NEW DELHI.- India Art Fair, the leading platform showcasing modern and contemporary art from India and South Asia, closed its landmark 15th edition to reports of robust sales and strong attendance. Taking place 1 – 4 February 2024 at the NSIC Exhibition Grounds in New Delhi, the fair featured a record line-up of 109 exhibitors, including 72 galleries, 23 institutions and 7 debut design studios. Led in partnership with BMW India for the eighth time, the fair brought together galleries, collectors, institutions, artists, designers, organisations and visitors alike, fostering crucial opportunities for dialogue, discovery and exchange. With creative voices at its centre, the fair was a platform for local and international audiences to discover the best of the art scene from South Asia and beyond, ranging from established artists and designers to the emerging talents of tomorrow.

Jaya Asokan, Fair Director, India Art Fair, comments: “This edition of India Art Fair has been our most ambitious to date, with a record number of participants showcasing a wide spectrum of creativity from across the region. Galleries have been making sales at all price points to both established collectors and a new millennial generation who will be instrumental in shaping the art market of the future. Beyond the exhibition halls, our programme of commissions and projects has activated the fairgrounds and we are proud to have brought together such a prestigious group of experts taking part in our talks programme and workshops. As the art world continues to expand beyond its traditional centres and looks to the Global South, we remain laser-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.”

Dr. Thomas Girst, Head of Cultural Engagement, BMW Group, comments: “In its 15th year now, India Art Fair has established itself as a global hub and platform within the fine arts and beyond. Accomplishment should not only be measured by sales or the number of international guests - both of which were a great success! - but by the many artists roaming the aisles, the galleries giving it their all, the conversations and the possibility of art to create meaning. All related events across Delhi speak volumes of the power of art celebrating diversity and heterogeneity.”

Strong attendance from major private collectors as well as representatives from local, regional, and international art institutions, highlighted the fair’s firmly established reputation as a key event in the art world calendar, and a gateway for global visitors to discover art from the region.

VIP attendance on the opening day saw an increase of 30%, and visitors in attendance included curators from institutions such as the Deichtorhallen Hamburg, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Harvard University, the Family Office for Art, Grounds for Sculpture, and the Indian Ocean Craft Triennial Australia. The fair was attended by leading directors and senior representatives from the Tate, Ishara Art Foundation, Asia Society Museum New York, Seattle Art Museum, Yorkshire Sculpture Park, French Agency for AlUla development, Ashmolean Museum, Philadelphia Museum of Art, and the New National Museum of Monaco. Strong representation from Indian institutions and museums included the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art, Bhau Daji Lad Museum, Khoj International Artists’ Association, Kochi-Muziris Biennale, Serendipity Arts Festival and Chennai Photo Biennale.

Throughout the fair week, galleries reported robust sales to both established and emerging collectors highlighting the strength of the Indian market. Many noted that India Art Fair provided an important platform for them to engage with new collectors.

A snapshot of reported sales includes: Nature Morte sold 85% of its stand at the VIP preview, including a sculpture by Subodh Gupta for €250,000. Galleria Continua sold several Ai Weiwei works in the range of €300,000, a Nari Ward in the range of US$400,000, and several Eva Jospin works in the range of €55,000 and €85,000. Carpenters Workshop Gallery sold a number of works including Nacho Carbonell’s Coffee Table Tree (2021) for €350,000, and their overall sales totalled in excess of €1,500,000. Vadehra Art Gallery sold a major work by modern artist Tyeb Mehta to an important institutional collection for a price in line with auction results which are currently upwards of US$1.8 million; the gallery also sold a number of Atul Dodiya cabinets for US$80,000 and a work by Rameshwar Broota for US$200,000.

Salomé Zelic, Associate Director, Galleria Continua, said: “We are very happy to be part of the 15th edition of India Art Fair. The energy is like no other place in the world right now. From institutions to private collectors, the response has been terrific. We can confirm acquisitions of work by Eva Jospin both by private collectors and institutions in India. There were also acquisitions of works by Nikhil Chopra, Ai Weiwei, Shilpa Gupta, Nari Ward, Osvaldo González, Anish Kapoor and José Yaque. In terms of sales figures, several Ai Weiwei works sold in the range of €300,000, Nari Ward sold in the range of $400,000, and the Eva Jospin works were between €55,000 and €85,000”.

Loïc Le Gaillard, Co-Founder, Carpenters Workshop Gallery, said: “This marked our inaugural participation at India Art Fair, and we couldn’t be happier. We collaborated with Ashiesh Shah to present an exhibition titled 'Querencia' and received a warm welcome. This opportunity offered a meaningful moment to reconnect with our collectors in India, as well as meet new ones. We are delighted that our booth has garnered strong interest and we have sold consistently throughout the opening days."

Ashish Anand, CEO and MD, DAG, said: “India’s growing interest in art across all platforms is so well represented at this 15th edition of India Art Fair which is bustling with energy and enthusiasm. The familiar collectors are all here but we’re also seeing growing interest from younger viewers. It is heartening to note that Indian art now has new generations of patronage and custodianship. Of course, it is also a platform for curators, scholars, writers, gallerists, art-lovers, collectors and so many others who make up the art firmament at a time when Indian art is at an inflexion point and becoming a global force.”

Priyanka Raja, Co-Founder, Experimenter, said: “We had a fantastic preview day as we always do but this year it felt even more energised and a much wider audience attended. The booth has been very well-received. We were showing 15 artists from our programme with all new commissions, marking 15 years of both the gallery and the fair. From a sales perspective we are very happy, we sold over 80% of the booth on the first day of the fair, many of these to new institutions and collectors, some of whom we met at the fair for the first time. We have sold to both international and domestic institutions.”

Ashwin Thadani, Founder, Galerie ISA, said: “At the preview there were a serious number of collectors from the younger generation to the more attuned, encouragingly for private collections and foundations. It is really motivating just to be here and seeing the VIP preview have such exemplary dedicated support! It’s been a huge success for us.”

The 16th edition of India Art Fair will take place at NSIC Grounds, New Delhi from 6 to 9 February 2025.