As an alternative investment to gold, art has over years proven to be a real solid investment

 Today’s global economic crisis (GEC) which has hit hardest most developed countries, and whose economic experts are trying hard to rectify it, are results of the sub-prime financial debacle and the near collapse of the United States of America automotive industry.

The governments of most affected countries managed to quickly and decisively avert an immediate global economic meltdown, by using stop-gap measures of huge financial bail-outs to avert an economic slow-down. But this was at the cost of the real effects of the GEC being felt in the near future. In essence, these governments took over the financial responsibilities of temporary funding economic growth.

The question that one should ask is where did the government get the massive funding to plug the black-holes in their economies? The answer is they went to the printing press and printed fresh currency which they used to inject into their economies, in order to fill up the black-holes.

These measures brought some form of short-term relief to these economies by averting massive industry closures, high unemployment and most importantly an economic depression.  But it’s well known in economic circles that such measures always come with a hidden cost, printing currency to stimulate an economy can only bring short-term relief.
Today the results of such measures are just starting to be felt, with a steady rise in unemployment, company closures, credit crunch and property fore-closures. In essence these economies are going through a period of economic slow-downs or stagnation, better known as recession.

These symptoms are just the beginning of what is still come, and that is inflation. At the moment those with a general understanding of economics have started to take precautious measures to ride the tide of tough times that are set to come, by hedging their wealth and or savings against inflation by investing in art or gold.
That should explain why prices of art and gold have been achieving record prices.If one opens up the business section of any newspaper, one will read about record prices that gold is fetching in the markets , what is driving these record prices is the fact that many investors are liquidating their currency holdings and are investing in what has always been a safe-haven against inflation that being gold.

The reason why gold is regarded a safe hedge against inflation, is because of its scarcity, just like true art-works. The only known time that gold prices have been low was during the period when many central banks in developed countries opted to dispose the bulk of their gold reserves.

For one to fully understand the current events occurring in the global economy and to have reliable information to choose investment options in order to ring-fence themselves against the effects of the GEC soon to come, one must understand how the current currency system works.

Historically countries currencies were backed by what was known as “the gold standard,” this meant that the real value of every dollar printed by a central bank was backed by gold reserves held by the central bank. This meant that a central bank could not print currency above the value of gold held in their possession. In 1971 the then United States of America president Richard Nixon ended the international gold standard. The gold standard system is a monetary system where currency backed by gold, that is to say, the currency simply represents the gold that you own and can be converted into fixed quantities of gold freely.

From 1971 up to 1973 the Smithsonian agreement was passed pegging world currencies to the USA dollar rather than gold as a fixed exchange. In 1973 the Basel accord established the current floating exchange of currency rates we use today, called the fiat currency system. In Fiat currency system money is not backed by a physical commodity, instead its value is based on its relative scarcity and faith placed in it by people use it.

However, when people loose faith or confidence in the money, it irreversibly becomes worthless , regardless of its scarcity Initially a rapid growth in availability of credit is often mistaken for economic growth, as spending and business profits grow rapidly, and a rapid growth in equity prices. In essence as there are no real control measures to prevent the over-printing of currency in a Fiat system, a fake illusion of well-being and prosperity is created when in reality people are actually digging themselves a deep hole.

In the long run the economy tends to suffer much more by following contraction than it gained from the expansion in credit. In plain English, the economy starts shrinking. Hence the reason why some economies are now witnessing massive job losses, company closures and property fore-closures. When an economy reaches this stage, the next stage is the terminal effects of printing currency in Fiat system that of hyper-inflation.Hyper-inflation is the terminal stage of any Fiat currency, which occurs when money looses its value practically overnight. It is often the result of increasing regular inflation to the point where all confidence in money is lost, life savings are wiped out overnight and prices rise faster than people’s incomes.

Current financial instability has brought about lots of talk about international financial reform, and even return to the gold standard as proposed by some. The gold standard stands in contrast to Fiat currency which has no intrinsic value, but governments declare it to be legal tender, meaning it must be accepted as a means of exchange. One of the main benefits of the gold standard is that it protects citizens from hyper-inflation and debasing of the currency through excessive government spending. With a fiat currency, a government can print as much new money as it likes spending, which leads to a gradual decline in value of currency and citizens’ savings. Under the gold standard, a free banking system stands as protector of an economy stability and balanced growth.

In the absence of the gold standard there is no way to protect savings from confiscation through inflation. Russia and China have suggested the establishment of a super-sovereign currency, while Brazil and India have suggested substituting other assets for their dollar holdings. Currently the U.S.A and China are embroiled in a currency dispute over the value of the Yuan. The U.S.A is claiming that the Yuan is under-valued, giving China an advantage over the U.S.A in global trade markets, as Chinese exports are deemed to be cheaper than the U.S.A. The currency stand-off between China and the USA seems to have no end in sight as under a Fiat currency system, any powerful economic country can determine the value of their own currency to ensure no set system or measures can determine the value of their currency. What is inevitable is many countries are to go through a phase of hyper-inflation and the Fiat monetary system will eventually die a natural death, and be replaced by the gold standard system.

The question one must ask them self is, if the wealthy investors are hoarding onto gold bullion's and if currencies will be backed by the gold standard in the near future, then how does art come into the equation as a safe hedge against inflation? Firstly before one considers investing in gold they must understand that they need deep pockets, as a kilo bullion bar is currently trading at $45 000. Even after parting with such a huge sum, one must realise they can’t keep a $45 000 gold bullion bar under their bed, so monthly storage charges must be taken into consideration. Historically art has always been the alternative to gold.

During the period of high hyper-inflation in Germany which occurred after the First World War those who had invested in art came through that period better off, as the return on their investment in art-works out-performed investments in options that were available during that period. Most importantly art managed to beat the extremely high inflation rate, which would explain why so many art-works were looted during the Second World War.

