AEI 2009 successfully reached out to the masses

Mumbai’s Nehru Centre might not be regularly frequented by art connoisseurs but they thronged the venue to check a wide range of works put up by leading galleries across India and globe at Art Expo India 2009.

“It served as a forum to let viewers look at a collection representative in nature. Entering galleries could be intimidating and a forum like this helps initiate new people into the world art…” organizer of the three-day fair, Vickram Sethi, was quoted as saying in The Indian Express news report. Summing up the trend, it mentioned: “Once, art was viewed in closed galleries. Now it’s suspended on false walls in stall areas. Private is going public and shared platforms are gradually becoming the norm.

The All India Art Trade Fair Organizer, Adishwar Puri, concurred. “The novices get a glimpse of different genres of art and work they are not familiar with.” The two-day fair in the second week of October displayed canvases of over 80 Indian artists. Earlier, the Art Mart at Epicentre, Gurgaon had 50 galleries.

Elaborating on the logistics of such events, the IE report mentioned: “Preparations usually start months in advance. Registration for next year’s India Art Summit has already begun. An effort is made to introduce elements, which could generate more buzz, while displaying the works. Even though public art in India is quite limited, art is now going public through fairs.

Participating in the fair does demand finance and physical effort, comprising renting stalls, transporting the works and insuring them." But the effort is worth it, as Uday Jain, director of Dhoomimal Gallery, pointed out: “The investment does prove beneficial in the long runas one builds relationships with contacts.

Ten thousand invites for AEI were distributed in Mumbai. Potential collectors from New Delhi to Chennai, and Dubai, England to Switzerland were invited.” According to Vickram Sethi, it’s important to reach out to a global audience. And that’s exactly what AEI achieved...