India Art Fair 2016: Your guide from ground zero to make the most of it in five hours!

End of January each year is time for Delhi’s date with all things artistic. This is when the much anticipated India Art Fair kicks off in the city.

Even though the number of galleries have been trimmed to 70 (as opposed to over 80 last year), IAF 2016 is bigger, better and has many firsts to its credits.

Now a must-do event on everyone’s cultural calendar, the fair promises to engage and enthrall visitors with its renewed focus on promoting emerging artists from South Asia, imaginatively curated galleries with 18 new exhibitors, interactive forums, collaborative projects with artists, discussions, film and talks, along with some equally creative and quirky kiosks for food and drinks to keep your stomach happy even as you go about soaking your senses at South Asia’s leading art gig.

But with limited number of hours and so much to see, it could get a little intimidating when you walk into the fifth most attended art mart of the world.

Fret not! Here is your guide from the ground to absorb, if not all, but some of the best works on display in five hours, stoppage time for food and drinks included.

Read on:

Savour South Asian Art: As part of its endeavour to revise its mission and improve its programming to make it more relevant and reflective of South Asia’s dynamic art scene, IAF has launched a new initiative ‘Platform’ focussed on regional art spaces and collectives.

Do not miss the galleries of Nepal Art Council (Nepal) Booth B14, Blueprint 12 (New Delhi) B13, Theertha Artists Collective (Sri Lanka) B12, Taseer Art Gallery (Pakistan) B11 and Swaraj Art Archive (Noida) A9.

The works of 7 artists on display at the Nepal Art Council are distinctive and highly political in nature rooted as they are in Nepal’s immediate context, engaging at the same time with the larger problems of South Asia and the world.

Do DAG Modern: DAG (formerly Delhi Art Gallery) has a long standing association with IAF.

They have an entire exhibition area in booth H1 to themselves right opposite the main exhibition hall.

They are showcasing nearly 100 artworks titled ‘The Masterpieces of Indian Modern Art’. Immerse yourself in the exquisite set of ‘Kalighat Pats’ that are on display here along with engrossing works of Krishen Khanna, British Artists in India, Jamini Roy, Tyeb Mehta among others.

Among its new initiatives to make art more inclusive and accessible, DAG Modern has launched ‘Abhas: Tactile Experience’ allowing both the sighted and visually impaired to experience art in an alternative manner.

At the G1 booth, DAG Modern unveils, for the first time, works by masters Raja Ravi Varma and Amrita Sher-Gil.

The entire booth is dedicated to Indian Modern Art wherein you can experience the rich, vibrant collection of the gallery spread over ten sections (portraiture, nude, mythology, narrative etc.) that provide a good overview of the oeuvre of the modern Indian artists and the varied range of themes they chose to depict in their works.

Realistic and psychological portraitures of artists like Cecil Burns, Nikhil Biswas, Anjolie Ela Menon and Rabindranath Tagore; Nudes by Sher-Gil, Souza, Sunil Das, Ravi Mondal; Storytelling through visuals by Manjit Bawa, Biren De, Asit Kumar Haldar, Vivan Sundaram among others are a must-see here.

See Limited Edition Serigraphs: Looking for reasonably priced options for art with a wish to hang Husain, Raza or Jogen Chowdhury at home? Your search would end at Booth E2, at Archer Art Gallery – a 30 year old gallery from Ahmedabad that has one of the largest studios for serigraphs in the country.

Its owners – the very affable and learned Anil Relia and his son Manan Relia would be too happy to show you around.

“This year we are showcasing all limited edition serigraphs of M F Husain, S H Raza, Jogen Chowdhury. Each artist himself has worked on these serigraphs in our studios, selected the subject and colours. Each individual print is signed by the artist, verified with our hologram and we also issue certificate.

Husain sahib told me once – print is for more people with more taste than money since there is only one original piece which would be out of reach of many,” explained Anil Relia.

