Disagreements, contemplation, uncertainties: discourses build the sinews of change, facilitating its subsequent translation into the tangible. It hence becomes fundamental, in any space, for stimulating conversations—even to an extent of discomfort—to constitute the very foundation of processes and methodology. The intricate web of thoughts and imagination is a fertile bed where new realities sprout and flourish—discourses are the seeds. The comprehensive Talks Programme at the latest edition of India Art Fair, titled Art Across——, testified to this power of critical dialogue and its impact when provided with the right stage.

From February 1 to 4, 2024, the city of New Delhi in India was submerged in waves of creativity, courtesy of the 15th edition of India Art Fair. The sweeping venue–the NSIC Exhibition Grounds–became home to the art fair’s biggest edition yet, adorned with captivating installations and masterpieces by artists, designers and contemporary galleries. Amidst the desultory footsteps and an enveloping air of excitement, the rather silent-looking auditorium harboured a whirlwind of creative perspectives and visions: Art Across——, supported by JSW and led by researcher and arts manager Priya Chauhan. In tandem with the four artful days, a series of dialogues unfolded on stage, spanning art, design and architecture through diverse lenses. STIR retraces the impressive lineup, enlisting the talks that questioned, defied and reimagined the creative landscape.

Spotlight on Hampi: Envisioning New futures of art, culture and heritage

In the first talk of the programme, the cultural significance of artists’ residencies was in the spotlight at the art exhibition. The significance of nurturing spaces for creatives was discussed against the historically rich backdrop of Hampi in Spotlight on Hampi: Envisioning New futures of art, culture and heritage. A celebration of the anticipated opening of Hampi Arts Lab, a pioneering space for creativity and heritage, buttressed the larger narrative. The panel included the chairperson of the JSW Foundation and Co-Founder of the Hampi Art Labs, Sangita Jindal, Director of Delfina Foundation, Aaron Cezar, Founder and Director of What About Art, Eve Lemesle, contemporary artist Madhvi Subrahmanian and Principal Architect at sP+a, Sameep Padora. In a conversation with STIR, Cezar speaks about the evolving art market, “One of the positive things about the art market is that it places some sense of value on art that the public can understand. This is also a problem because sometimes, the idea of the financial value, the speculation that happens around the art objects can reduce art to a mere commodity, and it is much more than that.”

Tracing the silk road through the lens of craft and design

Visionary Indian designer Vikram Goyal alongside Yannick Lintz, President of the Guimet Museum and Asian and Islamic Art expert, dive into the Silk Road’s artistic heritage and a legacy of rich craft. The talk, both retrospective and forward-looking, was moderated by Pramod Kumar KG, Co-Founder of Eka Archiving. As Goyal guided the audience through his practice that embraces cultural elements, Lintz highlighted how the Silk Road’s multicultural facets find relevance in the contemporary age. Goyal told STIR, “Because there is such an abundance of craft in India, there is a lot to play with in terms of design. What we see now is all of this creativity in design blurring the boundaries with art”.

BMW Art Talk: Through the looking glass

In a conversation that exuded passion, vigour and care, three seminal contemporary artists Anita Dube, Barthélémy Toguo and Jitish Kallat ushered the audience through glimpses of their creative journeys. The candid exchange with Prof. Dr. Thomas Girst, Global Head of Group Cultural Engagement at BMW, encompassed a trail of visuals of the artists’ work and their insightful narrations associated with each. The viewers encountered the transformative power of creativity—its capacity to change and inspire a brighter collective future. On being asked what the role of artists in the current global landscape is, Dube shares, “The only responsibility of an artist, also for myself, is to address the time you are living in—the moment in history.”

Artful Transaction: Insights into the market

Every market, including the one for art, is shaped by the trends. The forces of dernier cri at play in contemporary art, specifically South Asian art were elucidated in the panel titled Artful Transaction: Insights into the market. The speakers included Executive Director of Nature Morte, Aparajita Jain, President of Reliance Brands Ltd., Darshan Mehta, leading art market journalist, Melanie Gerlis, CEO of Angus Montgomery Arts, Scott Gray and Managing Director of Christie’s India, Sonal Singh, and the conversation was moderated by Amit Gupta, Founder and Editor-in-chief of STIR. Set in motion by a keynote by Fair Director Jaya Asokan, the talk traced the current trends in art and the growing prominence of South Asian art in the world. “Art fairs are an amazing moment in time because they focus everyone’s energy on art; even if it is for one week in a year, it sets the mood for the rest of the year,” says Gerlis.

Curators’ Roundtable: Criticality in the contemporary

How is the sphere of curation and criticism in arts transforming today? This question drove the Curators’ Roundtable: Criticality in the contemporary. Leading curators Anushka Rajendran, curator of Prameya Art Foundation, Neeraja Poddar, The Ira Brind and Stacey Spector Associate Curator of South Asian Art at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Rattanamol Singh Johal, Assistant Director, International Program at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), Sabih Ahmed, Associate Director and Curator of Ishara Art Foundation and Vidya Shivadas, Director of the Foundation for Indian Contemporary Art (FICA) came together in the talk moderated by Arnika Ahldag, Head of Exhibitions at MAP Bengaluru. As observations were shared, the crucial role of a curator as a catalyser of art in society was spotlighted.

“The role that organisations such as Ishaara as well as a lot of museums and organisations present here that are non-profit, is to participate in one element of the arts ecosystem which is the art market; that is finally what the art fair brings together,” Ahmed notes. Expanding on his impression of the fair, Johal shares, “I have always found that the fair has been a place where people come to look at art and also engage with them. Being here is about engaging with an entire scene and with how that scene is reaching out to other scenes—both around the country and internationally.”

Design as catalyst for India’s Growth: Innovation and Identity

As India’s creative pockets—art, heritage, film and design—burgeon ahead, how will the country’s creative canvas evolve vis a vis the rest of the world? Artistic Director of Chanakya International and Chanakya School of Craft, Karishma Swali, Co-founder and Creative Director of Motherland magazine, V Sunil, Principal and Founder Diana Kellogg Architects, Diana Kellogg and conservation architect and India CEO for the Aga Khan Trust for Culture, Ratish Nanda, dissected the theme in a conversation moderated by Dr Cleo Roberts-Komireddi, Consulting Editor - Arts, STIR at the art festival. With their own impressive oeuvres as reference points, the speakers extrapolate India’s ever-growing identity as a global creative powerhouse.

“What is now being demonstrated in campaigns such as Incredible India, conservation of historic buildings, newer iconic buildings and examples such as the art fair is that design is a value add; it is not in every which way in every field. I firmly believe that design should be incorporated into every sort of education, it cannot only be for designers,” Nanda tells STIR. 

Art: an agent of change

In a talk, befittingly titled Art: an agent of change, three creative professionals–Director and Chief Curator at Haus der Kulturen der Welt (HKW), Prof Dr Bonaventure Soh Bejeng Ndikung, Head of Arts at CERN, Mónica Bello and Director of KHOJ International Artists’ Association, Pooja Sood–sat down with Shuddhabrata Sengupta, curator at the Raqs Media Collective. Artistic expression has the potential to trickle out of canvases and gallery spaces into the much tangible ‘real’ world, and the speakers were testimonies. The panel explored ways in which artists and art organisations can address and impact pressing ecological and societal crises. “Every opportunity we have to create an encounter between art, artists and the wider public is very welcome because the encounters are moments of transformation,” Ndikung explains.