Lounge
What to expect at the 16th edition of the India Art Fair
Summary
India Art Fair director Jaya Asokan lists the highlights of the 16th edition, ranging from an expanded exhibitor base and new outdoor projects to focus on design and a strong performing arts programme
At the NSIC Grounds, Okhla, you can see a collection of LED lights suspended from the ceiling. The flexible panel tickers present a continuous stream of words gleaned from Dr B.R. Ambedkar’s writings. Through this installation, artist Yogesh Barve highlights the ensuing significance of these words—that these are not something from the past but are ideas that are pulsating with life and relevance. The title of the outdoor project, ‘I am Not Your Dalit’, might have been inspired by James Baldwin’s ‘I am Not Your Negro’, but Barve places his work in context of the specificities of caste oppression in India. This large-scale work is part of the outdoor projects programme at the ongoing India Art Fair, which also includes a site-specific installation by Claire Fontaine, inspired by the series,Foreigners Everywhere,an interactive piece by Asim Waqif, andDar Badar 2.0by Mohd Intiyaz rooted in his childhood experiences.
The outdoor projects are accompanied by a pertinent performance art programme, featuring artists like Umesh S, who looks at the agrarian crisis, and Priyakshi Agarwal, who delves into the intersections of textiles, women’s bodies, and feminist histories of resistance. There is also a ‘performative picnic’ hosted by Ayesha Singh and Jyothis Das K.V., in which they ask the audience to engage with the IAF facade and respond with questions.
The 16th edition of the IAF is all about interdisciplinarity. So, with an expanded exhibitor base of 120— 26 exhibitors are making their debut including seven new design studios—,the fair is looking at creating a dialogue between heritage, design, video, textile and film. This becomes apparent in the Focus section, dedicated to emerging talent from South Asia, in which artists such as Viraj Khanna present embroidery and painting-based works, and Anindita Bhattacharya focuses on contemporary miniatures. As the IAF looks at hosting its largest edition yet, fair director Jaya Asokan reflects on what this means for the South Asian art ecosystem. Edited excerpts:
IAF has, in recent years, extended its programming beyond the fair through outreach programmes. How have the learnings from these events impacted the programming at the fair?
While the fair itself spans just four days, our work is a year-round endeavour. We operate 365 days to bring the arts closer to people and to foster a deeper engagement with culture. A key initiative that we are especially proud of is our ‘Artist-in-Residence programme’, through which we work with a cohort of young artists on digital features and ambitious new works for the fair.
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We have also organised collectors’ weekends and programmes in cities such as Chennai and Kolkata, with exhibition walkthroughs and special events to nurture new collectors bases in the country. Additionally, we partner with art events across India such as the Mumbai Gallery Weekend and the Chennai Photo Biennale, ensuring that the spirit of the art ecosystem resonates far beyond the tents of the fair. Through these initiatives, we are constantly expanding our footprint and working toward a sustained, inclusive and dynamic art environment. The four days of the fair are simply the culmination of these efforts.
This year, the fair has expanded its exhibitor base to 120, with 26 new exhibitors, including design studios. How are the various participants bringing out a certain intersectionality at IAF?
This year marks the IAF’s largest edition yet. I am particularly inspired by the quality and ambition evident in this year’s gallery presentations, which reflect the evolving maturity of the Indian art market. International powerhouses such as David Zwirner and Lisson Gallery are returning after years, offering exceptional presentations by globally renowned artists including Huma Bhabha and Oscar Murillo. Indian galleries are equally ambitious, with Experimenter, Nature Morte, Chemould Prescott Road and Vadehra Art Gallery showcasing internationally acclaimed artists such as Ayesha Sultana, Bharti Kher, Jitish Kallat and Shilpa Gupta.
Additionally, the expanded design section, with 11 design studios and one curated showcase of emerging Indian designers, shines a spotlight on craft-led and limited-edition design objects. These elements ensure the fair remains dynamic, relevant, and firmly positioned as a forward-looking platform that champions diverse creative voices, bridges gaps, and builds discourse.
