India Art Fair 2018, the leading platform to discover modern and contemporary art from South Asia will open tonight and run at the NSIC Exhibition Grounds, Okhla, New Delhi, until February 12.
The fair will feature well-known and emerging galleries from India and South Asia showcasing modern masters and contemporary artists from the region. Spaces from Asia, Europe, South America, the UK and the US have also been invited to display the work of their international artists. The UAE will be represented by 1x1 Gallery, which is showcasing established and emerging Indian artists. Private foundations and arts charities, artists’ collectives, national institutions, cultural events and festivals from across South Asia will also participate in the fair.
The Platform section of the fair will support emerging art practices and focus on vernacular arts from the region through the participation of art collectives such as Tribal Art Forms, Delhi Crafts Council, Pichvai Tradition & Beyond, Swaraj Art Archive and Blueprint 12 from Delhi; Britto Art Trust from Dhaka and Kathmandu-based Nepal Arts Council. The fair’s Art Projects, to be presented in a dedicated space this year, include large-scale installations by Indian artists such as G. Ravinder Reddy and Shilpa Gupta; Pakistani artists Imran Qureshi and Zoya Siddiqui; and South Korean artist Timothy Hyunsoo Lee.
The fair will focus on the local and regional artistic community through the largest ever participation of non-profit and public institutions such as Kiran Nadar Museum of Art, Foundation for Indian Contemporary Art, Floodlight Foundation, B M Anand Foundation, the Gujral Foundation, Devi Art Foundation and KHOJ; and international institutions like the Korean Culture Center, and the Institut français en Inde.
The fair’s public programme will include artists’ talks, industry debates, live events and digital artworks. Highlights include a moving image work by Hetain Patel, alongside a new strand of talks titled ‘I know what you did last summer’, which will invite South Asia’s most established artists to present on recent international exhibitions and projects. The fair is also launching a new professional learning programme, featuring international experts speaking about industry topics such as the accessibility of art in India, authentication, intellectual property and the import and export of artworks.
Presenting Partner BMW Group India will showcase the 17th BMW Art Car by Jeff Koons at the fair, and Penguin Random House India will present a creative zone and open-air library for children.
Fair director Jagdip Jagpal, says, “Our 2018 programme is about inspiring visitors to discover the best of the local and regional art scene, from its fascinating history through to its modern-day icons and emerging talent. We also want to actively encourage fair visitors to learn about the art scene in Delhi by attending major exhibitions and cultural events organised by art institutions and galleries across the city during this time,”
India Art Fair will run at the NSIC Exhibition Grounds, Okhla, New Delhi, until February 12. For details, visit indiaartfair.in