As an alternative investment to gold, art has over years proven to be a real solid investment. With these uncertain economic times that we are in, its time to seriously consider your future by taking prudent pre-cautions to ring yourself against the effects of the current economic upheavals and events that are soon to come. In times of economic instabilities you are better off investing in art or gold.
SOURCE

The Ashok Art Gallery is internationally known for one of its most important holdings: more than 2000 major works by the world's most significant Artists.Over the past years, as Ashok Art Gallery has become a major centre for contemporary visual art, the Gallery has built a strong collection of contemporary work of different artists, we became a sponsor of the STANDUP-SPEAKOUT Artshow, Organized by Art Of Living Foundation and United Nations.Organized an International Contenmporary Art Exhibition including artists from USA, The Nederlands, Pakistan and India.We have also participated at Art Expo India 2008, 09 Mumbai and India Art Summit 2008 New Delhi.

This is an art market that’s definitely gotten its swagger back

 Do the high prices fetched at auction always indicate artistic merit? Aren't they often the result of a fraught bidding war between two super-rich collectors? Doesn't the $25 million stumped up for Jeff Koons' giant balloon model say more about the power of hype than the merit of the work itself? What's more, the market itself can easily be rigged. When Damien Hirst's diamond encrusted skull was purportedly sold for £50 million in 2007, rumour had it that Hirst himself was part of the consortium that bought it in order to drum up publicity and raise the market value of his other work.

So does the art market tell us only about fads and fashion and the egos of multimillionaires? Or should we overlook the hype and remember that in the long run the market rights itself and reflects the consensus on what great art really is? If there were just two names to remember from the 20th Century Art market, they would be Pablo Picasso and Andy Warhol who were among the 10 most sought-after and most expensive artists for the seventh year running. In 2007, an unprecedented year for Contemporary Art prices, Warhol’s total even overtook Picasso’s by $100m ($420m for Warhol vs. $319m for Picasso).Since then, the cubist has recovered his first place on the podium, although Warhol is still only $50m behind Picasso. However,in 2010, Warhol was in fact relegated to third position in the annual revenue ranking by the Chinese artist Qi Baishi.The 21st Century Art market has changed. Its extension eastwards has allowed China to impose its artists in an incredibly short timeframe. Qi Baishi, Zhang Daqian, Xu Beihong and Fu Baoshi are now all members of the closed circle of the most expensive and most profitable artists in the world, and their names are worth remembering.

There are more wealthy buyers for modern and contemporary art where the supply is more regular and the investment potential appears to be more attractive.The mood of Art Market is considerably brighter than it was two years ago. Global economic concerns remain, for sure, but recent months have seen spectacular sales not only in modern and contemporary art but also in fields as diverse as Chinese ceramics, antiquities, photographs and Old Masters. This is an art market that’s definitely gotten its swagger back.The emergence of wealthy collectors from Asia, the Middle East and South America in recent years has deepened the pool of buyers, especially for top-end masterpieces, and many of them remained in the market during the recession. Americans, who had largely stopped spending, started to return last year and are now back in full force.
 
The Ashok Art Gallery is internationally known for one of its most important holdings: more than 2000 major works by the world's most significant Artists.Over the past years, as Ashok Art Gallery has become a major centre for contemporary visual art, the Gallery has built a strong collection of contemporary work of different artists, we became a sponsor of the STANDUP-SPEAKOUT Artshow, Organized by Art Of Living Foundation and United Nations.Organized an International Contenmporary Art Exhibition including artists from USA, The Nederlands, Pakistan and India.We have also participated at Art Expo India 2008, 09 Mumbai and India Art Summit 2008 New Delhi.

One of the questions that surround art as an asset is how to quantify an income stream from any sort of collection

The art business is its proprietary nature. Artists, art dealers, and retail buyers prefer that sales figures stay private, and go to great lengths to keep them that way. Artists don't want other artists knowing how well they do; dealers don't want other dealers knowing how well they do; collectors don't want other collectors knowing what they buy or how much they pay for it. Furthermore, one of the most important rules of the art game is that the more you know about art prices and what's selling where, and the less your competition knows, the more money you make and the less money they make buying and selling art.

Art is not a commodity that can be regulated. Anyone can call him or herself an artist, anyone can call anything that they create "art," and anyone can be an art dealer or own an art gallery. Anyone can sell art wherever, whenever and under whatever circumstances they please, and price or sell whatever they call "art" for whatever amounts of money they feel like selling it for, as long as that art is offered without committing fraud or misrepresentation. And they do. To further complicate matters, art is sold everywhere all the time-- at individual artist websites, gallery websites, websites where artists pay fees to show their art, secondary market websites , auction sites, outdoor art shows, art galleries, art fairs, flea markets, estate sales, big city auctions, museum sales and rental galleries.

New art work sells in all price ranges; much of it passes through chains of wholesalers, distributors, and other resellers on its way to retail galleries, and ultimately to retail buyers. This includes paintings, sculptures, etchings, lithographs, photographs, serigraphs, wood carvings, ceramics, weavings, tapestries, watercolors, drawings, mixed media works, and so on. And that's just the brand new art; older art sells over and over and over again all the time, often changing ownership in secret private transactions. In all, countless millions of pieces of "art" are bought, sold, and traded worldwide every year.

Old-Master values have struggled to keep pace with those of more fashionable works by 20th-century and living artists. Traditional paintings have a smaller pool of collectors, and while buyers still fight for museum-quality discoveries, less desirable, previously-offered works attract less demand.

One of the questions that surrounds art as an asset is how to quantify an income stream from any sort of collection. But a recent report from Colin Gleadell suggests that art—in this case, 580 paintings and drawings assembled lightning quick over a three-year period—can produce revenue on an indirect basis. After a dull 2010 for global art sales, the Artprice Global Index bears testament to a rapid improvement in the market this year. The index, which is updated quarterly, shows that sales in the past three months have delivered prices that were last seen before the recession took hold in 2008.

One thing is certain – the big-time buyers of art are people in the financial sector who are weathering troubled times a lot better than high street businesses.And yet, for the last couple of decades, contemporary art has flourished through an alliance of the rich and the not-so-rich. It is the same educated, probably public-sector-employed middle class that enthusiastically visit galleries and art fairs. It is these fans of modern art who have helped, by their acclaim, to generate the charisma that makes it apparently worth so many millions. 

