7th edition of India's modern and contemporary art fair. For the 2015 Artistic Projects, a programme spanning the outdoor and indoor fair space will present a range of work from high profile Indian and international artists.
New Delhi, 20 October 2014: India’s premier modern and contemporary art fair, is pleased to announce its 7th
edition. YES Bank presents India Art Fair, taking place from 29 January – 1 February 2015 (with a VIP
Preview by invitation on 29 January).
Neha Kirpal, Founding Director, India Art Fair says "India Art Fair has taken stock of the way the world is
looking at India and the way in which India presents itself to the world. As more international fairs representing
emerging markets are established, the desire for collectors is not necessarily to follow the same artists and
galleries around the globe, but to engage at a deeper level with each region. This is the approach that India Art
Fair is embracing. It is the approach that brings out the unique offering of India, thereby establishing India’s
place on the global art map. In line with the positive trends in the market, the fair presents a balanced range of
contemporary, modern and classical art, engaging an increasingly broad audience. There is something for
everyone and that is what is needed. India Art Fair acts as a catalyst for progress, driving deeper understanding
of the country’s artistic history as well as the latest contemporary work from across India, stimulating dialogue,
debate, understanding and interaction not only with art specialists, but with the wider public and collectors of
tomorrow.”
Sandy Angus, Co-Owner, India Art Fair commented “In my experience of running art fairs in several
emerging markets around the world, I can see that collectors today travel the globe to be able to see art from
different regions and have a distinguished experience wherever they may go. The desire is to see fresh new
works and art forms from exciting emerging markets. India has a lot to offer in terms of its rich art history and its
dynamic contemporary art scene, and India Art Fair is focused on bringing together the broadest representation
of quality works in a well curated and presented environment that will appeal to a cross section of collectors and
the general visiting public alike.”
India Art Fair remains unchallenged as the most important stage for facilitating dialogue and art trade in the
region. 85 exhibiting galleries in a total of 90 booths will showcase a breadth of modern and contemporary
art practices including painting, sculpture, new media, installation and performance art.
One significant new element introduced to India Art Fair is the appointment of Girish Shahane as Artistic
Director. Directing both the Artistic Projects and the Speakers’ Forum, Shahane will integrate a closely curated
artistic programme with the fair itself, bringing a focus to the talks and projects to make them directly relevant to
the galleries and artists exhibiting onsite and more accessible for visitors within the context of the fair.
The 2015 Speakers’ Forum will engage the entire range of stakeholders in the visual arts – artists, curators,
critics, administrators, academics, gallerists and collectors, as well as covering a wide spectrum of artistic
practices. Speakers will include Adam Szymczyk, Artistic Director of documenta, the world’s largest and most
prestigious contemporary art exhibition; Dr. Venu Vasudevan, Director General of the National Museum, Delhi;
Jeremy Deller, leading artist and creator of the British pavilion at the 2013 Venice Biennale; Sheikha Hoor al
Qasimi, Director of the Sharjah Biennale and curator of the UAE pavilion at the next Venice Biennale; and
Julian Stallabrass, Professor at the Courtauld Institute London, lecturer and writer on modern and
contemporary art.
For the 2015 Artistic Projects an extensive programme spanning the outdoor and indoor fair space will
present a range of work from high profile Indian and international artists. Highlights of the programme include
Chitra Ganesh and Dhruvi Acharya to create a collaborative painting on site, giving visitors an insight into the
processes contemporary artists employ in their work. The painting will unfold over four days from a blank
canvas to the finished composition. A further dramatic project comes in the form of Francesco Clemente’s tent
installation. For 40 years Clemente, one of the worlds most renowned painters, has collaborated with a range of
Indian artisans in Chennai, Orissa, Varanasi and Jodhpur creating his series of tents using a range of
techniques such as embroidery, block printing and his own spectacular paintings.
In addition, Presenting Partner YES Bank will host a series of talks and events in the YES Bank Lounge,
including conversations with artists and collectors, workshops with the Asia Art Archive and book launches for
Arpita Singh with Vadehra Art Gallery, and Forms of Devotion with Sushma Bahl and the Museum of Sacred
Art.
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Rana Kapoor, Managing Director & CEO, YES BANK Limited says “YES BANK recognizes the enormous
growth potential in the field of Art, and we are continuously striving to facilitate a responsible attitude towards
Indian and global Art, by introducing synergistic corporate interest, support and patronage through
corporatization of Art. We at YES BANK are proud to be the Presenting Partner of India Art Fair and endeavour
to spearhead initiatives which can foster creativity and promote the development of Art in the long run.”
In a re-calibration of the India Art Fair layout, additional exhibition space has been added to the two main tents,
and the permanent structure has been re-commissioned to host the largest ever exhibition in a public space on
the history of India’s modern and contemporary art. Presented by Delhi Art Gallery, this comprehensive review
will showcase the full range of India’s most important artists.
Along with the new design elements to the fair, this year sees expanded restaurant offerings from Delhi’s most
popular venues as well as live music at the fair, all of which will enhance the overall experience for our growing
audiences from both India and India Art Fair is a trademarked event property owned by Seventh Plane Networks. Its Founding Director Neha.
Press Contact:
Amrita Kapoor, amrita.kapoor@flint-pr.com
Wol Balston, wol.balston@flint-pr.com
Opening:
29th January 2015
NSIC Exhibition Grounds
New Delhi 110020
General ticket – Rs. 400
Student's ticket – Rs. 250/-