“Veteran artist Haku Shah from Ahmedabad, known for his works on Gandhi has worked with us on a series of serigraphs. All these works are on khadi paper specially made in the Gandhi Ashram. We also support and encourage new artists and a lot of them consign with us as well,” added Manan Relia who is now looking after his father’s labour of love for the past five years.

Their rates are competitive with prices of works of new and upcoming artists starting from Rs 30,000. Individual buyers and corporate houses, thus, could strike a good deal with them. Also, check out the works of upcoming artists Jyoti Bhatt and Nabibakhsh Mansoori from Gujarat who have done some experimental work in their studios.

Check out a newbie: The Osborne Studio Gallery makes its debut at IAF this year, exhibiting works of only one artist, Lincoln Seligman at booth F1.

His series of paintings called ‘Turbans’ are inspired (no prizes for guessing) from India. His palette for this series is refined yet colourful lending a dreamlike charisma to his work, which though not abstract, yet, is very open to interpretation. You can also check out his other works for which the artist has found inspiration in Sri Lanka and Vietnam.

Find Fantasy: At Gallerie Ganesha (E3), you get a chance to admire the works of artists like Badri Narayan, Satish Gujral, Avijit Dutta, Jayasri Burman, Paresh Maity and explore their fantastical impressions of the world reflected in their art.

Shobha Bhatia, the director of the gallery loves the buzz and vibe of IAF and is well informed about what she has on display and why. “Our theme is little quirky, and all about fantasy this time. The art fair is all about good energy. You are seen and you also see. You are exposed to a wider audience on this platform and they also get a chance to see you,” said Bhatia when asked about her experience of IAF over the years.

The gallery has unified and displayed works of various artists under the concept called ‘Implausible Reality’ – centred on the idea that an artist’s heightened power of imagination and observation can help bridge the gap between fantasy and reality.

Art on Automobile: IAF presenting partner, BMW’s Art Car area promises to be a visual feast if you happen to like art with a twist. As part of their ‘rolling sculptures’ initiative, on display is automobile major’s tenth car – the BMW730i Art Car designed by Spanish artist César Manrique in 1990. This is a separate enclosure next to DAG Modern H1 area and should also be on your must-see list at the fair.

Pop Art and more: Get your dose of pop art at the REDSEA Gallery, Singapore (B19) through Syaiful Rachman’s paintings that explore popular culture through faces of prominent personalities and celebrities. On closer look, you would notice that these portraits are made up of thousands of miniscule figures of people. He has done Narendra Modi, Shah Rukh Khan too but the ones that particularly stand out are Jim Morrison and Salvador Dali.

Moving around, you can also take a look at some art projects like Wim Delvoye’s laser cut steel installation ‘intricate chapel’ at P9. Head to Pichvai – Tradition & Beyond (F4) to marvel at some lovely Pichvai artworks. Portrait photography aficionados should make time for Tasveer (C7) that has some magnificent black & white photographs of erstwhile princesses.

Other Attractions

It is all about time management so check out the schedule beforehand on IAF website for the ‘Spotlight’ series and ‘Speaker’s Forum’ if you would like to attend presentations, talks and discussions.

The Film Programme is your deal if you wish to watch some noteworthy films and videos on art from Asia and beyond.

Going solo? Register for a curated walk at the venue that is organised thrice a day at 2.30, 4.30 and 6.30 PM by Artsome to take you around the fair in a guided manner. You may just end up meeting some like-minded people and exchange a few notes.

Rest, Drink & Dine

There are many options and if you eat out often you would be familiar with most of the names. However, try out the Jugmug Thela for their eclectic range of tea, coffee and snacks. If you are looking for drinking and snacking on something different, the CAARA Cafe is where you should be. I enjoyed their delicious Duck Confit Tagliatelle (duck pasta) with red wine for dinner. Their signature cocktails are a good bet too and sandwiches, salads looked fresh.

Considering the price of the ticket (Rs 499 for one) and the fact that only a chosen few are allowed during the VIP and Business Hours, you are probably going to make one visit at best during the time the fair is open for public. Extract the most out of it while you are there!