Why is Art Mumbai special?

Art isn’t for everyone — some are clueless about it, others find it uninteresting, and a few even feel intimidated. These are some of the notions that Art Mumbai attempted to challenge with its maiden edition last year, alongside the mission of bringing the first-ever art fair to the city. “We’d been talking about organising an art fair in Mumbai for years,” recalls Minal Vazirani, one of the co-founders. “We wanted to put out a fair that is about art, but equally about Mumbai.” Why? Because “Mumbai is a gateway to the rest of India — literally and figuratively”. Not only did the fair have a strong and distinct curation, but it also tapped into what the city is best known for: Bollywood and fashion.

With the event returning for a second outing next week, Magazine spoke to Vazirani, alongside some of the participating galleries and artists, to understand what 2024 has in store.

Bringing art to the Bay

Art Mumbai 2024 is bigger, at least when it comes to the number of galleries taking part — an impressive 71 (up from last year’s 53). These include names such as KNMA, Vadhera, TARQ and Emami, and international galleries such as Galleria Continua, Ben Brown Fine and Rossi & Rossi. “One of the things that came through last year was how personalised the art fair was,” says Vazirani, adding that although the event was certainly smaller than other fairs of its nature, it was very focused in its approach. “We invite clients and collectors that we have a personal connect with, and we encourage younger galleries and emerging artists to engage with new buyers.”

Ushmita Sahu, director at Kolkata-based Emami Art, agrees, adding that “the fair had a great result financially as well”. In fact, a lot of the participating galleries stated being completely sold out last year. And it’s not surprising. “Probably about 70% of the entire India art market transactions are linked to Mumbai,” says Vazirani, leaning into data from auction house Saffronart, which she co-founded with her husband Dinesh.

Meanwhile, for Delhi-based artist Manish Pushkale — who returns to the fair this year — the event bridges an evident geographical gap. “We have one major art fair in Delhi in the extreme north of the country, and another, the Kochi Biennale, in the extreme south. Moreover, everything was centralised to Delhi in the past three decades,” he says.

For many, it also means making in-roads into a new market. “Coming from Bengaluru, we were able to make our presence felt and bring exposure to artists based in the South by connecting their practices to newer audiences,” says Premilla Baid, director at Gallery Sumukha, of their 2023 outing. Sahu is of a similar bent of mind. “It’s very important for us to be seen in other important centres of art and commerce. In that way, Mumbai is well located.”

More of a festival than a fair

While art forms the core of the fair, the agenda has always been to go beyond. So, Art Mumbai 2024 will see fashion designer Tarun Tahiliani return with showcase; filmmaker Karan Johar, the event’s cultural ambassador, will lead a panel discussion on ‘The creative confluence of art, culture and the city’; and there will also be ancillary events such as dance and theatre performances. “I believe Art Mumbai attracts a glamorous Bollywood crowd,” says Harry Hutchison, director, Aicon New York. “Now, it is our job as gallerists to convert them into art lovers and collectors.”

One of the central attractions, Sculpture Walk, is back too, but with an expanded version featuring over 20 curated sculptures. “Art fairs are critical as platforms where a very large number of people can interact with a very large number of works of art [and some artists as well] in one of the most interesting interactions one can enjoy,” points out Ashish Anand, CEO and managing director of DAG, one of India’s powerhouse art companies.

Room for more?

Speaking of Delhi, the OG art fair will be making its way to Mumbai next year. “I’m just wondering how India Art Fair hadn’t done it earlier!” laughs Gayatri Rangachari Shah, a journalist and art aficionado. “Mumbai is an important market with a massive collector base. It’ll be fun and games to see how things unfold next year!” she says, adding that irrespective of the event, focussing on an educational component is also critical.

“This is our legacy — the art that’s being created is what generations down the line will be studying. That kind of understanding of contemporary art, with an educational component is what I’d like to see in such events.” For Sahu, the more the merrier. “It’s always better to boost the reach of art. For instance, I wish Kolkata had as many galleries as Mumbai, and perhaps organise a Kolkata Art Weekend.”

Art Mumbai is on from November 14-17 at Mahalaxmi Racecourse.

The writer and theatre artist is based between Bengaluru and Delhi.