A Tte--Tte with Neha Kirpal about the Indian Art Industry

p/p pandnbsp;/p pNeha is considered one of the most influential art entrepreneurs in the country today and was even selected as a young global leader by the world economic forum last year. Responsible for not only changing the perception of art in the country, strongNeha Kirpal, Founder and Director, India Art Fair /strongshares with us insights into the Indian art industry and her views on what can be done to promote and build the art industry here./p pandnbsp;/p pSince its inception eight years ago, the India Art Fair has established itself as one of the premier events in the art world. This year, the event included Platform, a section dedicated to South Asian art; it's also an example of Kirpal's marketing acumen. Kirpal explains, "It's really our attempt to make that accessible to the world and there's also such a demand for South Asian art that we felt it could work really well." She would know given that the India Art Fair has successfully completed eight editions. Her vision has transformed it from a mere display of artworks to an event that celebrates art in every form. She adds, "We're not coming at it with rules of how art should be viewed. We want the art fair environment to be more lived in and for people to be excited about spending time here with their families for one reason or another. We want people to interact with art and for it to be an experience unique to each one."/p pandnbsp;/p pstrongWhen And How Did You Start Off In The Business Of Art?/strongbr /My professional and academic training has been in marketing. I studied at the University of the Arts in London; I studied marketing for the creative industry. The idea was to take this professional training in marketing and management and really apply that to a field I'm very passionate about and to focus on bringing that skill set to the art world. In the couple of years I spent in London, I received exposure into the world of fine art. I enjoyed going to museums and art fairs and really felt that India should have a platform like this./p pbr /strongWhat Motivated You To Establish The India Art Fair?/strongbr /Growing up in India, there was very little access to art and it was very intimidating to walk into galleries. The few years I spent in London, I realised art was meant for everybody and it's not determined by the net worth of an individual. It is very important that everybody in India should have that kind of access because it is very much a part of building civic societies. If we can create a public platform that is accessible to people, it will also build the market. One of the things the art fair has is a lot of first-time buyers and a new interest in the art world. It's the fifth most attended fair in the world and it's growing over time./p pandnbsp;/p pWe've built a brand from a luxury lifestyle point of view; there's very little else that is a truly international quality event in India. In such a short span of time-five to seven years-we've built a compelling brand. At the same time, credit goes to the art production in the country-all it needed was a catalyst as there is already a demand./p pandnbsp;/p pstrongWho Buys Art In India?/strongbr /Over the last seven or eight years, there is a growing and varied profile of people now buying art. I think that the art fair is partly responsible for this and partly it's just the public appetite. People with salaried jobs are buying art. The aspirational upper middle class wants to engage with art. I'd also like to say that the corporate interest in art is at an all-time high and I've never seen this level of corporate partnership; not just at the art fair, with BMW and JSW Foundation, but so many corporates support the art fair and also public art initiatives./p pandnbsp;/p pThese are corporates who realise that they can use their spaces, and with very little effort and investment, they can engage with and support art. The kind of clientele that top brands want to attract is certainly interested in art. So, there is a lot of private sector interest and hopefully it will really help in giving a boost./p pandnbsp;/p p style="text-align: center;"andnbsp;/p p style="text-align: center;"/p p style="text-align: center;"emUntitled, Oil On Canvas, Ram Kumar, Aakriti Art Gallery/em/p pandnbsp;/p pstrongWhat Must The Indian Government Do To Promote Art?/strongbr /The Indian government needs to participate in biennales around the world, and needs to develop the many museums that are in a dilapidated state. They need to update their collection and support contemporary art. The private sector in India is already doing so much in terms of contemporary art promotion globally that the Indian government needs to support it through a proper understanding of the duty structure and providing proper infrastructure so that these transactions can be enabled. The world is looking at India and waiting for it to make itself accessible and now it's up to the government to enable that./p pandnbsp;/p pBeyond a point, without legislative support, it's very difficult, because if the government puts entry barriers it becomes very difficult for the private sector to push along./p pandnbsp;/p pstrongWhat Kind Of Art And Artists Do You Collect?/strongbr /I'm interested in young emerging art, particularly international art. I buy based on interest. I'm also learning; my place is that of the public and with every edition of the art fair I also learn a bit more about new artists. I'm constantly amazed by the new interpretations and energy that artists from this region create. I think that is what is most interesting to people from around the world because when they look at India they look at a diverse, vibrant environment where there is so much going on in the socio-economic and political scene and you have art constantly responding to that. So, I think the excitement of a young developing nation and what that means in the context of art is really what brings people to India. We want to deliver something that is truly international and of a certain quality standard. I want people to feel like they have the richness of India but they could be anywhere in the world in terms of infrastructure./p pandnbsp;/p pstrongMore On andgt;andgt; a href="http://www.luxpresso.com/lifestyle/art-auctions" target="_blank"Art andamp; Auctions/a/strong/p

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