It’s time for the curtains to open as connoisseurs of art, from India and abroad, head to south Delhi to witness the 15th edition of India Art Fair. This year, 108 exhibitors, including 72 galleries and art institutions, will gather in a sustainable enclosure, quite literally! Wondering how? The answer is the facade, which is transformed into a constellation of colourful pixels by artist duo Thukral & Tagra. After the de-installation of the fair, this artwork printed on flex material will be repurposed into collectible bags.
Truly, this annual showcase of modern and contemporary art from India and South Asia adds quite the quirk coupled with aesthetics to Delhi’s cultural calendar. And this time, it aims to do so yet again while being a smorgasbord for not just artists and collectors or curators, but even those from the world of design. Seven new design studios are part of its first-ever Design Section. “We have introduced our Design section to encourage greater cross pollination among creative disciplines,” says Jaya Asokan, fair director.
Explaining the idea behind the impetus on this Design segment, Asokan adds, “If I had to make a distinction [from the event India Design ID], our focus is specially on unique, limited-edition and handmade collectibles from South Asia and beyond. The idea is to place art and design in the same space and blur the boundaries between the fields. We have seen design at the fair previously, but this time we wanted to intentionally create a high-end space for collectible design.”
Strikingly, the event continues to be inclusive by providing braille guides, tactile representations of key artworks, sign language interpreters, wheelchair services and even feeding rooms for new mothers. Besides this, the expanded Inclusion Lab will have special projects that reflect on Nature and ecological crises. Asokan shares, “Sustainability always remains the focus of our work. Not just in the artworks that are displayed but also in the production of the fair…. We reuse floors, walls, and the flex material of the facade, designed by Thukral & Tagra for this edition, will be repurposed into limited-edition bags by the Dalit-run Chamar Studio.”
Catch It Live
What: 15th India Art Fair
Where: NSIC Exhibition Grounds, Okhla Industrial Estate
When: Feb 1 and 2 (VIP preview), February 3 (Noon to 7pm) and 4 (10am to 6pm)
Nearest Metro Station: Govindpuri on the Violet Line and Okhla NSIC on the on the Magenta Line
