The wait is almost over. The 2019 edition of the India Art Fair is all set to bring together 75 exhibitors from 24 Indian and international cities. Here are some of the galleries and exhibitors to look out for at the NSIC Grounds from January 31 to February 3:
Reviving Karigari
The inspiration behind tapestry always begins from a deep personal connect to the theme. The narrative for every tapestry not only draws upon the unique aesthetic culture and design forms of traditional Indian art, but also recreates the art of visual story-telling. Designed and conceptualised by Sneha Seth, Art Alive Gallery presents ‘Expressions in Silk’, resurrecting Indian heritage in both theme and craftsmanship. A large-sized tapestry tends to need a minimum of two to four artisans (karigars) depending on intricacy of the design and the embroidery techniques used. The karigars hail from West Bengal, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Nepal. This unique heritage was passed down from generation to generation and most have learnt their craft in childhood. The works will be on display at Booth No E-10.
India debut
Coming to India for the first time, photographer Thomas Ruff, is internationally renowned for his pioneering contributions to contemporary photography. Over the course of his career, Ruff has tested the myriad possibilities of his medium — capturing astronomical textures through NASA’s satellite cameras, experimenting with photo-manipulation, creating large scale, highly detailed portraits, and more recently, working to uncover the life history of camera through archival colonial photographs. From analogue and digital exposures taken by the artist alongside computer generated imagery, photographs from scientific archives to pictures culled and manipulated from newspapers, magazines and Internet, he employs a vast range of techniques. His works will be represented by David Zwirner Gallery at the fair.
Etching nostalgia
In a scenario where objects lose their relevance and become relics very quickly, artist Ravikumar Kashi explores the role of objects, the kind of meaning they bring to our lives and examine how they shape our desire and destiny. In his series of works titled White residue, he deals with the objects’ life cycle. From old aluminum tea kettle to the small handheld net contraption to catch fish, he etches them out on paper pulp. In this series of white-on-white relief drawings, he brings to the fore objects from our past. By giving a place to these objects in his works, he tries to save them and memorialises them. His work will be presented by Gallery Sumukha at Booth No F05.
Time travel
Artist Anindita Bhattacharya’s paintings take the viewers through thousands of years of art history across various cultures and traditions. The narratives are expressed in multiple layers in her paintings, allowing her to juxtapose various experiences from different time frames. Creating patterns and ornamentation remain an integral part of her work, serving to camouflage her images. Though they appear to create harmony, on a closer glance one might observe that they are layered and infused with an imagery of subtle violence and chaos. Her solo show, exhibiting Indian miniatures, patterns and ornamentation with a contemporary twist, is on display at the Threshold Art Gallery and it also a part of the India Art Fair.
