Art and the Works

Through this,gallerist Suruchi Saraf hopes to bring together tribal and mainstream artists,and in the process,cater to the market for both. “It’s challenging for the artists,both of whom come from different backgrounds. For the buyers,on the other hand,each work is unique,” says Saraf,who had been working on the show for over a year.

In the art mart where registering each red dot requires ample effort and wooing collectors has become essential for sustenance,gallerists are now working overtime to bring connoisseurs to their doorstep. Art does not suffice,experimentation is the key — not just in the studio,but also in galleries where the works are put before potential buyers.

If Ahmedabad-based Marvel Art Gallery is offering art on EMI,Art Positive gallery in Delhi is bringing together fine art and performing arts. “There is cut-throat competition and one has to think of new ways to bring in more people,” says Anu Bajaj,owner of Art Positive,who had a jazz band perform at the opening of her annual show “Devotion”,last month. Also lined up is another jazz performance in September,followed by a puppet show in November.

When 30-something Delhi-based entrepreneurs Mandira Lamba,Sameera Bhalla and Ridhi Bhalla decided to set up their art establishment Blueprint 12,the trio borrowed from the concept of pop-up galleries that became a rage in the US in the post-recession market,where both real estate prices and art had slumped. A solution was found through nomadic galleries where artwork occupied empty and developing buildings. Artists got a space to display and property owners got temporary rent.

At the trio’s week-long maiden preview in the Capital that concluded on Thursday,they reportedly registered 30 footfalls,and a couple of works (out of 35) have been put on hold. “We invited friends,collectors and people who have an interest in art,” says Ridhi,who now has the same show up at Alliance Française. The next show by Blueprint 12 will be organised next year. “It’s a pop-up,once in a while,at different venues,” she adds.

Eight years into the business,Chaitya Dhanvi Shah,director of Marvel Art Gallery,agrees that innovation is the need of the hour. “It is important to add to the collector base and the only way to do that is to get more people to view art and turn them into collectors,” he says. He has introduced the concept of selling art on EMI (easy monthly instalment). On sale are original works and serigraphs of more than 40 artists,including MF Husain,Akbar Padamsee,SH Raza and KG Subramanyan. All that is needed is the salary slip of the applicant who needs to between 22 and 35 years of age. Since the scheme started in June,he has sold five works.

At Delhi’s Latitude 28 gallery,director Bhavna Kakar gave a twist to the regular group show by turning it into a collaborative venture,where artists were in constant touch in the months leading to the show. The three participants — Delhiite Amitabh Kumar,Baroda artist Siddhartha Kararwal and Bengaluru-based Prayas Abhinav — discussed individual works and joint creations for the exhibition titled “Glitch Frame Lollipop”.

But Bajaj warns that all new ideas might not be favourable. “One has to ensure that art remains the focus and there is no compulsive experimentation that would draw attention away from art,” she says.