By Madhusree Chatterjee, IANS,
New Delhi : Are you an avid art collector or an investor? Do you have a passion for art? Well, here is something new to look forward to.
A new quarterly art magazine Art Etc launched by Kolkata-based Emami Chisel Art Private Limited Friday.
Chisel Art, owned by the Emami Group, has one of the biggest auction houses in eastern India and manages an art house, Aakriti Gallery, in Kolkata.
The magazine – a colour spread of 136 pages – was launched by senior artist K.G. Subramanyan. Along with the launch there were several rounds of discussions on contemporary art and its current state.
The inaugural issue is pan-Indian with articles as diverse as art practices in Vadodara, a review of Sharmila Samant’s show at the Biennale of Sydney in 2008, profiles of several young artists and a history of the Emami Chisel Art Auction House.
Vikram Bachhawat, one of the directors of Emami Chisel Art, said the first issue of Art Etc was important because it contained essays on art and profiles of artists who live and work on the margins.
“While Moushumi Khandali explores the contemporary art practices of the northeast ravaged by violence, Rajashree Biswal examines the Dalit issue in art represented by Savi Savarkar, a neo-Buddhist,” Bachhawat said.
The launch of the magazine will be complimented by a solo show by senior artist K.G. Subramanyan at the Akriti Gallery June 20 as a belated tribute to the artist on his 85th birthday.
“We will showcase 72 paper works, 21 reverse paintings on acrylic sheets and nine canvases painted by the artist in 2007-2008,” Vikram and Priya Bachhawat, owners of the Aakriti Gallery, told IANS from Kolkata.
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Market boosts
Sotheby’s annual sale of Indian art in London June 16 was a pep pill for the market revealing that all was on track in terms of prices for top artists.
Francis Newton Souza’s “Orange Head” and Jogen Chowdhury’s “Day Dreaming” were the top-selling lots for the sale.
Jogen Chowdhury’s ink and pastel composition, “Day Dreaming” sold for 373,250 pounds ($609,629), over three times its pre-sale estimate of 80,000-120,000 pounds setting a new price record for the artist.
Francis Newton Souza’s “Orange Head” sold for 403,250 pounds against an estimate of 80,000- 120,000 pounds. Officials at Sotheby’s said this was the highest price of the summer auction series of Indian Art at any auction house.
“Horses”, 1950 canvas by Maqbool Fida Husain was picked up by a private collector in the US for 109,250 pounds while an untitled 1953 canvas went to a private collector in London for 1103,250 pounds.
A collector from India carried home another untitled canvas for 85,250 pounds.
Another untitled oil on canvas work by Manjit Bawa sold for
882,850 pounds.
The sale raked in more two million pounds, a sum in excess of the pre-sale expectation of 1.1-1.7 million pounds.
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Arts entrepreneur
Sunil Vishnu, the chief executive officer of Evam, a house of theatre and story-telling in Chennai, has been chosen as the India finalist for Young Performing Arts Entrepreneur 2009 by the British Council.
The organisation uses drama as a personality development tool commercially.
The award was announced by Adam Pushkin, head of Arts and Creative Industries, British Council India and Sri Lanka June 13.
Eight arts entrepreneurs from across the country contested for the award, which besides the trophy, would allow them to compete with the international finalists in August in Edinburgh, and get 5,000 pounds to develop business links with Britain in performance arts.
The award is part of the Young Creative Entrepreneur (YCE) Award programme that recognises the talent and initiative of young entrepreneurs from across creative industries and the role they play in the development of a sustainable creative economy.