Now that it's done with, it's clear that Delhi's Art Summit, nurtured by Neha Kripal and her team, has been growing quietly (or not so quietly) over the last three years
Now that it's done with, it's clear that Delhi's Art Summit, nurtured by Neha Kripal and her team, has been growing quietly (or not so quietly) over the last three years. This year it became the world's most attended specialist art fair ufffd 128,000 visitors, more than four times last year's turnout. Given the population of India and the galloping growth of the upwardly mobile middle class, this is a trend that will only carry on strengthening.
Art is also an expensive plaything for one-upmanship or more usually one-upwomanship among the rich and famous. Whether it's buying installation art or even modern contemporary structure, the Delhi-Mumbai jetset is making fashion statements and raising prices to bizarre levels, snapping up works by FN Souza, SH Raza, MF Husain, Anish Kapoor and even Picasso!
The biggies alone accounted for Rs 10 crore in sales, some estimate. Now if only Pragati Maidan were to spruce up its act and the Indian babu culture were to relax its stranglehold, then the harried organisers would be able to pull off an even better show than this one which already attracts artists and galleries from all over the world.
The range of art on display this year was impressive, and wandering through the stalls one could spot the familiar the new and the experimental ones too. The most guarded works of course were the Husains, almost impossible to see thanks to burly policemen on all sides.
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On Sunday, the last day, Sonia Gandhi chose to putter around amidst the cognoscenti exhibiting their knowledge about artworks and prices. One could also spot the home secretary taking a quiet stroll and even some editors and the masses of real art lovers too.
So what if rustic Indian home utensils gathered into large piles dubbed as art has helped India clamber into the ranks of the most expensive art producers ufffd this is one show that defies the old Dilli stereotype.
