Key developments in Indian art in the year gone by

Following are the observations in a recent essay by Parul Vadehra of Vadehra art gallery, which appeared in The ET, spelling out different directional shifts and some of the Key developments in the contemporary Indian art in 2010.

• India’s art market shrugged off the adverse effects of the slowdown, as the year saw the emergence of interesting trends.
  
  
• New auction records were set. A monumental work by SH Raza, entitled ‘Saurashtra’, fetched $3.5 million at the Christie’s action in London in June - a new record for modern Indian art. Arpita Singh’s ‘Wish Dream’ got $2.24 million at the Saffronart Winter Online Auction in December.
  
  
• Several landmark shows were held in the year gone by. Anish Kapoor show finally arrived in India. The world-renowned British sculptor of Indian origin displayed some of his large scale installations in Delhi and Mumbai. The exhibit provided an overview of his glorious oeuvre.
  
  
• The year was marked by a strong desire to collaborate between the art fraternity and the government. The Lalit Kala Akademi (LKA), the ministry of culture and the industry representatives to cultivate the infrastructure for art. The contemporary art show on eve of the Commonwealth Games was an outcome of this endeavor.
  
  
• Interactive technologies like digital art, computer graphics, robotics, animation etc are now a medium to express oneself. ‘New Media’ has firmly established itself as a choice of medium on contemporary Indian art scene.
  
  
• Many Indian artists like Nalini Malani and Shilpa Gupta garnered international recognition abroad with representation at important museums. Nasreen Mohamedi, Sheila Makhijani and A Balasubramaniam among others are part of a recent drawings show at the MoMA, New York.
  
  
• Another satisfying development in the Indian art market was rise of genuine collectors as compared to investors, a very healthy sign, indeed! In general, the collector base has widened. And the momentum should continue in 2011...