DAG at India Art Fair

(life) There is much anticipation and excitement as the India Art Fair opens its doors for viewing today. With renown works, international exhibits and some of the masters theres a lot to look forward to. Ahead of the fair, life took the opportunity to speak with one of Indias leading galleries, DAG, about there exhibit at IAF.

DAG will feature an iconic series 'Masterpieces: 100 years of Indian Art at India Art Fair 2020,' showcasing carefully chosen Masters of modern Indian art. In conversation with Mr Ashish Anand, MD & CEO of DAG, we find out more details.

There is a wave of patriotism currently across the country; do you think this will find a reflection in contemporary art?

Anand: A variety of concerns and aspects, some subjective, others objective, impact the practice of different artists. Art and artists, as literature and litterateurs, are a product of their times, and have addressed socio-economic and social concerns. That said, I would hesitate to point to any pattern in artistic practice.

'Masterpieces: 100 years of Indian Art at India Art Fair 2020' why is it important to focus on the Masters?

Anand: A showcasing such as ours at India Art Fair 2020 provides a glimpse of the best Indian modern art has to offer - essentially, the masterpieces of the masters of Indian art.

Such a showcasing provides us with an heightened understanding of the quality and breadth of modern Indian art while also providing a historical and social narrative that essentially enriches our perspectives of ourselves and our histories.

DAG's offering is thoughtfully and carefully curated, and includes the finest collection of modern art ever seen in one space. Ranging from superlative instances of unknown artists' painting in the style described as Early Bengal to a stunning portrait of a jewelled dancer from the south, from the delicate wash style associated with the Bengal School (Kshitindranath Majumdar) to the pathbreaking Progressives (K K Ara, M F Husain, Krishen Khanna, S H Raza) and a phenomenal representation of the Madras Art Movement (K Sultan Ali). From the folk modernism of Jamini Roy to Madhvi Parekh, from the brilliant abstraction of J Swaminathan to that of Shanti Dave, DAG has chosen each work following diligent research for unusual and high-quality paintings and sculptures (Prabhakar Barwe and Mrinalini Mukherjee).

In terms of the business of art, how successful has the India Art Fair been in generating sales, international awareness and promoting Indian artists?

Anand: India Art Fair remains relevant and important for Indian art and artists. People from all over the world- a range of people, from connoisseurs and collectors to artists and art histor, to those beginning their journey of understanding and enjoying art-come to attend the fair, highlighting its importance in showcasing Indian art to large and diverse audiences.

DAG recently has a new address in the Capital, close on its heels was Kolkata; what else can we expect in the near future?

Anand: The trajectory of our growth has been two-fold, in that the growth of our commercial activity and gallery spaces will subsidise our growing museum projects, thus making us more an institution than merely a gallery. This trajectory will continue.

The opening of DAG at The Claridges, will soon be followed by our gallery in Chanakyapuri and the gallery and Experience Centre in Okhla (the latter will also be DAG's corporate office). This is our attempt to populate the narrative of Indian art to a much larger audience and this is the core aim of DAG.

Subsequent to the success of Drishyakala museum in Delhi and Ghare Baire in Kolkata, DAG is currently working with the ASI to relocate the Mumtaz Mahal and India War Memorial museums to a renovated barrack at the Red Fort. In this project, DAG will document, digitise, curate, install, and display the ASI collection. This is only one among the many exciting projects on the anvil.

For novices who don't know art, why should visit the India Art Fair?

Anand: To experience art; to be among people who are passionate about art; to understand the depth and breadth.

How many years in the making has this curation taken?

Anand: In a showcasing of this importance, I would venture to say that all artworks are important. How can one choose favourites from amongst iconic works of art-all of which together ably string this historical visual narrative. As I have mentioned earlier, the range exhibited is superlative as well as diverse.

The exhibit will be on view from January 30 to February 02, 2020 and will feature works of the following artists: .

K. H. Ara (1913-85)

Prabhakar Barwe (1936-95)

Bikash Bhattacharjee (1940-2006)

Avinash Chandra (1931-91)

Shanti Dave (b. 1931)

M. V. Dhurandhar (1867-1944)

M. F. Husain (1913-2011)

Krishen Khanna (b. 1925)

Kshithindranath Majumdar (1891-1975)

Hemen Mazumdar (1894-1948)

Meera Mukherjee (1923-98)

Mrinalini Mukherjee (1949-2015)

Madhvi Parekh (b. 1942)

B. Brabha (1933-2001)

Sohan Qadri (1932-2011)

S. H. Raza (1922-2010)

Jamini Roy (1887-1978)

G. R. Santosh (1929-97)

Paritosh Sen (1918-2008)

J. Swaminathan (1928-2009)

Raja Ravi Varma (1848-1906)

( With inputs from IANS )