Art Projects announced at the 5^th edition of the India Art Fair
India Art Fair, India’s premier modern and contemporary art fair, is pleased to announce its 5^th edition from 1-3 February 2013 (with a VIP Preview by invitation on 31 January).    

At a time when the global economy, and the art market in particular, faces a challenging business environment, India Art Fair continues to focus on providing a bridge building platform to spread deeper awareness, and create wider access to art in India. The art fair will include approximately 105 exhibitors from 24 countries in the general exhibition area and solo projects. It will also include a video lounge, an art bookstore, art projects and a Speakers’ Forum with over 40 eminent speakers.  

India Art Fair brings together a diverse and dynamic set of galleries and artists, showcasing a breadth of modern and contemporary art practices by established and emerging artists including painting, sculpture, new media, installation and performance art. It offers international galleries a world class platform to present their works and explore the Indian art market, to meet new collectors and build relationships with key stakeholders. The 42 international galleries exhibiting in the 5^th edition represent 24 countries including India and present exciting art from several new regions such as Argentina, Bangladesh, Israel, Korea, Latvia, Turkey, Pakistan and Russia. The fair will feature leading Indian galleries from Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Kochi and Agra.

India Art Fair has played a key role in exposing galleries from across the country to a variety of individual and institutional buyers from across the country, and the globe. It has been visited by 260,000 people from over 60 cities over its four previous editions. This edition of the fair will take place in the heart of South Delhi, inside a custom-built tent spanning more than 20,000 sq. metres that is designed by the highly-regarded Indian space designer, Sumant Jayakrishnan.

For the 5^th edition, India Art Fair has brought YES Bank onboard as Presenting Partner. YES Bank's association with India Art Fair is part of the Bank's Retail and Wealth Management initiative. Other partners of India Art Fair include Absolut as Associate Partner, Christie’s as Auction House Partner, Le Meridien as Hospitality Partner, Panerai as Preview Partner, Conde Nast India (Vogue) as Supporting Partner and CNBC as Exclusive Broadcast Partner.

Through its Collateral Events programme, India Art Fair has encouraged a variety of cultural institutions, galleries, private art institutions, as well as international luxury brands present in India to hold events and exhibitions in Delhi, Mumbai and other Indian cities during the week of the fair, making this an ideal time to experience India’s vibrant cultural life. The fair’s VIP Programme includes several private events for special guests, who also receive exclusive access to the fair during daily business hours (from 11am to 2pm).

Over the years, India Art Fair’s Speakers’ Forum has been fuelled by the need to create and enhance the knowledge base surrounding art and its practices, with a particular focus on the dynamics of South Asian, and other emerging art scenes. Some of the best minds from diverse fields within visuals arts from art historians to curators, from artists to prominent individual and institutional collectors, are invited to speak on several engaging and paradigm defining topics. The speakers’ roster features a global mix of experts including: 

Adriano Pedrosa (Curator & Director, PIESP-Programa Independente da Escola São Paulo, Brazil), Chus Martinez (Chief Curator, El Museo del Barrio, New York City), Akiko Miki (Senior curator, Palais de Tokyo, Paris), Amin Jaffer (International Director of Asian Art, Christie's), Sandhini Poddar (Independent Curator and Art Historian, Mumbai, and Adjunct Curator, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York). Barbara London (Curator, Video & Performance Art, MoMA, New York), Liu Yingjiu (Deputy Director, Rockbund Art Museum, Shanghai), Dr. Boris Groys (Global Distinguished Professor of Russian and Slavic Studies, NYU and Senior Research Fellow, Karlsruhe University of Arts and Design, Germany), Hameed Haroon (CEO, Dawn media Group, Pakistan), Robert Storr (Dean, Yale School of Art), Jeebesh Bagchi (Member, RAQS Media Collective), Geeta Kapur (Critic and Curator), Tapati Guha-Thakurta (Director and Professor in History, Centre for Studies in Social Sciences, Kolkata). The Speakers Forum is open (free of charge) to the public, and is supported by AVID, the Geothe Institute and Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), and curated by Critical Collective.

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Neha Kirpal, Founding Director of India Art Fair says: “The focus of the art fair, given the present business environment particularly in the art sector, is on developing new audiences, and initiating new energy in the Indian art market. Whilst it gives those with limited knowledge about art an opportunity to see a diverse spectrum of art, for existing collectors, it offers a brand new line up of exciting works”.    

“We chose to partner with India Art Fair, as it is the perfect culmination of knowledge enhancement, cultural engagement, business transactions and international collaboration. It is outstanding, as an endeavor to foster creativity and promote art amongst growing interest groups here in India”, Rana Kapoor, Founder, Managing Director & CEO, YES BANK.
“Christie’s is delighted to support the India Art Fair in 2013 as we recognize its importance as a convening moment for all those who are passionate about the future of the Indian art market and are interested in India’s national artistic development”. Amin Jaffer, International Director Asian Art, Christie’s

Sophia Matveeva