The Ashok Art Gallery is internationally known for one of its most important holdings: more than 2000 major works by the world's most significant Artists.Over the past years, as Ashok Art Gallery has become a major centre for contemporary visual art, the Gallery has built a strong collection of contemporary work of different artists, we became a sponsor of the STANDUP-SPEAKOUT Artshow, Organized by Art Of Living Foundation and United Nations.Organized an International Contenmporary Art Exhibition including artists from USA, The Nederlands, Pakistan and India.We have also participated at Art Expo India 2008, 09 Mumbai and India Art Summit 2008 New Delhi.

Nicholas Forrest's prediction is that art investment will continue to gain credibility and new avenues to invest in art will open up

I have been watching the art market very closely over the last year and have to say that I was actually quite pleased with what I saw. The more scholarly and connoisseurial approach to fine art that emerged in 2009 has temporarily re-focused people’s attention on the historical, cultural and artistic value of art as opposed to the social and financial values that dominated the contemporary driven market of the boom period. I say temporarily, because although the glitz and glamour of the contemporary art market has taken a huge hit, and there is no doubt in my mind that the phenomenon that is contemporary art will shortly return to the position of power that has made it a force to be reckoned with in the past. Perhaps sooner than we may think!!

The scholarly and connoisseurial trend of 2009 still has a bit of juice in the tank and should continue to play a major role in the 2010 market. Take for the instance, the work of the rather mysterious Dutch Baroque still life painter Adriaen Coorte, whose work is little known outside the scholarly world and went largely unrecognized until he was rediscovered by a Dutch art historian in the 1950s. Works by Coorte rarely comes to market so when two small paintings came up for auction at Sotheby’s on the 2nd of December of 2009, it was predicted that there would be considerable interest, but not anywhere as much interest as there ended up being. The first painting, a still life of strawberries in an earthenware bowl was fought over by six bidders who pushed the sale price to 1,520,750 Euro which was not only more than ten times the 150,000 euro high estimate but was also a new auction record for the artist. Next on the block was the second work by Coorte which broke the auction record set by the previous painting when it sold for 1,576,750 Euro against the same estimate of 100,000-150,000 Euro. Both paintings were acquired by the same European collector.

Marcus Aurelius Root, Anthony Pritchard, 1850, quarter-plate daguerreotype

Another artist whose work is little known outside the scholarly world is that of Marcus Aurelius Root. An early work by the renowned Philadelphia daguerreotypist of Anthony Pritchard was a feature of the October 8 Miller-Plummer Collection of Photographs sale and reached the astonishing world auction record price for the artist of US$350,500 against an estimate of $20,000 – $30,000. The sale of this work by Root is another example of the current trend that has seen connoisseurs and scholars drive up the demand for works of cultural and historical significance. Root’s photo of Anthony Pritchard is not the only example of antique/vintage photography that has exceeded price expectations; the whole market for antique/vintage photography has experienced a continuing surge of interest as the importance of photography in an art historical context is further realised. 2010 should see a continuation of the interest in antique/vintage photography as collectors and museums vie for the top works in a niche that is still in it’s infancy, and that still presents opportunities for collectors and connoisseurs to acquire works of major cultural and art historical significance at potentially bargain prices.

As a result of the reduction in the demand for contemporary art, emerging markets such as South Africa, Indonesia, Turkey, Poland, Singapore, Iran, Greece, etc. have become a focus of dealers and auction houses in an attempt to generate new revenue streams. A deciding factor in the decision of which emerging market to penetrate has been whether or not there is a strong enough force of wealthy European/Western expats to fuel demand for souvenirs of their temporarily adopted homeland. Former expats of emerging markets are also being targeted by market forces in an attempt to encourage a sense of nostalgia that will result in the purchase of a memento of their time abroad. 2009 saw a concerted new ground being broken with region specific auctions, particularly with those of emerging markets such as Greece and Turkey – a trend that I predict will continue gaining momentum in 2009.

With owners of what are considered to be the most desirable and valuable works of art tending to sit on their assets while the art market bottoms out I predict that 2010 will see the slow return of those modern and contemporary works that tend to send the market into a flurry of excitement. Another prediction I will make is that art investment will continue to gain credibility and new avenues to invest in art will open up. A sign of the continuing acceptance of art as a viable alternative asset is the fact that Israeli billionaire Arnon Milchan recently told Forbes magazine that art is the best investment to own. In his words “If you have triple-A art, I’ve never seen it really go down. Great art is the best thing to own. We’ve seen recently the art market picking up fast. The last Sotheby sale broke records.”

Wishing everyone a great 2010 !!

Nic Forrest

**Nicholas Forrest is an art market analyst, art critic and journalist based in Sydney, Australia. He is the founder of http://www.artmarketblog.com, writes the art column for the magazine Antiques and Collectibles for Pleasure and Profit and contributes to many other publications

The Ashok Art Gallery is internationally known for one of its most important holdings: more than 2000 major works by the world's most significant Artists.Over the past years, as Ashok Art Gallery has become a major centre for contemporary visual art, the Gallery has built a strong collection of contemporary work of different artists, became a sponsor of the STANDUP-SPEAKOUT Artshow, Organized by Art Of Living Foundation and United Nations.Organized an International Contenmporary Art Exhibition including artists from USA, The Nederlands, Pakistan and India.We have also participated at Art Expo India Mumbai and India Art Summit Delhi.

Clearly, the Art market is on the threshold of an upswing in terms of investor confidence

Art analysis firm ArtTactic’s confidence indicator for the Indian art market has more than doubled, sending positive signals to investors.

In fact, recovery in the Indian art market could occur earlier than expected, according to the latest research report released by the London-based art market analysis firm. The report suggests there is renewed confidence evident in the market that incidentally had dipped to an all-time low only six months ago.

