India Art Fair returns to physical format for 2022 edition

New Delhi, March 27 (IANS) India Art Fair has announced the full list of participating galleries and programme highlights for its forthcoming 13th edition.

Scheduled to be held from April 28 to May 1 at NSIC Grounds in the national capital in partnership with BMW India, the fair will present 77 exhibitors across 17 cities, including an unprecedented 14 non-profit foundations and institutions.

Through an open call led in collaboration with The Gujral Foundation and Artdemic, Anshuka Mahapatra has been selected to design the tent facade of the 2022 fair.

Helmed by Jaya Asokan for the first time since her appointment in April 2021, the fair spotlights the next generation of artists alongside modern masters through initiatives, including auditorium talks, performances, film screenings, outdoor art projects, artist-led workshops and an online symposium in the run-up to the fair.

Continuing the fair's enduring relationship with the region's pioneering institutions, the forthcoming edition will see participation from Kochi Biennale Foundation, Chennai Photo Biennale and Serendipity Arts Foundation, among others.

Extending its role beyond that of an annual event, India Art Fair is expanding its digital presence through website editorial and films, a range of online talks, workshops and exhibition walkthroughs as well as the IAF Parallel programme, including events and exhibitions of Indian and South Asian art, taking place in cities across India and the world.

Some important contemporary art galleries presenting established names and promising young talent that will be included are Vadehra Art Gallery, Nature Morte, Gallery Espace, Blueprint12 (all New Delhi), Experimenter, Emami Art and Akar Prakar (all Kolkata), Tarq, Tao Art Gallery, Jhaveri Contemporary, Chatterjee & Lal (all Mumbai), Gallery Veda, Art Houz, Apparao Galleries (all Chennai) and GALLERYSKE (Bengaluru/New Delhi).

Presentations by legacy galleries -- Dhoomimal Art Gallery, DAG (both New Delhi) and Archer Art Gallery (Ahmedabad) will give prominence to modernists who have been instrumental in shaping Indian art history.

The fair will also see four international galleries return: Aicon Art (New York, USA), Aicon Contemporary (New York, USA), Grosvenor Gallery (London, UK) and Galeria Karla Osorio (Sao Paulo, Brazil).

Highlighting the growing Indian art scene, seven Indian galleries will debut at the 2022 fair: APRE Art House (Mumbai), Art Incept (Gurugram/New Delhi), Gallery Art Exposure (Kolkata), Modern Art Gallery (New Delhi), Ojas Art (New Delhi), Terrain.art (New Delhi) and Vida Heydari Contemporary (Pune).

Jaya Asokan, Fair Director of India Art Fair, said, "The team and I are thrilled for India Art Fair to return in its physical format, and to celebrate with the artists, galleries and partners who have taken the region's art scene from strength to strength. With an unwavering commitment to its home base, the 2022 fair will welcome participants and collectors that extend beyond the traditional art hubs of New Delhi and Mumbai such as Kolkata, Pune, Bengaluru, Chennai and Hyderabad."

"The past year has presented immense opportunities for learning and experimentation prompting discussions on the future development of South Asian art. Along with a fast-growing digital presence and year-round programming, the return to a physical fair will be a show of our determination and a reminder that India Art Fair is the first place to see and discover artists from the region."