Reports

by Franck Barthelemy

This year the summit is going to be huge. Every time I talk about it to friends and colleagues in India and abroad, I feel a lot of excitement. When I talk about it to participating galleries, I feel a lot of energy. Some are coming to test the waters. Some have already come and have become pillars of the summit. All are coming with expectations. More than thirty galleries from abroad are making the trip to India. This is a huge number. They are coming from neighbouring countries, from Europe, Australia or Japan. Delhi inevitably will buzz from every corner. The city galleries and art institutions are hosting tons of events to welcome the art community. Besides the fair, there will be talks and screenings, brunches, dinners and parties. Artists will meet collectors and professionals while journalists will track the scoops and try to spot the unexposed master works in India.

I met one of the international participants, Peter Femfert, from Die Galerie (Frankfurt, Germany) for whom it is the first time in India. Peter believes that the West is on the way down and the East is moving up fast. Over the last 30 years, he has noticed a main change in the customer's attitude. This explains their willing to discover the art scene through the collectors and artists. They don't approach the galleries any more. It's perhaps now for the galleries to approach them. So here he comes to India, with works to make an offer to the Indian market. His offer is simple proven figurative art. Peter does not believe in the 'marketers'.He believes in artists who have proven their art. He will come to India with works of Andre Masson, Max Ernst, Picasso, Dali, Miro and Chagall. Peter has already started thinking about numerous projects he would like to conduct in India in cooperation with art institutions or on his own.

I am convinced Peter and his likes will find a very good response in India. A lot of Indian art collectors are showing interest on Western artists. Their tastes are becoming more global in the sense that they would also like to add up artists from the other part of the world to their list of Indian artists'. In order to enrich their collection. They are looking at developing the consistency of their collections. And sometimes they are looking at managing the value of their collections. I believe a diverse collection with a clear red thread is always more interesting to build and to keep alive. It might be time to have a Anish Kapoor in your garden and a Chagall in your drawing room, budget permitted.

 1] Image courtesy : Die Gallerie