The report holds significance since ArtTactic, set up by Anders Petterson almost a decade ago, is an internationally reputed agency. It comes up with research and commentary by combining both quantitative and qualitative tools. Its studies are backed by an in-depth knowledge of the art market’s .

ArtTactic employs analytical frameworks and methodologies for the art market often employed by economists and the financial experts. Anders Petterson, ArtTactic managing director, elaborates, “The survey sample is a cross-section of key players in the Indian art market many of whom have a long-term interest in it, and hence their answers are not driven by short-term decisions.”

Its confidence indicator for the Indian art market is now pegged just under the 50 mark, at 49. The 50 mark importantly, suggests there are an equal number of negative and positive responses on the outlook for the art market in the near term. In May, the indicator was well in the negative territory, pegged at an abysmally low number of 20.

Clearly, the market is on the threshold of an upswing in terms of investor confidence. This really is a positive indicator coupled with the Indian economy that is showing early signs of revival.

The Ashok Art Gallery is internationally known for one of its most important holdings: more than 2000 major works by the world's most significant Artists.Over the past years, as Ashok Art Gallery has become a major centre for contemporary visual art, the Gallery has built a strong collection of contemporary work of different artists, we became a sponsor of the STANDUP-SPEAKOUT Artshow, Organized by Art Of Living Foundation and United Nations.Organized an International Contenmporary Art Exhibition including artists from USA, The Nederlands, Pakistan and India.We have also participated at Art Expo India Mumbai and India Art Summit New Delhi.

Indian Classical Art Set to Soar – said Art Market Expert Nicholas Forrest

My big tip for 2010 is that Indian classical art will increase in value considerably so my advice is to take advantage of the very low prices that such works are being offered for at the moment.I am really looking forward to seeing the new “Maharaja: the Splendour of India’s Royal Courts” exhibition which will be opening at the Victoria and Albert museum in London on the 10th of October. According to the V&A website “The heyday of the maharajas began in earnest after the collapse of the Mughal empire in the early 18th century. The exhibition will open with this period of chaos and adventure and will close at the end of British rule in 1947, when Indian princes acceded their territories into the modern states of India and Pakistan.”

Although it may not seem that exciting, this exhibition is a very important exhibition in my opinion because of the extent to which historic Indian works of art are undervalued. One of the reasons for this is the lack of cultural sector infrastructure in India which means that there is relatively little scholarly or curatorial attention paid to the works of the 18th and 19th centuries. In particular, the work of 18th century Indian artists is particularly impressive and is very highly valued because of the significant events that happened at this time that were important to the history of India. With so many wealthy people in India who are becoming more interested in fine art and cultural objects, I believe that it is inevitable that the value of classical works of art and other objects that have cultural and historical significant will increase in value very shortly.

Although a number of Indian billionaires have had their wealth decreased by the financial crisis (until last year India had the highest number of billionaires in Asia), there are still 24 Billionaires in India according to Forbes magazine (March 2009), which gives India the 6th highest number of Billionaires – only 4 billionaires behind China and two spots on the list. India was ahead of China in the 2008 rankings when they had 54 billionaires but is now behind them due to the financial crisis but the outlook for Indian’s economy is very good and is even tipped to overtake the Chinese economy.

In relation to the art market, I think that a comparison between China and India is very relevant. Both countries have a rich cultural history, and both countries are experiencing an increase in new wealth which has given more people the means to indulge their passion for fine art and cultural objects. The art market boom showed that a major increase in the number of wealthy people in a certain country usually results in what is essentially a buy back of that countries historic and cultural artefacts from abroad. This happened with Russia, Japan, China and is sure to happen with India.

Althought the market for contemporary Indian art has been hit particularly hard by the financial crisis combined with the lack of patronanage as well as the lack of curatorial and scholarly attention given to India’s contemporary artists, the work of the well known modern Indian masters has faired remarkably well. There is obviously still a considerable amount of wealth in India that is available to be spent but as with other art markets around the world, buyers are being much more discerning and careful with their money in light of recent events. Works of art that are seen to have cultural and historic value have the characteristics (stability and justifiable value) that buyers are looking for at the moment.

My big tip for 2010 is that Indian classical art will increase in value considerably so my advice is to take advantage of the very low prices that such works are being offered for at the moment.

**Nicholas Forrest is an art market analyst, art critic and journalist based in Sydney, Australia. He is the founder of http://www.artmarketblog.com, writes the art column for the magazine Antiques and Collectibles for Pleasure and Profit and contributes to many other publications

Indian Classices by Baladev Moharatha @ Ashok Art Gallery


The Ashok Art Gallery is internationally known for one of its most important holdings: more
than 2000 major works by the world's most significant Artists.Over the
past years, as Ashok Art Gallery has become a major centre for
contemporary visual art, the Gallery has built a strong collection of
contemporary work of different artists, we became a sponsor of the
STANDUP-SPEAKOUT Artshow, Organized by Art Of Living Foundation and
United Nations.Organized an International Contenmporary Art Exhibition
including artists from USA, The Nederlands, Pakistan and India.We have
also participated at Art Expo India Mumbai and India Art Summit New
Delhi.

Contemporary Indian art and the relationship it shares with the international art scene, art fair review

If a fair is expected to bring together eminent personalities and experts in a meaningful interaction with the masses, this is exactly what Art Expo India 2009 in Mumbai (Nehru Centre, Mumbai, September 25- 27) achieved. Prominent artists, famous gallerists, high profile buyers, renowned art experts, top curators and eager investors joined in a jovial celebration of contemporary Indian art and its rising global stature.

Considered among the major events on the country’s art calendar, the second edition of AEI served as the most comprehensive congregation of art collectors, museum directors, critics, art historians, art fund managers and corporate decision makers from across the globe. The fair, a showcase of the very best in Modern & Contemporary art, acted as a flash point, to ignite interest in contemporary Indian art. Stung by global recession and economic crisis, AEI could not have come at a better time, playing the role of a catalyst to revive the art scene.

