MOVING FOCUS THE INDIA ART FESTIVAL 2013

Johny ML

JohnyML: The third edition of India Art Festival has now moved back to the Nehru Centre. What is the reason for moving it from Bandra-Kurla Complex back to Nehru Centre? Rajendra: The decision to move back to Nehru Centre can be attributed to the costly logistics associated with doing the art festival in the open ground. When it comes to real estate, space and other related infrastructure, Mumbai is a costly city compared to any other city in India (second only to Washington D.C in the world). As the Art market is in economic doldrums, exhibitors won’t pay higher booth rent to meet this costly logistics in the open ground. The only choice left was to move back to Nehru centre, which has a few constraints, like space limitation, but it has it’s benefits too, like strategic location close to south Mumbai. JohnyML: India Art Festival has a mixed approach. It has gallery booths and artists’ booths. It also promotes curated sections. Does this mixed approach make sense commercially? Rajendra: In India, we do not have many galleries; the numbers of galleries are insufficient to accommodate two/three art fairs in the country. Further, we do not have sufficient number of economically self reliant artists (outside the gallery system) who can help sustain an art fair.
Curated sections are a part of our efforts to bring in insightful curators and talented artists to the art festival but the funding really is an issue with the art festival to introduce more curated sections. In this inflationary economy, it really does not make commercial sense even in this mix module, else we would not have shifted from BKC to Nehru Centre again. We are trying to sustain India Art Festival in the absence of sponsors and the way many galleries and artists are supporting the art festival, we are sure we will sail through these turbulent waters. JohnyML: As the director of India Art Festival, how do you perceive the future of Art fairs in India? How do you assess the performances of India Art Fair, Bengaluru Art Fair, Chennai Art Fair and United Art Fair? Rajendra: Art fairs are there almost in all major cities in the country and there surely is a good future as art fairs expand the base of art patronage in their respective cities; all constituents of art market should understand the role of art fairs and should support it whole heartedly.