Saffronart covers the second edition of Art Expo India

Leading art portal Saffronart covered the second edition of Art Expo India in detail. We repodeuce the reportage for our blog readers:

AEI was held from the 25th to the 27th of September, 2009, at the Nehru Centre, Mumbai. The fair brought together thirty galleries dealing in modern and contemporary Indian art from all over the country and abroad, hoping to provide a much needed impetus to the Indian Art market and community.

Conceptualized by Vickram Sethi, the Art Expo displayed an exhaustive collection of modern and contemporary Indian art and provided a space for established as well as new galleries toconverge and converse with each other and with the Indian art community in general. According to Sethi, the lack of international exposure, the limited number of collectors and buyers, and the unorganized art market are the biggest problems that Indian art faces today, and this edition of Art Expo India promised a platform to address these prominent issues as well.

For three days, the walls of the top floor of the Nehru Centre were entirely covered with Indian art, with each of the participating galleries having a stall where they showcased the best of their collections. The gallerists were happy to provide advice about the works displayed, and conversations easily moved beyond the frame of the canvas.

Also presenting itself as a platform for intellectual discussion, the Art Expo offered a series of panels and talks that ensured a better understanding of art, on both the local and global level. Kay Saatchi of the Saatchi Gallery delivered the key-note address about spotting new talent and encouraging young artists. Other panels like (X)topia featuring Jitish Kallat and Ranjit Hoskote were informative conversations about various artists’ works and their international
appeal.

Panels were also dedicated solely to Indian art, with Dr. Alka Pande, for example, speaking about the erotic in Indian art, moderated by the renowned artist Anjolie Ela Menon. Other prominent panelists included Abhay Sardesai, Brian Brown, Judith Greer and Bose Krishnamachari. Other events organized to coincide with the Art Expo were a curated exhibition of S.H. Raza’s works at the Nehru center, Mumbai, and several gallery openings across the city.