MAKE IT NEW
CContemporary art in India is mostly championed by the private sector. From August 28-30, the India Habitat Centre will play host to the second Delhi Contemporary Art Week (DCAW). Not to be confused with the India Art Fair (which is an annual event in January/ February), this is an initiative founded by seven galleries—from the veteran Vadehra and Espace, Nature Morte to the more recent Latitude 28, Exhibit 320, Shrine Empire Gallery and Blueprint 12.
While it may appear unusual for galleries to pool their resources in what continues to be a thin domestic art market, Peter Nagy of Nature Morte underlines the respect that this group has for each others’ programming and the quality of art that they show. Bhavna Kakar of Latitude 28 tells us that the idea originated with a conversation with Anahita Taneja from Shrine Empire and Roshini Vadehra of Vadehra Art Gallery, with a view to providing “a space to contemporary artists, who are overshadowed by established masters”. The event is aimed at young collectors and the lay audiences to, as Kakar says, “initiate discourses around contemporary art; art that is more often than not, only available to a privileged few”.
While the DCAW is a gallery-led venture, it is not to be mistaken for an art fair model; while each gallery has their own space, there will be no ‘booths’ and the format will be that of curat-
From August 28-30, the IHC will host the second ‘Delhi Contemporary Art Week’
ed exhibitions within the Visual Arts Gallery. The focus of the DCAW is firmly on South Asian art, and many of the artists showing have exhibited internationally in art fairs. Kakar explains that “each gallery selects their artists and artwork that they want to showcase. Latitude 28 focuses on art from India and the South Asian region where artists have interpreted and represented issues like sexuality, spirituality, mythology, environment, migration and violence. The artists are from India, Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan”.
Nagy tells us that Nature Morte will “showcase younger artists, whose works will be at a lower price and thus, more accessible to the new collector. We will also showcase a variety of mediums—painting, sculpture and photography”. Younger artists will be shown alongside established names, and there are several outreach activities for students, collectors and art enthusiasts, ranging from panel discussions to the handling of artwork and building collections.