DELHI’S ART SEASON
The India Art Fair transforms Delhi into the capital of Indian art each winter, attracting lakhs of visitors. More importantly, perhaps, Delhi is already abuzz with exhibitions every evening, highlighting the huge influence the mass-market event has had in creating an ‘art season’.
Founded in 2008 by Neha Kirpal, the art fair (previously known as the India Art Summit) has grown exponentially in its first decade. And following MCH Swiss Exhibitions (Basel) Ltd’s purchase of a majority stake in 2016, this year, Jagdip Jagpal, a former international programme manager at the Tate, UK, takes over the show. Jagpal has already spoken of a South Asia focus in the current edition of the fair that will
be held between February 8 and 11 at the NSIC exhibition grounds in Okhla in Delhi.
There were rumours that major galleries—Indian and international—will skip the fair this year. However, the lineup lists all the major Indian players, including Vadehra and DAG. Non-commercial institutions, such as the Asia Art Archive and the Foundation for Indian Contemporary Art, that focus on research and arts education will also join the mela.
Meanwhile, earlier this week, Gallery Espace opened a solo exhibition of New York-based artist Zarina’s ‘Weaving Darkness and Silence’ in Delhi after four years. The Talwar Gallery in Niti Bagh is showing Alwar Balasubramaniam’s latest solo ‘Liquid Lake Mountain’. The exhibition—on until May 12—marks a significant evolution in Balasubramanian’s practice, as it includes not only the sculptural installations he is known for but also paintings that focus on natural phenomena. A large-scale exhibition of works by Mumbai-based Anju Dodiya at the Bikaner House opened February 1 and runs through February 17. The show, titled ‘The Air is a Mill of Hooks’, is hosted by the Vadehra Art Gallery.
Visitors will also be treated to two excellent non-commercial exhibitions. ‘A Search in Five Directions’ at the National Handicrafts and Handlooms Museum (January 20 to March 31) is presented by the Devi Art Foundation, which is helmed by the mother-son duo of Lekha and Anupam Poddar. Curated by Rahul Jain, Rta Kapur Chishti and Rakesh Thakore, the show pays tribute to Martand ‘Mapu’ Singh, textile historian and revivalist extraordinaire, who passed away last year. It draws from seven editions of ‘Vishwakarma’, the landmark series of textile exhibitions that Mapu had curated between 1981 and 1991. The textiles on display provide a glimpse of the rich textile history of India as well as the contemporary re-workings of tradition. The second non-commercial show is undoubtedly the highlight of the season: a large-scale retrospective that showcases 50 years of Vivan Sundaram’s practice. Titled ‘Step Inside and You are No Longer a Stranger’, after a 1976 painting, the exhibition at the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art (KNMA) in Saket is curated by the museum’s director, Roobina Karode. The show can be viewed between February 9 and June 30.
Sundaram is best known for his installations and photomontages. However, his early work through the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s, which will be on display at the KNMA, reveals his modernist roots and figurative paintings. Pushing the boundaries of medium and form, his 1991 series of drawings, made with self-corroding engine oil in response to the Gulf War will also be shown. Post the Babri Masjid demolition, Sundaram turned his attention to making largescale, immersive installations. Most recently, he collaborated with cultural theorist Ashish Rajadhyaksha to create ‘Meanings of Failed Action: Insurrection 1946’ in 2017—a massive steel ‘ship’ that showcased the 1946 mutiny of the Royal Indian Navy. Sundaram has also worked on his family archive, and the exhibition will include a ‘Family Room’ showcasing the 1995 ‘Sher-Gil Archive’ with letters written by his aunt Amrita Sher-Gil. The exhibition comprises works borrowed from more than 40 collections around the world.
Also at KNMA, artist Mona Hatoum will give a talk about her work on February 9 with an introduction by critic-curator Geeta Kapur. The Lebanese origin artist is at the forefront of international contemporary art. And so is New Delhi.
The fair’s influence is such that a number of events are planned around it