during their free time. 'For us," he adds, 'art is all-consuming. We wake up looking at art, we go to bed looking at art, we spend the whole day engaging with it in one way or another… some of our closest friends are artists."
A NEW APPROACH
A majority of new art gallery owners say it's the growing number of collectors that's fuelling the interest for spaces. 'A young collector who is just starting out can be looking for something entirely different than a more seasoned one," says Monica Jain, founder-director of Art Centrix Space, which was established in 2012 to focus on 'vernacular voices of mid-career contemporary Indian artists".
While the newer galleries have a variety of exhibitions on artists, some older art galleries like Jain's are moving into providing grants for artists to promote 'diverse painting methodologies in Indian art".
Galleries are also going beyond just exhibitions. Art Centrix Space, for instance, recently held the screening of The Song for Eresha, an indie film by A.K. Srikanth set to release abroad later this year before releasing in India. Similarly, in Thapar's gallery, a music concert by bansuri player Kartikeya Vashist and Arman Dehlvi on tabla and vocals was held to coincide with the opening of the Haku Shah exhibition.
Jain is correct in her assessment that there's room for everyone, not just as a collector but also as a gallerist. In Delhi's Defence Colony area, an art district of sorts is emerging with new galleries cropping up alongside some of the recognised ones such as Vadehra Art Gallery, Akar Prakar and Treasure Art Gallery, among others. Galleryske and Photoink, both with a presence in Delhi, collaborated to open earlier this year in Defence Colony. Five-year-old Method Art Gallery from Mumbai also expanded to Delhi earlier this year, enthused by the demand of collectors in the city.
In Kolkata, Art Exposure, around since 2018, ventured into a bigger space last October. According to Somak Mitra, founder-director of Art Exposure: 'We wanted to build a world-class gallery to attract South Asian and international artists to put Kolkata on the global art map." The new space is a sprawling 7,000 sq. ft, two-floor building dedicated to contemporary and modern art. It is currently hosting the exhibition Indian Modern Art: Evolution of Narratives, featuring artists such Gaganendranath Tagore, Rabindranath Tagore, Nandalal Bose and Jamini Roy. The exhibition is on till 15 June.
Existing galleries such as Method, Galleryske and Photo Ink are in expansion mode. Rukshaan Art, promoted by Rukshaan Krishna, has been one of the foremost galleries to promote contemporary art since its opening in Vadodara in 2007. Krishna opened her new gallery space in Mumbai's Ballard Estate in March.
The gallery has been at the forefront of The Baroda March, an annual exhibition showcasing contemporary art from Vadodara city, which has been going on for 18 years. Besides hosting this annual exhibition, showcasing Vadodara's vibrant art scene, Rukshaan Art continues to hold art camps, residencies and other artist-led events.
Though not a traditional art gallery, on Museum Day (18 May), Jaipur's Sabha Niwas, originally Diwan-e-Aam or public audience hall in The City Palace, reopened after more than a year of restoration work. It will double up as a museum-gallery for rare artefacts, including 19th century elephant seats, canopies used for royal events, thrones, and portraits by the 18th century master painter Sahibram.
'It's a niche and saturated market, and you have to be very distinctive to offer something new," says Sanya Malik, curator and director, Black Cube Gallery, which opened in February in Hauz Khas, Delhi. Black Cube was a 'nomadic" gallery, without a space of its own. Its inaugural show in March in the new permanent space was Vocabulary of Vision, which brought together 25 Indian artists—nine modern masters and 16 contemporary voices—to explore the evolving visual language of Indian art.
Most collectors at Black Cube Gallery are first-timers. It's a reason why Malik, unlike many other art galleries, has kept a wide-ranging price point, starting around ₹3 lakh. She advises collectors that they can always start looking at prints of master artists or start investing in some of the younger, contemporary artists, the latter being a very fascinating market. Malik is happy that her art has finally found its home. 'Personally, I have this itch to bring out a strong curatorial context to present my art to people. Having a personal space allows so much more freedom."
Abhilasha Ojha is a Delhi-based writer.
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