The India Art Fair, Delhi 2020 is a reflection of the country’s fast-developing art scene. Like other years, the Fair this time, drew together galleries, artists, private foundations, cultural events and art shows both indoors and outdoors. By its very nature, the Fair had brought together local and international art lovers to enjoy the latest developments in Indian as well as South Asian art.
Some of the highlights of this year’s showing included the works of Israeli artist Achia Anzi, who is supported by the Serendipity Arts Foundation. He presented an LED project composed of lines. Also, among outdoor projects were works inspired by the poems of Charles Baudelaire’s collection of poems, Les Fleurs du Mal or The Flowers of Evil, and Anita Dube’s metal sculpture. Aspects of modern life were exhibited in the works of the internationally acclaimed photographer Martin Purr while Farah Mulla presented an interactive installation. Of special interest was Rathin Burman’s work ‘Defunct Architectural Spaces.’
In its show this year, there were 210 gallery participants from 30 countries. Another highlight was that for the first time, visitors had the opportunity of taking guided tours around the exhibition. Offering a public platform for dialogues and discussions, India Art Fair featured a number of artist presentations, memorial lectures and conversations across the art world. Taking place in the newly envisioned Auditorium space, there was a programme celebrating critical experimentation and the incredible work of artists, curators, critics, collectors and institutions in India, South Asia and across the globe. Also, BMW Group’s Head of Cultural Engagement, Dr. Thomas Girst, and Curator of The Andy Warhol Museum, Jose Carlos Diaz, shared lesser-known facets of Andy Warhol for visitors. The iconic 1979 BMW MI Art Car which was hand painted by Warhol, was on exhibition.
The Indian participants who caught a great deal of attention included Sudhir Patwardhan’s ‘Light Rain (2019) presenting a rain-washed cityscape with an autobiographical figure with his characteristic shoulder droop. The IAF’s façade, covering three of its exhibition tents depicted Sameer Kulavoor’s work, titled ‘This is Not a Still Life’. An interesting input was ‘Pichvai Miniatures’ that introduced artwork based on Rajasthan’s tradition. The other worldly looking sculpture of Olafur Eliasson, from Berlin, carried forward the artist’s theme of spatial experiments that prodded viewers to look for multiple perceptions.
Finally, the bookshop and café on the Fairgrounds had something for everyone to savour and for friends and acquaintances to meet and exchange notes with one another.
