The Delhi Art Gallery (DAG) opened its new space with the India Modern:  Narratives of 20^th Century Indian Art exhibition on March 17, 2015 for an upscale audience from the Indian American community, American collectors, art world professionals, other prominent individuals, and the media world.  About 600 individuals attended the opening of the exhibitions which offered the first comprehensive overview of modern twentieth century Indian art.  Numerous serious buyers who were at the opening have already returned to the gallery. Several art works are on hold, thus close to be sold.  The current show closes on June 6 to be followed by two other exhibitions this year.

In addition to three galleries in New Delhi and Mumbai DAG now has its first international gallery outside India. In New York, the Delhi Art Gallery occupies the largest gallery space of 7000 square feet in the renowned New York Fuller building showcasing works from the most significant and best known artists from its vast holding.   With India Modern DGA provides the first comprehensive overview of contemporary and modern Indian art outside India made possible by DAG’s holding of 39,000 museum quality works covering mostly modern and contemporary art but also some from prior Indian art periods. Focusing on the voice of modernism from all regions of India as executed in different media paintings predominated the exhibition with some sculptures shown and relatively few abstract art works.  The exhibition incorporated the most important artists except for eight artists born 1947 or later whose work cannot be exported from India or travel abroad.  Considered ‘national treasures’ the group include the modernist artists Rabindranath Tagore, Amrita SherGik and Jamini Ray.  The groundbreaking exhibition showcases a hundred artworks featuring 42 artists, including to name but a few F.N. Souza, S.H. Raa, M.F. Husain, K.H. Ara, S.K. Bakre and H.A. Gade.

The price range runs from $10,000 to $ 1 million with all the art work shown in the gallery for purchase. The value of the art work is determined by experts.  High end prices are influenced by recent local and international sales and transactions at auctions.  They also reflect the high confidence in the contemporary Indian art market and increased sales by major auction houses like Christie’s and Sotheby’s. At DAG, marketing and other gallery functions are shaped by a research staff of 20 experts based at the Indian headquarters, another unique characteristic differentiating DAG from other large galleries. DAG is also set apart because it provides guidance to the growing important group of buyers considering art works for profitable investment.  This is certainly a promising avenue in light of the fact that Indian modern art has a very limited presence in the United States.

What the show offers corresponds to the current art market trends. The tradition of figurative art in India generating an art language specific to that country is evidenced by the exhibition. This fits rather wells with the tendencies of representational art as transparent in major current art fairs.  Apart from the abstract work of established artists much of what was featured in recent New York art fairs is representational. The viewer can read the art, decipher and identify themes, images, configurations and segments.  Accessing and understanding the art work has become easier.

There are some smaller galleries specializing in Indian art. They can supplement DAG but DAG is in a different league given the depth and size of its collection and the backup services the gallery can provide to upscale buyers who tend to define the art market and prompt speculation. The Delhi Art Gallery is the first major exhibition space in the United States for contemporary Indian art and constitutes an invaluable resource for collectors. India Modern will be on view until June 6 to be followed this year by two other major exhibitions.

Claus Mueller

filmexchange@gmail.com