DIGITAL COPY ON MAGZTEReconomic power – but we are
also thinking beyond the city. We
are India Art Fair rather than the
Delhi Art Fair, so we’re thinking
carefully about how we reflect the
diversity of the country and the region.
Increasingly, the reality of the times
we live in is multicultural families and
easy access to the world at large. Do
you think this bears a consequence
on how we now define ‘identity’
and ‘belonging’ – both of which are
essential constructs for any artist and
the art they create?
Well, it does for me, but I can’t speak
for or generalise about the significance
of that for ‘any artist’. I know
many artists who consistently resist
the world’s inclination to pigeonhole
them regionally or nationally and
are working for their practice to be
universally relevant and not locally
defined. Particularly for contemporary
conceptual artists.
How would you say Indian
contemporary art has matured over
the years? And where would you
place it on the global art landscape?
I am wondering if it is even possible
to define this spectrum because
contemporary art itself is constantly
reinventing itself.
A boom and a crash is always
interesting in terms of sifting
out ephemeral trends from more
substantial work with staying power.
India has consistently produced
talented artists and continues to do so,
work that can hold its own anywhere. Can you tell us a little bit about how
you have approached the eighth
edition of IAF? What are the five
things we could look forward to, the
highlights we need to keep an eye
out for?
I’ve been thinking a lot about how we
distinguish the fair within the global
spectrum of art fairs, and how we canVasant, Dhruva Mistry,
2 mm SS, Painted with Golden Yellow
Epoxy Paint, 11.6'' x 11.3'' x 8.7'', 2014-2015,
Image Courtesy of Sakshi GalleryGrishma, Dhruva Mistry,
2 mm SS, Painted with Deep Crimson
Epoxy Paint, 11.6'' x 11.3'' x 8.7'', 2014-2015,
Image Courtesy of Sakshi GalleryVarsha, Dhruva Mistry,
2 mm SS, Painted with Bright Green
Epoxy Paint, 11.6'' x 11.3'' x 8.7'', 2014-2015,
Image Courtesy of Sakshi GallerySharad, Dhruva Mistry,
2 mm SS, Painted with Haldi Yellow
Epoxy Paint, 11.6'' x 11.3'' x 8.7'', 2014-2015,
Image Courtesy of Sakshi GalleryHemant, Dhruva Mistry,
2 mm SS, Painted with Purple
Epoxy Paint, 11.6'' x 11.3'' x 8.7'', 2014-2015,
Image Courtesy of Sakshi GalleryShishir, Dhruva Mistry,
2 mm SS, Painted with Cobalt Deep
Epoxy Paint, 11.6'' x 11.3'' x 8.7'', 2014-2015,
Image Courtesy of Sakshi GalleryIAF - Delhi Connecting Art/ FEB 2016 - MAR 2016 / ARTS ILLUSTRATED /^37