Indian art galleries get a global palette

In an art gallery in Berlin Ashwin Thadani stands mesmerised as he gazes at artist Anslem Reylersquos abstract contemporary paintings Then he has his Eureka moment why not exhibit Reylersquos works in Mumbai at Galerie Isa which he owns Reyle jumps at the opportunity and becomes the first international artist to exhibit his works at the Mumbaibased gallery That was 2011 Maybe it opened the floodgates Word spread Today 18 months down the line there is a clear trend emerging of art galleries catering almost exclusively to international artists Gallery owners in the city in fact are confident that in the next five years the city could well see a global art explosion As of now though some galleries find the procedure to bring down an artist and his works too tedious an effort while others believe this is just the beginning The works below of NewYorkbased artist Louise Despont are on display at Galerie Isa till May 28 Thadani calls it a backbreaking experience but one that leaves him satisfied ldquoYes it involves a fair share of work but the response has been very good The market is not big but this investment has a long gestation periodrdquo says Thadani who has around five to 10 serious collectors of international art ldquoI took a chance and started Galerie Isa as a venue which would exhibit works of only international artistsrdquo says Thadani who hosts three solo and one group exhibition every year An art collector himself Thadani took to collecting contemporary artworks five years ago ldquoI would plan my trips around international exhibitions and art fairs in Switzerland London and Berlin Thatrsquos when I realised that it would be great if the artists were given a platform in Indiardquo he explains admitting it is a huge responsibility which involves research studying artist biographies and following their careers closely ldquoBefore zeroing in on an artist I want to invite I understand the work of the artist over a personal meeting at the gallery that represents himher or by walking into their studios I find out which galleries and museums they have exhibited in I also look out for upcoming and promising artistsrdquo says Thadani William Kentridge exhibited his works titled Poems I Used To Know at Volteu00a0gallery in February this yearu00a0 Once the selection is done the gallery procures a visa for the artist and follows the stipulated procedure of shipping the works ldquoWe host a formal opening where the artist gets to interact with collectors and viewersrdquo says Thadani While galleries such as Gallery 7 started hosting international artists even way back in the rsquo90s foreign artists are now viewing India as an active art space to showcase their works Artist Michael Kunze exhibited his works titled Studies on the Formation of Impatience in February this yearu00a0 Chandra Sachdev partner at Gallery 7 in Kala Ghoda which has hosted artists such as Canadian Jerzy Kolaxz and Frenchwoman Anna Stein says ldquoThe market is not wide but this investment has a long gestation periodrdquo Global audience German contemporary artist Michael Kunze who exhibited his works at Gallerie Isa between December 2012 and February this year was overwhelmed by the response ldquoIt was my first time in India and it was a completely different atmosphere here than anywhere in Europe Artist Anselm Reyle exhibited his works titled Indian Mylar Vision Galerie Isa in March 2012 It is crucial for an artist to reach out to more people and that can happen only when they are exhibited on a global platformrdquo says Kunze who was thrilled to meet the collectors Meanwhile New Yorkbased artist Mindy Shaparo who is part of a group show in July at Gallerie Isa chose to exhibit her works in Mumbai a city she has never visited but was always fascinated by the Indian culture ldquoI want to see how my work is viewed here I want to be part of a broader dialogue and that includes places beyond the Western Hemisphere Reaching out to a wider audience will help me understand myself better as an artistrdquo she adds The artists or the galleries that represent them stipulate the price While Reylersquos works were priced between 40000 to 80000 Euros New Yorkbased Louis Despontrsquos works ranged between USD 4000 and 25000 There are other galleries too which are now promoting international artists For instance Volte a twoyearold gallery primarily represents international artists ldquoOur first show was of South African multimedia artist William Kentridgerdquo says owner Tushar Jiwarajka According to him earlier foreign artists did not find a market here and galleries werenrsquot encouraging enough ldquoBut that is changing nowrdquo he adds Interestingly the eight multichannel works by Kentridge were based on socialism communism and bureaucracy ldquoIt is obvious that the exhibition found a greater resonance here than most West European nations which may not have faced some of the issues highlighted in their daily livesrdquo concludes Jiwarajka Art knows no boundaries Multimedia artist Jitish Kallat who exhibits his works internationally welcomes this exchange ldquoIn India we have an active art community Art is a conversation and artists want to extend it globally to gain greater exposurerdquo says Kallat Even if the countryrsquos art scenario is not brimming with art collectors who want to invest in international works India is a big stage he adds ldquoIt is important to be able to share and show your work to a varied audience The shape of onersquos work shifts as it travels borders My work receives a different dimension and meaning when I exhibit my works in three diverse countries It is received differently by every audience and that deepens the artworkrdquo says Kallat Artist Sudarshan Shetty who also exhibits his works abroad agrees with Kallat He adds that there is a need for viewership ldquoWhen you exhibit abroad it opens your work to a different perspective mdash something you wonrsquot grasp by showing it to your friends and peers An artist must step out of hisher locality and show the work in another culture The question is how does the new audience perceive it what does your work bring to them Sometimes even the physical space of the exhibition dictates the workrdquo says Shetty who believes that the same piece of art takes a different form in every other space ldquoThe preempting of the space and an audience becomes a part of my work Very often the first question I ask before working on a project that will be displayed in an international space is the size of the doorrdquo he says in a serious voice ldquoMy work has to pass through it rightrdquo he says breaking into a jolly laugh Not so easy However many galleries are wary of bringing international artists over because of the complicated procedures of import duty and customs However a gallery owner says on condition of anonymity ldquoWhile a collector will pay a 125 per cent of VAT he will shell out 17 per cent import duty That is the only differencerdquo According to Vikram Sethi chairman of Institute of Contemporary Indian Art ICIA ldquoIt is not easy for an artist to bring his or her works to India There are a lot of nitty gritties to be sorted out such as custom duty on the sale of the piece Of course when consulates host artists the process is relatively smooth as they take care of the entire procedure There have been instances when artists from Pakistan Bangladesh and Sri Lanka have wanted to come to India which is a bigger market but they donrsquot always find buyers which keeps them away Also we do not have a gallery to gallery exchange of artists which would help in increasing the momentum In spite of this we cannot deny that there is a wide audience for international artists hererdquo says Sethi u00a0