The addition of new exhibitors signals the growing influence of the fair, as well as the increasing interest in the region as a whole. Notable debuts include kó (Lagos) and Unit 7./ Prahlad Bubbar (London), and galleries from tier-2 and tier-3 cities, which highlight India’s decentralised art market growth.
In the institutions section, are you seeing participation from some museums for the first time or newer formats of museums?
This year, we have 18 exhibitors in the institutions section. The Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II Museum (MSMSII) is participating for the first time, showing photographic work on wet collodion glass plates by Maharaja Sawai Ram Singh II. We also have Karishma Swali and Chanakya School of Craft, and the Asian Art Museum, which is supporting artist Ashwini Bhat’s performance. Chennai Photo Biennale is also coming to the fair this year with a presentation of Sunil Gupta’s work. Prameya Art Foundation will be showing the work by artist Devadeep Gupta, titled ‘We must therefore turn our attention skywards’, which uses photography, film and found objects to explore local ecological problems, urban planning and municipal oversight.
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Within the ‘Focus’ and performance art sections, what is the new kind of visual vocabulary and materiality that you are seeing among emerging artists?
The Focus section spotlights artists such as Trupti Patel (Project 88), Anindita Bhattacharya (Threshold Art Gallery), Viraj Khanna (Kalakriti Art Gallery) and Arjun Das (Dhi Contemporary). Performances at the fair include one by transdisciplinary artist Ashwini Bhat, calledEarth Under Our Feet,which draws inspiration from spirals and mandalas, and the concept of impermanence and the transitory nature of our lives. The artist will create an ephemeral installation using unfired clay, shaped through audience participation to reflect on our interconnectedness.
Umesh S. one of our artists-in-residence, is also a part of the performances at the fair. We have come to understand the nuances of his practice through months of being in conversation. His work seeks to examine the simultaneous erasure of indigenous communities and their knowledge systems, while unpacking the fragility of our ecological realities. His work is rooted in traditional agricultural methods and is deeply curious about the ways urbanisation reshapes rural life.
Does the fair offer a safe space for complex conversations on inclusivity, differing socio political ideologies and climate crisis?
Our talks series offers an opportunity of convergence and collective thinking. Growing Focus, our talks series this year, curated by independent curator and researcher Shaleen Wadhwana, celebrates the efforts of the ‘People of the Global Majority’ and their impact in decentering dominant narratives, while offering insights into South Asia’s rising prominence in contemporary art and culture.
Similarly, inclusivity has been a primary focus from day one. However, I must say that with time, we have understood the needs of our audiences better with the help of our friends at Access for All and Learning Through Arts, Narrative and Discourse (LAND)—a pedagogical research lab. We have been able to design engagements, workshops and experiences that are tactile, personal, age-specific, focused on building community for persons with disabilities, and those that just need a different kind of learning. Our talk programmes are offered in 3 languages, including English, Hindi and Indian Sign Language, and our art tours this year are being offered on request in six languages, including Spanish, Gujarati, Marathi, Odia, German and French.
Also read: How contemporary Indian artists are creating stunning works using textiles
How is sustainability being built into the fair itself?
Sustainability has always been a priority and we are committed to sharing art with the world in the most ecological way possible. There are several ways in which we are working towards this commitment, such asreusing exhibition tents, floors and walls.The foundation and base structure of the exhibition tents are reused by events taking place before and after the fair. Similarly, the wooden platforms and booth walls are also used year on year. Fun fact: some have been in use for as long as 8-10 years! We are using biodegradable material for food service, printing eco-friendly signage, using recycled paper for fair guides, badges and other material, and sending the facade to a not-for-profit organisation after the fair to be repurposed into roofs for urban shelters and upcycled products.
The fair was to introduce a new chapter in Mumbai this year. Could you talk about these new developments
IAF’s mission remains to prioritise the needs of galleries and artists from the region to ensure we continue leading the way in supporting the growth of the South Asian arts ecosystem. We believe the best way to do this is to work on developing meaningful initiatives in collaboration with local cultural institutions to complement existing programming and strengthen the market in Delhi, Mumbai and the diverse span of art hubs across India, including Hyderabad.
The 16th edition of the India Art Fair is being held at the NSIC Grounds, New Delhi, till 9 February.