The central theme was emerging contemporary Indian art and the relationship it shares with the international art scene. There’s no doubt about the fact that India’s art scene has acquired center stage globally. Though Indian art has been in existence for centuries, its impact on the larger international canvas has been rather limited. However, things are now fast changing as witnessed at the expo that was a vibrant reflection of the country’s myriad art trends, encompassing sociopolitical, religious and historical developments.

Some of India’s biggest and best-known galleries featured at the expo. These included Apparao Galleries, Chennai; ICIA, Sakshi, Gallery BMB, Gallery Beyond, The Arts Trust, Art Musings, Priyasri Art Gallery, Pink Ginger Arts (all Mumbai); Latitude 28, Marigold Fine Art, Ashok Art Gallery, Ojas Art, Indian Art Ideas, Gurgaon Art Centre, Dhoomimal Gallery, Bajaj Capital Art House, Progressive Art Gallery, Art Inc., Wonderwall (all New Delhi); Ishka, Cochin; Sara Arakkal, Bangalore; and Kalakriti, Hyderabad. Among the international galleries were Jolrong.com (Singapore/Bangladesh); Galerie ArtSeefeld, Switzerland; Gallery Archana, Malaysia, and 1x1 Art Gallery, Dubai.

Renowned curator-collector Mrs. Kay Saatchi inaugurated the event. The keynote address delivered by her dwelt upon the theme of spotting young talent and building up an art collection. In fact, a major highlight of the event was a series of freewheeling conversations with some of the luminaries of the international art world, comprising Mallika Sagar Advani, Anjolie Ela Menon. Dr. Alka Pande, Jitish Kallat, Ranjit Hoskote, Bose Krishnamachari, Shantanu Poredi, Brian Brown, Sharan Apparao, Menaka Kumari-Shah, Abhay Sardesai and Kirsty Ogg. Themes like buying art in recessionary times; ‘Art in Life: the ‘Daily Pleasure of Collecting’; ‘The aesthetics of the erotic’; (X)topia: A Search for Place, A Place for Search’; Everything is Art; and ‘Indian Art in an International Perspective’ were debated, evoking spontaneous responses and a round of rapid fire questions from the engrossed audience.

Mention also must be made of a mini-retrospective at AEI, which was arranged as a small tribute to S. H. Raza and his dedication to art. The legendary artist has remarked: “I have lived fully, and (always) worked with passion and intensity both as a painter and thinker. It needed 30 years for me to master the art of painting before I arrived at a personal style.” The show encapsulated the spirit of his art practice.

Nehru Centre in Mumbai might not be frequented by art connoisseurs but last weekend over 20,000 enthusiasts were visited the venue to view artwork from 30 galleries around the world at Art Expo India. “It’s a forum that allows viewers to look at a collection that is representative,” says Vickram Sethi, chairman of the three-day fair. He adds, “Entering galleries could be intimidating and a forum like this helps initiate new people into the world art.” young participation by Ashok Art Gallery has got a spectacular response on both visitors and sale, it was almost crowded all three days. their collections includes masters like C.S.Rao, seniors like Baladev Moharatha, cutting edge like Pratul Dash and new talent Pradosh Swain, Sajal Patra and Kanta Kishore were hot favorite amongst all.The event spread over three day brought immense sense of satisfaction and achievement to its organizer Vickram Sethi, who has been involved in art for close to two decades and has witnessed the dramatic evolution of Indian art scene. The Arts Trust was set up by him in 1990 with a long-term vision of promoting Indian contemporary art, which was just gaining in prominence at that time. The Institute of Contemporary Indian Art (ICIA) was a logical extension of his vision of becoming the best source for quality work by both the distinguished and emerging Indian artists.

Having had his own art gallery, he had valuable first-hand experience of the difference between the art markets in India and outside. He realized that the three challenges to the Indian art market were an unorganized art market, limited collectors and buyers and international exposure, interlinking and affecting each other. He felt the need for a consolidated resource within India for its art scene hence he launched the Art Expo last year.

Harping on the bright future of Indian art and artists as reflected at AEI, Meenakshi Reddy Madhavan of The National, a leading UAE based publication, wrote: “Walking through the expo, it’s hard to imagine that there’s a global economic crisis. If anything, the canvases were larger and more obviously bright than in previous years, the sculptures and installation pieces held pride of place, and the new generation was holding down the fort.”

Echoing the sentiments, Mr. Sethi expressed confidence about the bright prospects and potential of contemporary Indian art. He added, “The Indian market is in a very nascent stage compared to the international art markets. However, it’s only a matter of time before it grows at a rapid pace.” Art Expo India 2009 was a significant step forward in this highly fulfilling, rewarding and enriching journey, searching for new, meaningful expression of creativity.
Art Expo India this year has showcased artists like Picasso , Ganit Blechnr, Souza, Raza, Ram Kumar, Krishna, Khanna, Nalini Malni, Anjoli Ela Menon, Suryakant Lokhande, Jagannath Mohapatra, Akbar Padamsee, Chirag Patel, Jogen Choudhary, Alok Bal, Kanta Kishore Moharana, Sajal Patra, Baladev Moharatha, Pradosh Swain, Somanath Raut, Pratap Jena, Amna Ilyas, Gadadhar Ojha, Manas Ranjan Jena, items, including pieces by artists of the country to see many masterful art works of both Indian Masters and Younger Artists.

The Ashok Art Gallery is internationally known for one of its most important holdings: more than 2000 major works by the world's most significant Artists.Over the past years, as Ashok Art Gallery has become a major centre for contemporary visual art, the Gallery has built a strong collection of contemporary work of different artists, became a sponsor of the STANDUP-SPEAKOUT Artshow, Organized by Art Of Living Foundation and United Nations.Organized an International Contenmporary Art Exhibition including artists from USA, The Nederlands, Pakistan and India.We have also participated at Art Expo India Mumbai and India Art Summit New Delhi.

The India Art Fair ART EXPO INDIA 2009 at Nehru Centre DAY-1

It was 25th sept. 2009 , at around 11 am started a special Preview for invited people ART EXPO INDIA 2009, the much-awaited event on India’s art calendar, has been held at Nehru Centre, Mumbai last week. The who’s who of the art world including renowned artists, art experts, collectors, patrons and aspiring investors thronged the venue to celebrate the throbbing spirit of modern and contemporary Indian art.

