“IAF endeavours to provide platform to the thousands of Indian artists who mostly rely on the public art galleries to display their artworks where waiting list is one to five years” -Rajendra

– Rajendra, Editor, Art Journal / Founder and Managing Director, India Art Festival.

TFT : Congratulations on organizing India Art Festival, what do you expect from this event to achieve?
Rajendra : The ultimate goal is to create a stable platform where artists, art galleries and art collectors come together under one roof and explore their interest, creative or otherwise and ultimately satiate their mutual needs. Mumbai – India’s commercial capital is not only the city with the highest GDP in India but it ranks among the world’s top ten trade centres and contributes 25% of Industrial output and 70% of capital transactions to India’s economy. Mumbai is the cultural and art production centre too with booming art market, flourishing real estate and thriving film industry. Today, everyone is looking to create inspiring ambience around his/her living spaces and India Art Festival is a place to explore their creative choices to make their living room an inspiring space!!

TFT : How do you think India Art Festival 2014 will benefit the exhibitors, sponsors and the industry?
Rajendra : India Art Festival(IAF) is one of the key art fairs in India. The guiding principle of IAF is “Democratizing Art” – bringing it from the confines plush gallery ambience to the corridors of common masses. IAF endavours to provide platform to the thousands of Indian artists who mostly rely on the public art galleries to display their artworks where waiting list is one to five years; Nehru Centre, Worli is a centralized location and suitable for art exhibition as it is close to south Mumbai art district. Plus IAF duration -27 to 30 November 2014 is just a great season for art world as we see huge HNI clientele swarming art space for new artworks during this season. IAF benefits exhibitors and sponsors and art world at large to position themselves in the mainstream art that includes artists, art collectors, gallerists, curators, and art writers etc.

TFT : What are the number of visitors, you expect at India Art Festival 2014?
Rajendra : India Art Festival merges both B2B and B2C segments in the art world, as art galleries and artists from throughout India and few Asian, European countries are to showcase their iconic artworks at IAF 2014. Primary and secondary sales take place during the India Art Festival and most of our esteemed HNI visitors come from Corporate, Fashion, Real Estate and film industry. We expect close to 50000 visitors this years.

TFT : What was the volume of business generated by the India Art Festival held in the year of 2013?
Rajendra : It is difficult to tell exact estimate but apart from four days business volume during the event, the sell transactions are reported throughout the year between artists, art galleries and art collectors who visited the third edition of IAF in 2013. Close to 200 to 300 artworks changed hands during India Art Festival, mostly through secondary and primary sale.

TFT : Are there other countries participating at India Art Festival apart from India and if so can you please name them?
Rajendra : Yes, there are art galleries and artists participating from Singapore, Switzerland, USA, Canada and few European countries. There are group of four Afghani artists participating at India Art Festival 2014.

TFT : Is it an annual event or biannual event please explain about the frequency and the Cities?
Rajendra : : India Art Festival is an annual event till this year and used to take place only at Mumbai. But from 2015, India Art Festival will travel to different countries every year. In 2015, India Art Festival is creating “Indian Art Pavilion” at World Trade center, Seoul, Korea from 30 April to 03 May 2015 as a part of Korea’s C-Festival.

TFT : Is this exhibition targeted only for International market?
Rajendra : It is for both international and as well as domestic art market.

TFT : Thank you for giving your precise time to speak with TFT? Can you elaborate a little on the India Art Festival?
Rajendra : India Art Festival (IAF) is a contemporary art fair held annually in November every year. IAF 2014 is entering in its fourth consecutive edition this November. This is the only art fair held in Mumbai, India in which young and established art galleries with individual emerging artists celebrate contemporary art under one roof. The art festival also receives support from few major art galleries from Delhi and Mumbai and other cities who participates regularly in the art festival Every year, IAF features close to 35 art galleries from Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Ahmadabad, Jaipur and few overseas countries like Canada, UK and Singapore. The artists’ pavilion features more than 300 individual artists from 50 different cities from India and overseas. Total 150 booths houses art galleries and individual artists participating with wide range of artworks that include paintings, sculptures, installations, photographs, digital prints, video art and all other forms of visual art done in the various mediums.

TFT : What was the unique Learning and exhibitors/visitors feedback from the previous edition? How would you implement them for this year’s event?
Rajendra : This is our fourth edition and we are past that experimentation learning phase to implement the major feedback. Few minor feedbacks from exhibitors and their requirements are taken care during the event itself.

TFT : Any special message for our readers?
Rajendra : Everyone has a creative side, and many decide to explore it through the work of an art; more than 3000 artworks used to be exhibited at the India Art Festival…so come out, look around, be inspired and have fun! Then let your heart take a call if you wish to display it on your drawing room wall!!