Art Expo India 2009 provided a peep into the promising world of Indian art

A host of luminaries participated in the art expo at Mumbai’s Nehru Centre. Prime among them was Kay Saatchi, the former, an internationally renowned art curator. She has co-curated over 34 exhibitions for the Saatchi Collection between l987 and 2001 in partnership with Charles Saatchi.

On the other hand, Judith Greer is an independent arts producer and consultant for contemporary art projects both in the UK and abroad. Unraveling her personal journey as a collector, Judith Greer turned the clock back to seventies when everything she did in her spare time was art related. Since then it has been a passion for her.

She reminisced: “For me, the key is to know the artist and his or her growth trajectory. The decision of buying an artwork should essentially be influenced by aesthetic concerns, something which all new collectors do not adhere to...”

Sharan Apparao, Menaka Kumari-Shah and Brian Brown, the three proven art experts, mulled over ‘buying art in today’s recessionary times’ at AEI 2009. Their opinions count because all three are well versed with the ground realities of the art market.

The elite panelists at the expo were unanimous in their opinion that dynamic Indian artists, influenced by global developments in contemporary art thanks to their greater exposure to the international art world, were striving to maintain a balanced relationship with Western art based on an identity deeply rooted in the rich artistic and cultural traditions of the country.

Art expert-collector Vickram Sethi, the AEI organizer, summed it as an exercise to give platform to emerging talent from across the country. Dwelling on his first fair last year, he said in an interview, "Last year, collectors got first-hand knowledge on the art market. Besides, service providers were able to meet gallery owners and, above all, participants were able to make new contacts and expand their own marketing activities."

Summing up the spirit of the second edition, an ET news report succinctly described it as an attempt ‘to create a platform to bring together gallery owners, dealers art funds, auction houses, investors, insurance outfits and collectors.’ Art Expo India 2009 provided a peep into the promising world of Indian art, for sure!