Art Expo India aims to offer the wave of new Indian talent a perfect launch pad on the domestic and international market. An encouragement to young painters so that collectors notice them coupled with a boost to the culture of value-based investing in art is reflected in AEI’s program, which features a series of insightful talks on art related themes.

Acknowledged for her insight of contemporary art trends, Kay Saatchi discussed the nuances of the fine art of collecting art in conversation with in the inaugural session. She has co-curated several exhibitions for the Saatchi Collection. She vigorously promotes young artists in her role as the founding director of the Artists and Collectors Exchange.

Art expert Mallika Sagar Advani conversed with Kay Saatchi who elaborated on the intricate maze of relationships between an artist and a collector, between a dealer and an artist, and a dealer and a collector, hinting that the interlinking of interests has to be based on trust. She provided valuable tips on becoming a successful collector and also offered tips to aspiring curators and gallery owners

During her conversation with Mallika Sagar Advani at the inaugural talk session at Art Expo India 2009, art expert Kay Saatchi revealed at the outset that anticipation is the key when it comes to building your art collection.

She added: “The process involves immense amount of groundwork – visiting art schools, checking out shows at art galleries, spotting the new talent, and finding out who are the next art stars.” She narrated how she studied close to 600 artists’ works to pick her top 20 as part of a similar such exercise.

What are the attributes to watch out for in an emerging artist, she was asked, According to Kay Saatchi, coupled with a certain amount of skill, what she looks for is the artist’s commitment and passion to make art. Integrity and determination are necessary along with the natural talent, she emphasized.

Mallika Sagar Advani’s pertinent queries regarding the current complex dynamics of contemporary art and its evolving structure prompted responses from Kay Saatchi based on her deep understanding and practical experience. The conversation also touched upon various aspects like her role as a curator, her involvement in an artist’s career, the broader market mechanics, the transition to auction dominated art market from a gallery dominated one, the changed norms of collecting, maintaining and upgrading an art collection.

The moderator also tracked Kay Saatchi’s own evolution as an art collector-curator, seeking her opinion on things that create value in an artwork. It was an engrossing and entertaining discussion as Priyanka Sethi summed it up at the end, stating: “The conversation was stimulating, honest and extremely informative. The more, we think, we know about the art world, we find something new, something more interesting and something more exciting, and something even shocking every time. That’s the beauty and joy of art.” But then we need helping hand from experts like Mallika Sagar Advani and Kay Saatchi to discover it.


The Ashok Art Gallery is internationally known for one of its most important holdings: more than 2000 major works by the world's most significant Artists.Over the past years, as Ashok Art Gallery has become a major centre for contemporary visual art, the Gallery has built a strong collection of contemporary work of different artists, became a sponsor of the STANDUP-SPEAKOUT Artshow, Organized by Art Of Living Foundation and United Nations.Organized an International Contenmporary Art Exhibition including artists from USA, The Nederlands, Pakistan and India.We have also participated at Art Expo India Mumbai and India Art Summit New Delhi.

India Art Summit 2008, India's modern and contemporary art fair

India Art Summit™ 2008 has received an overwhelming response with over 90 applications from galleries and art businesses. The art fair will house 34 of the best exhibitiors of Indian art representing over 12 regions from India & overseas. The India Art Summit™ will therefore showcase the most diverse range of modern and contemporary paintings, sculpture, photography, mix media, prints, drawings and video art by veterans and upcoming artists from across the country. The 3 days in August will see the largest congregation of art collectors, a new wave of investors and art lovers from different geographies.

There will also be a day long interactive seminar with internationally renowned speakers like Dr. Robert Storr, Dr. Hugo Weihe, Mr. Philip Hoffman, Ms. Geeta Kapur, Prof. Rajeev Lochan, Ms. Anjolie Ela Menon, Mr. Arun Vadehra, Mr. Dinesh Vazirani.

PROGRAMME DETAILS:

22nd August 2008 (Friday)

11:00am - 2: 00pm (Collectors Preview by invitation only)

2:00pm -8:00pm (Fair open)

23rd August 2008 (Saturday)

11:00am - 8:00pm (Fair Open)

10:30am - 6:30 pm (Day long seminar)

7:30 pm onwards (Cocktails and Dinner at Intercontinental The Grand - by invitation only)

24th August (Sunday)

11:00am - 6:00pm (Fair Open)
Looking for quality art works from upcoming young artists? just step in...
ASHOK ART GALLERY
STALL NO - A-30
India Art Summit 2008

"Spaces in Transition" an exhibition of contemporary acrylic paintings

Ascending into the outer reaches of empty space, the elephant is on its determined walk. Not too excited by the prospects of weightlessness a sense of buoyant lull sweeps into a time warp. With a tiger skin on its back the walk is led by another cub grasping a sapling to its limbs for good measure. The walk in the sky seems to be a routine affair in the gravity of realities that are worked out in the ground far below. A herd below is stuck to the realities of coping with the changing landscape out in the open with protection being the last word. In the serenity of the moment forces are at work in enacting changes to maintain equilibrium. In the surreal landscape, a tenacious branch stands in mute testimony to the spaces in transition…

Spaces in transition are a body of works that find parallels in surreal transformations adapting to the engaging moment of change. Anup K Chand gives momentum to changes in the environment that has been on the receiving end with regards to rampant commercialization and exploitation of visible land. Modulating the pace at which land gets divided there are elements that confluence in the medley of events growing on a day-to-day basis. Instead of depicting the stark reality of the situation the artist treats subjects in a surreal phase of regenerating forms. In a simulation of handling the inevitable, a cheetah stands in contemplation of pace that has crept into the present state of developing technologies. The fastest mover on land, the animal stands surveying a landscape that has become alienated in the mushrooming cluster of manufacturing units working to satisfy the teeming population. It's also a moment when it has nowhere to exercise its need for space and speed.

