In the News
Abu Dhabi Art 2010
Abu Dhabi Art 2010 comprises myriad activities with the paramount goal of expanding the discursive boundaries of modern and contemporary art. The programme includes “Opening the Doors: Collecting Middle Eastern Art”, an exhibition of Middle Eastern art, which will bring together works by a number of eminent artists from the last 80 years, drawn from the private and corporate collections of prominent art patrons from across the UAE, the Middle East and beyond. The works have been secured by Christie's and the exhibition organised by Abu Dhabi Art.
A major component of Abu Dhabi Art, taking place 4-6 November, will be “Art, Talks and Sensations”, an inspiring journey through the experience of art on the beach of the Emirates Palace. The innovative design of the space will create a labyrinth in which guests will be able to lose themselves both imaginatively and literally in a sensory and epiphanic artistic promenade. A diversified programme curated by Fabrice Bousteau will spring a surprise each day, with an open air movie theatre, screening short films by artists such as Camille Henrot and Yang Fudong; a new series of photographs by Erwin Wurm; an artists' lounge in which an artist and philosopher will be present each day for an informal creative session or talk; 'The Desert of Deserts' which is a sound installation by the American collective Soundwalk recording the sound of the desert of the Empty Quarter; and 'If tomorrow never comes' a slideshow by Cypriot artist Christodoulos Panayiotou.
Educational workshops will present visitors of all ages the opportunity to participate actively in the creative process, thus enabling them to acquire new skills in a range of disciplines. Participants can aspire to the artistic heights of Edgar Degas and Tracey Emin by taking part in workshops designed to explore the monotype, a versatile and enjoyable medium that lies between printmaking and painting.
Talks and discussions form a key part of the event, setting Abu Dhabi alight in passionate and exciting debate. Highlights include: 'Talking Art: Louvre Abu Dhabi' where the curators and prominent Emirati personalities will offer their analysis of this unique project. Forums, conversations and panels with a host of the world's most eminent practitioners will take place on each day of the event, providing an unprecedented insight into the mechanisms of the art world. Activities will centre on the Design Studio, a space in which visitors will be able to participate in the creation process, while engaging with international designers.
“Everything Must Go” : Art Fest in Toronto
Toronto : Like every year, Art Toronto is organising an international art fair from October 28 to November 1, the 11th of its kind, which, this time around, has teamed up with Toronto-based fashion designer Jeremy Laing to explore the undeniable connection between art and fashion.
The fair called “Everything Must Go” takes the form of a mini-department store or luxury boutique desperate to clear-out. Housed within the Art Toronto Fair, this "shop-in-shop" is outfitted with work engaging with the forms, manners and aesthetic of mercantile display and salesmanship. Toronto-based artist duo Marman & Borins, designed the boutique's fixtures, like shelves and a mechanical sign, while artist Luis Jacob supplies his 2004 trio of "Adamant" neon sign pieces. Young and Giroux will showcase their re-worked and re-contextualised commercially available furniture, while Valérie Blass previews a new sculpture with assembled components from a mannequin that will be on display in her upcoming solo show at Montréal's Parisian Laundry gallery. Derek Sullivan's improvised signage like sale banners and sandwich boards will be among the exhibits.
FIAC, 2010 takes place at the Grand Palais, the Cour Carrée du Louvre and the Tuileries Garden
Paris : Located in Paris FIAC has always been committed to the highest standards of quality in art. Its engagement with Paris' prestigious art institutions has made it one of the art world's premier international events of the autumn calendar.In continuation of his grand tradition, it, in its 37th edition, has organised a balanced panorama of modern, contemporary and emerging art from October 21st to October 24th. It will be encompassing a diverse range of artistic practices as demonstrated by the outdoor projects in the Tuileries Garden, an ambitious programme of artists' performances, and for the first time this year a cycle of artists' films. FIAC 2010 brings together 195 modern and contemporary art galleries from 24 countries. 63 galleries are taking part for the first time or returning to FIAC in 2010.
An Impressive End to Frieze Art Fair 2010: Galleries Report Strong Sales
At Frieze Art Fair, sponsored by Deutsche Bank, has just ended with a bang. Several galleries participating in the fair have reported an unprecedented boom in sales since the fair's inception in 2003. The sales reports have made fair directors, Amanda Sharp and Matthew, ecstatic. Reportedly173 galleries exhibited over 1,000 artists at the fair, a number which is the largest in the fair's history. Elegant installations and delicate art works were among the exhibits. Collectors from the traditional hotspots of Germany and the USA were teamed up by an august body of Asian, Latin-American, Middle-Eastern and Russian collectors. During the five-day professional and public event, over 60,000 visitors were welcomed to the fair, which, according to the organisers, have now become a global event with the representation of 29 different countries.
An official India art pavilion to be installed at Venice Biennale
As per a press release published in sify.com on 13 Oct. 2010,the Indian government is gearing up to install an India art pavilion at the Venice Biennale 2011, one of the world's biggest showcases of contemporary art. The government has completed the modalities of booking space for the pavilion and has reportedly earmarked Rs.1 crore ($225,500) budget for the purpose. The Lalit Kala Akademi will be at the helm of the India pavilion at the biennale. The Indian participation is expected to impart a more encompassing look to this globally acclaimed exhibition.
Meanwhile, a women's corporate delegation with representatives from the Confederation of Indian Industry led by veteran art collector Rajshree Patti met Culture Secretary Jawhar Sircar to discuss the possibility of 'cooperation in the sphere of art education, display and promoting art in public space'.
Antiquity Act to be amended
Suresh Neotia, Chairman, Ambuja Cement Foundation, and art collector, wrote in Hindustan Times that the Ministry of Culture, presided over by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and administered by Secretary Jawahar Sircar, is considering the amendment of the Antiquities Act, 1972. Antique collectors will welcome this decision because the present Act, which necessitates registration of any art-objects over 100 years old, and textiles over 75 years old, is a major deterrent due to the formalities involved. Though the Act was made to prevent smuggling and help develop public interest in our heritage, it has produced quite opposite results. The Act has destroyed legitimate domestic trade in antiquities, thereby making smuggling an attractive option. It has also brought about a notorious licence raj, sending scholarship and research on our heritage into a sharp decline. One of the many adverse outcomes of the Act is that the Government has been hard put to find scholars of repute to head its museums and their specialised departments. The art network involving collectors, dealers and scholars has been dealt a deadly blow. Besides, since no distinction was made between humble art objects and works of art of high value, only a minuscule proportion of art- objects are actually being registered. Even registration papers are very often ill-preserved, requiring owners to re-register their collections.
If the scenario changes now, nothing can be more heart-warming for art aficionados. Indian art lovers do not want India to be like China of Mao Ze Dong's era which destroyed its own priceless art heritage during Cultural Revolution. Though it still maintains a ban on the export of antiques, China has come to realise its mistakes. It has upgraded its galleries and opened up the domestic art market. Now it is India's turn to revise its past errors to spur its already burgeoning art market. According to Suresh Neotia, “It would be in the fitness of things if he (the Prime Minister) could now free antiquities from the clutches of the bureaucracy with similar beneficial effects. Antiquities must once again become objects to cherish, not shun.”
