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L

ooking back, if I had to think of that

particular moment when the idea for

India Art Fair was born, I would have

to say it was during my time in London. I

always knew I was interested in the creative

industries, which is why I chose to pursue my

Master’s at the University of Arts in London.

While studying in London, I was inspired

by the great diversity and number of arts

related events – exhibitions, fairs, cultural

programmes – that were happening all the

time and reaching vast audiences. The variety

and the accessibility inspired me to think

about the lack of opportunities for people to

engage with art in India and the untapped

potential in this cultural space. It inspired

me to be a pioneer in this field and try to

create something that didn’t exist in India

and yet was much needed. And so, I moved

back to India from the United Kingdom.

I am a patriot at heart and am delighted

to have contributed to the growth of the

contemporary Indian art scene by creating a

sustainable business model and made it an

example in the creative industries for others

to follow.

In 2008, when we first launched India

Art Fair, the vision for the fair was always

to make art more accessible and less

intimidating to a wider pool of people and

we continue to work closely with museums,

galleries, artists and students to make this a

reality. The fair was launched in the absence

of anything else not for any first -mover

advantage but because all the ingredients

were there and the opportunity could not be

missed. The art market in India was certainly

ready for an international platform for

contemporary art.

Which brings me to the choice of location.

Whilst Mumbai is absolutely an important

hub for the arts in India, the arts community

in Delhi had been steadily growing and is

now an equally dynamic cultural centre, if

not more. There are more galleries opening,

new cultural initiatives launching, and an

impressive degree of engagement in the arts

both from the corporate and private sectors.

fRoM DRawiNG UP THe BUsiNess PlaN foR aN aRT faiR aT THe

Back of aN aiR-sickNess BaG oN HeR fliGHT HoMe To DelHi

fRoM loNDoN, To Now RUNNiNG soUTH asia’s BiGGesT aRT faiR,

iNDia aRT faiR, Now iN iTs eiGHTH eDiTioN, THe DYNaMic NeHa

KIRPal ReMiNisces aBoUT THe joURNeY so faR aND HeR VisioN

foR THe PaTH aHeaD

Total Recall

IAF Through The Years

(^24) / arts illustrated / feb 2016 - mar 2016 /IAF - Delhi Connecting Art