Having a Ph.D. in Visual Art from Indira Kala Sangeet Vishwavidyalaya, Khairagarh, Chhattisgarh after completing his Masters in painting from the same institution, Anup had been involved in researching traditional art forms from coastal Orissa. The Pata Chitra paintings/icon paintings traditions from Orissa has been a constant source of enrichment for the artist that he had it included in his research study at the Vishwavidyalaya. Basic forms and motifs from Pata Chitra continues to show in his works on canvas with emphasis on the use of black lines and form. But getting into the realm of the contemporary phase in Indian Art, the motifs are put against layers of modernity. The iconic intent of Pata Chita reveals itself within the contemporary rendering of the surface while maintaining a minimalist attachment to the original form.

Animal and plant forms gain a major part of the content in the landscape that the artist envisages. With due respect to a belief in the environment, chance for regeneration shows itself in creeping saplings finding their way to the skies for affirmation and hope. Apart from adding a decorative value to the works, the saplings writhe and struggle to find their space in the struggle for survival and hope. It's at this juncture the elements realize the emergent need for adapting to the changing order. It does not take much to see adaptations in the way that the living, growing and the throbbing undertake to make survival possible. A tree grows over a metal fencing taking the foreign object within its folds. Since it cannot get rid of the irregularity in its path it takes hold of the metal in a way that does not hinder growth. Although at a glance it could seem to be a mutation of sorts, surreal at the most, the fact remains at the end of the day the tree has survived in its own way adapting to the moment. Such aberrations abound in surroundings of the day that have become accepted as part of the usual.

It was interesting to know the development of each painting as it was worked on towards its completion. The artist explains how each element in the landscape endeared to grow with the work in progress. Maintaining a surreal progression of events, minimal color fields in the background of each work provide a base for the elements to engage and develop. Flora and fauna take their surreal path till the time there is no need for further engagement with space. In letting larger areas of emptiness to remain, there is a breather in the mutations that could remain a solace in the hope for survival. With use of a primary palette, the artist further emphasizes associations with the land. Abundant use of browns and blues do find a contemporary shade in the whites keeping up with contemporary handling of colour.

In reacting to the circumstances, it's been a point of transition for the artist who has been in touch with realities of the land and iconic traditions of painting followed by its people. In the city, it becomes a beacon for stabilizing forces that intrude into spaces that are meant to be left alone. The ultimate realization comes home when empty spaces in the canvas lies in wait for variations in the experience to take shape. And they are always spaces in transition… Jenson Anto



Showcasing : Anup Kumar Chand

By : Ashok Art Gallery

At: Triveni Kala Sangam
205, Tansen Marg, New Delhi – 110001
From 31st March to 9th April 2008
Daily 11 am – 7 pm

Art of Life in Limbo, a promising young artist Anup Kumar Chand

Ashok Art Gallery presents Spaces in Transition, an exhibition of contemporary paintings by Anup Kumar chand, who has a Ph. D in Visual Arts, is deeply inspired by the Patta Chitra motifs from Orissa. Commercialisation and exploitation of land is another aspect that Chand expressed his feeling against.The body of work in this exhibition responds to the continuosly changing life scape of contemporary society.

At: Triveni Kala Sangam

Tansen Marg, New Delhi - 110001

From 31st March - 10th April 2008

11AM - 7PM Daily

Visit online

Contemporary Art Exhibition Review

from a palace…
On the eve of 50th year celebration of Indira Kala Sangeet Vishwavidyalaya, Khairagarh, Chhattishgarh, India ,53 artists from visual art faculty who were studied their Fine Art from this oldest Indian Art Institution has displayed their exceptional works at Rabindra Bhawan Galleries II & III ,World renowned eminent master S. H Raza and Eminent Indian Poet/Art Critic/Writer Sh Ashok Vajpeyi has inaugurated the show When you walk through the gallery, you will find Ajay Kumar Mall has worked on the speed and intensity of his brushwork to create abstract oils on canvas while the 'Green Landscape' by Hukum Lal Verma displays a celebration of colour and line. Elements from the landscape begin to disintegrate with its remnants in the title. Spontaneity of working in the outdoors brings about the need for speed with the application and the inevitable breakup of the form. In the lucid watercolours of the landscape by Anil Khobragare, transparent pigments look for spaces to hold on to the paper in a play of flow and merge in the painting process. Struggle for space and control comes forth in the acrylics of Devasis Mukherjee, as the birds seem to find a way to synchronize rhythms of existence among themselves. Girja Kumar Nirmalker delineates and engages pigments in indicating abstract spaces within composition while landscape remains in the hidden strata of the painting. Jiten Sahu works on constructing the urban landscape in a series of buildup activity across the canvas. Freedom of the display of brushwork remains in the periphery of the constructed space. Looking for purity of colour in the abstract, mixed media works of Mahesh Sharma engages in not looking for the definite and the orderly, rather the build up of pigment forms the base for developing the work.

Fleeting moments manages to manifest in the abstracts of Yogendra Tripati in a residual of earth colours that play every so light on the canvas. Elements from the landscape remain in the works of Manish Verma with an alluring content for transition into the abstract. Retaining colours of the earth, the acrylic works modulate to the circumstances. Shubra Chand also works on this transition with layering of pigments. Fields of colour are set against each other in the work of Prabir Kumar Dalai. The formations allow for brilliance in colour to make representations across the fields. Using dry pastel on paper Rajesh Mishra indicates flowing lines of the dancers in an attempt to capture the moment of action in 'Khairagarh'. In the rush for existence, evasion of death seems to be the moment of realization in the work of Sukant Dev Burman. Futility in the exercise seems to be the prediction of a parrot in contemplation while a dove tries to stabilize the present. Destiny in the hands of the richness of environment is taunting enough to be in the outdoors, away from comforts of the home in the painting of Sunita Verma. Symbolic in representation, the chair makes up for the absence of the household.

