India Art Festival: A mesmerising glimpse into the evolution of Indian art
The year's most awaited contemporary art fair, 'India Art Festival' (IAF), is back after almost a two-year-long hiatus due to the pandemic. The event will take place at the Constitution Club of India in New Delhi, from April 7 to April 10, 2022. Marking the sixth edition of the annual festival, this year will see a collection of captivating art pieces and sculptures by modern, contemporary and traditional Indian artists, connecting galleries, dealers and buyers, with artists, interior designers, architects and art connoisseurs. After the unveiling and preview at 11:30 am on day one, the exhibit will remain open from 11 am to 8 pm, every day, till the last day.
IAF particularly works to support and promote the works of living artists and as such, also offers many considerations for independent artists and sculptors. The event will have 30 stalls displaying paintings and sculptures, along with two dedicated stalls for individual sculpture artists, with over 150 sculptures being on the show. More than 100 master artists and 250 known and emerging artists will have their work displayed at the festival, making up a total of 3500 stunning works of art. Several art galleries like 'Gallerie Splash' and 'Art Nouveau' in Gurgaon; 'Gallery Pioneer' and 'Vision Arts' in New Delhi; 'Easel Stories' in Noida; 'Studio3' and 'Rhythm Art' in Mumbai and 'Rabi Art Gallery' in Santiniketan will be displaying works by their master artists.
IAF brings together galleries, artists, private foundations, art charities, artists collectives, national institutions, cultural events and festivals presenting the rich cultural history and development of the South Asian region to local and international audiences. Over the last 11 years, works by many master artists such as Paresh Maity, Jayshri Burman, Arpana Caur, Jatin Das and others have been displayed and sold at the festival. The last few editions saw an incredible footfall of 25000 to 26000 visitors. This time, it is expected to cross 30,000, as the art festival is returning after two long years! The first 80 stalls got sold out within the first three weeks itself, in record time.
As such, IAF will once again deliver a mesmerising glimpse into the evolution of Indian art throughout history, as well as the cultural styles and influences of the country's many states. It especially helps shine a spotlight on the brilliant works of many independent artists in India, in front of a variety of audiences and prospective patrons. In addition, the event directly connects these artists with master artists and veterans and also helps them develop their network and assess potential markets.
Rajendra Patil, Director, IAF, said, "At first, we decided to host the India Art Festival at the smaller venue of the Constitution Club instead of Thyagraj Stadium, as we expected limited participation from artists and art galleries after the pandemic. But our guess was wrong; the 80 stalls were sold out within the first three weeks itself, when we announced the Delhi edition in October 2021! All the stalls were sold out by November 2021. This overwhelming response from artists and galleries shows us that the anticipation for this year's edition is immensely high and we eagerly look forward to presenting this outstanding panorama of the Indian art scene, through the ages."
