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ART news & views

Prelude
Volume: 3 Issue No: 12 Month: 1 Year: 2011



The current issue of ART news & views marks the first of the three successive issue on the three decades of Indian Art. Between January and March 2011, the readers will be re-looking at what is otherwise known as Indian art to the rest of the world. The January issue will focus on revisiting significant exhibitions and the shaping of contemporary Indian art in the last two decades; the February issue will take a close look at the modern masters who have already carved a niche in the world market and also at those who are waiting in the wings and can spring forth a surprise at any moment now, while the March issue will focus on the young masters representing Indian art.

Although the potential of the Indian art market had strengthened in the world market within these five years, such a trough has not been easy in coming. The changes and movement of price, (discussed in the latter part of the magazine) signifies that it has taken years for the first Indian artist to cross the 1 million $ mark. The top price achieved by Husain in a 1993 auction was merely $2,893, while in 2003 rose to $107,550 and yet again $2.2 million in 2008.What is good is that since then the market has grown more or less steadily every year and in 2008 alone three artists touched nearly 2 million dollars. The three issues will emphasize on the development of contemporary Indian art, the shifts in the medium and ideologies in the contemporary practices and the reception of Indian art in the West. The issues will also explore the underlying causes sociological and global forces that shaped the art of the sub-continent. The current issue features revisiting some of the significant shows that took place in the last two decades, either of Indian artists showcased abroad or the West represented in India to observe their impacts in India and abroad.

We have been expecting to create the magazine into a discursive space. Your valued comments are most welcome, thus.

Wish you a happy new year.
 



Vikram Bachhawat