Relishing in the possibilities of transformation, the chance for a new world that could take one into the imaginable, the harmless soldier stands in readiness in the fusion of the real and the unreal in the work of Adhikalp Yadu. In similar terrain, Anup kumar Chand looks for transformations in the chance for that change in reality of a consistent regularity in the environment. Anant kumar Sahu ponders over the world order in the etching 'After Third Worldwar'. Frailty of lines in the etching drives home the situation in such an event. Aspirations in the form of a flower come in the etching by Khemlata Dewangan in 'Dream Flower'. The jaded sunflower looks up to the challenge in the present set of circumstances as the individual is caught in a vortex of the dream. In the dreaminess of the landscape, the painting by Malay Jain allows for another side of the landscape, not necessarily in the real. 'Soldiers after a War' by Mahesh R. Prajapati repeats the introspection of the individual caught in the cacophony of war. Etching and serigraphy allows for fields of hard, opaque colour in combination with sensitivity of the line.

Symbolic and the representational find its place in the prints of Rakesh Bani. The beast has its ways of instilling fear and control over frailty of the mind. With a limited use of colour, the work gets accentuated in its scope of an expanding vision. Spatial play gets mingled with the symbolic in the work of Tikendra Kumar Sahu with dog days open throughout the year to make a livelihood for comfort as Sharad Kumar Kawre explores the representational through the digital medium of printmaking. Sheikh Hifzul makes use of transformation of imagery in the 'Kiss-III'. Decorative elements and motifs adorn the masculine and the feminine in an intimate moment of the imaginary. Use of adornment continues in the work of Sankar Sarkar in 'Gold Show'. Looking for an intervention into the consumerist pattern of the present day, the subject is laden with showpieces that have questions on its origins. In an intervention for a social cause, 'Last drop" by Sajal Patra makes a statement about non-availability of a basic necessity for sustenance. 'Camel' by Ravi Kant Jha extends the possibility of tranformation of the subject for relating to a thought, in this case being a performance. An untitiled etching print by Rabi Narayan Gupta captures a vivid cacophony of imagery of torment. There's a search for redemption in the midst of such chaos and vulnerability. In the midst of these works is a painting by Ritesh Meshram that allows a seemingly innocent play of line and colour.

'Five Friends in B.F.A', an Etching by Mukti Agarwal is open to interpretation as a set of 5 birds gaze in extreme numbness. The quality of printmaking comes through in the work of Priyanka Waghela under an overlay of acrylic paint. Floatation of the subject plays with a compositional necessity of the work. Amar Jyoti Sarma plays a 'Mind Game' with a set of coffee cups set against an individual in contemplation. Spatial play with the cups sets a sense of intrigue to the painting while the mask of a clown against a series of stairs in the work of Dharam Beer Kumar allows for interplay of meaning. A stylized cow is represented in all its readiness for a charming display along its path in a painting by Hareream Das. A sense of freedom and pursuit is seen embellished in the Bronze sculpture by Rajesh Sharma and Kishore Kumar Sharma.

This physical show will be on vew

at: Rabindra Bhawan Gallery, Lalit Kala Academy, New Delhi, India till 22nd of January , 2008 and it will continue till 15th of February 2008 at Ashok Art Gallery.

Contemporary Art Exhibition Review : Ashok Art Gallery

Contemporary Art Gallery News:Art Exbhibition Reviews

Ashok Art Gallery presents :


'CONTEMPORARY INTERNATIONAL ART EXHIBITION'

Curated By: Ashok Nayak
november 2007
india habitat centre
lodhi road, new delhi,
india


First time in Indian Art Market, presenting the most debated women artist from Pakistan Amna Ilyas , the young women painter from Udhampur who is drawing a lot of attention, Kanchan Verma , the lovely lady with a amazing art skill from The Nederlands Thea Walstra and the eminent artist from USA Ruth Olivar Millan


All participating artists are : Amna Ilyas, Jayadev Biswal, Sanjoy Bose, Ajay Mohanty, Rohit Supakar, Pradosh Swain, Kanchan Verma, Kanta Kishore, Shiba Prashad, Sujat Pattanaik, Debashis Chakraborty, Ruth Olivar Millan, Sambit Panda, Anasuya, Thea Walstra


Ashok Nayak




Curator, Exhibition Director




www.ashokartgallery.com

The dijected dusk ,An Exposition of Paintings from Living Master Baladev Moharatha(chitradev)

In the human psyche the male chauvinistic attitude is a perennial concept. In the epical descriptions, the female has always been portrayed as a commodity of enjoyment and the beastly lust always engulfs the feminine sector. Never she has been regarded as the part and parcel of the supreme creation literally but regarded proverbially.But she is always forgotten as the sculptor of life embodiment. In the historical depictions,though there are feministic heroism still the exploitation is optimum.In this era of Bagar culture the femininity has been commodified. The visual media people like add makers always having the said exploitation fructified and they believe that with the inclusion of the female form in to their add visual their Balance sheet for the fiscal will show overwhelming results. The age old concept of the female being regarded as Janani (The mother), Bhagini (The sister) and Jaya (the wife) has gone to the oblivion as on today.
Exhibition will open for public from 1st Feb 2007- 5th Feb 2007
At: Palm Court Gallery, India Habitat Centre, New Delhi, INDIA

Counselling and Promotion
www.ashokartgallery.com

-O V E R V E W-

Successful artists know that marketing goes far beyond postcard mailings to galleries. Great marketing puts your artwork in front of customers who would like to purchase it and keeps them coming back for more. And that requires forming relationships. Here's Ashok Art Gallery, the people you need to know and how to make connections that will lead to sales.Include an "artist pack" (information about Artist and hisr art) with every painting they sell. Invite collectors to all of their important shows. Hosts collectors-only open house or party. Invite collectors to a special preview the night before their exhibitions. Send handwritten thank-you notes after they come to one of their shows.we believe in using the technology of the future to help you access the treasures of the past.We are looking on developing in the very near future, a fully online art auction facility enabling you to place bids from the comfort of your own desk.We are committed to create a definitive exciting, 24 hr online , all year round, International art and antique fair.

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