Art has a way of impacting and influencing our lifestyle covertly. Artwork of various centuries have subtly intertwined into fashion, advertising, graphic design, and many other industries. If you consider yourself to be an appreciator of the arts, mark your calendar. One of the most anticipated art events of the year is returning with shows you simply cannot miss. The India Art Fair, the main forum for presenting modern and contemporary art from India and South Asia, will be held at the NSIC Exhibition Grounds in New Delhi from February 1 to 4, 2024.
IAF 2024, billed as the largest celebration of Indian art, would bring together collectors, curators, and art professionals who are active on the world art scene. This year's event is the largest ever, organised in collaboration with BMW India, with 100 exhibitors, including 71 galleries, 7 design studios, and involvement from key regional art institutes. The fair also welcomes 26 new exhibitors, including ten first-time South Asian institutional participants, as part of its objective to celebrate and support the region's arts ecosystem.
This edition will also feature the highest level of international participation yet, with 18 international galleries and institutions exhibiting and several leaders of global arts organisations confirmed to participate in the fair's Talks Programme, strengthening cultural dialogue and ties with the larger international art scene.
“The landmark 15th edition of India Art Fair comes at an exciting time for both the South Asian art scene and the market, with artists from the region becoming a part of international conversations as never before,” said Jaya Asokan, Fair Director, India Art Fair. “As we continue to grow as a fair, we remain focused on our mission to amplify the voices of the most exciting artists from the region and to support the expansion of South Asian creativity. We are thrilled to launch our very first Design section and to welcome a diversity of creative talent from across India and the broader region. I look forward to welcoming new and old friends to the fair.”
The fair's inaugural Design section features pioneering designers and studios showcasing collectable furniture, jewellery, and fabrics, with a focus on contemporary interventions into traditional workmanship.
The BMW Art Talk at the India Art Fair will feature trailblazing artists from India and the world—Anita Dube, Jitish Kallat, and Barthélémy Toguo. The artists will be in conversation with Prof. Dr. Thomas Girst, Global Head of Cultural Engagement at BMW.
Attend the many talks and workshops at IFA. Join Baithak, a space for artists to have meaningful conversations and share insights from their art journeys. Featuring Samina Mishra, filmmaker, author and founder of The Magic Key Centre for the Arts and Childhood and moderated by Vaibhav K. Achantani of LAND, this first Baithak focuses on art for the community and especially for children.
You can also take part in Day 1 of Thinkers’ Garden, an exciting space where educators come together to meditate on ways to turn the classroom into a place of adventure, exploration, learning, care, and self-reflection. This workshop is led by Kriti Sood, educator and chief curator of LAND.
Check here for a full list of workshops and talks.
Among the many interesting outdoor projects to experience is "Clay in Common." This installation includes ceramic works by various artists collected through an open call by the Indian Ceramics Triennale. Experience the intricate details of this collaborative community project, showing off the diversity of artists working with clay in India and the unity with which they cohere.
The event will also see several performances by artists. Activated by artists Jyothidas KV and Sajan Mani, India Art Fair’s 2024 Performance Art Programme, BODi-Verse invites the public to experience performance as a method of conceiving and realising art. Lose yourself in this 360-degree spatial sound performance that delicately plays with chaos and (dis)comfort, using customised instruments, modular synthesisers, signal processing, sensors, and code.
Parallel to the event, the capital will feature some of the top South Asian art shows in galleries and institutions throughout the city during the week.
Where: NSIC Grounds, Okhla, New Delhi
When: February 1 – 4, 2024. Preview: February 1, 2024
Tickets: You can book tickets here. Be among the first to see this year's show with a variety of passes, including the Thursday Preview Pass and the Friday Preview Pass. The passes provide you with early and unlimited admission to India Art Fair, as well as the opportunity to view the art on display before it opens to the public. Preview passes are limited. So get yours early. The fair also provides Single Day and Weekend Passes, as well as discounts on Student Passes.