Indian art market

A few galleries from countries like Japan and
Philippines were exhibiting in India for the first time. "The
Chalo India exhibition at the Mori Museum saw a lot of
visitors. I thought of introducing Japanese art to Indians,"
says Michiko Yamamoto of Tokyo's Shonandai My Gallery. The
most expensive work in her gallery was by Hideaki Yamamoto,
priced at Rs 1,95,000.

Stefan Wimmer of the German gallery Beck and Eggeling,
says, "The market for art is still strong and not as hyped as
a couple of years ago. We are focusing on long term
collectors." The gallery will exhibit five Indian artists in
Germany from February to March 2009.

Wimmer's coleague Katja Ott says, "We sold a piece by
Viveek Sharma and a Picasso etching but Germans do not know
much of Indian art and treat it like exotica."

At the end of the summit nearly 250 artworks valued at
Rs 26 crore were sold. The total value of artworks on display
at the fair was approximately Rs 40-50 crore.

Reaction by gallery owners was mixed. Dutch artist
Ferial Kheradpicheh's whose work "Pieta," a photography on
canvas priced at Rs 8,700 euro says, "Indians still need to
open up to international art."

Rob Dean Art Gallery which showed, Princess Pea works
made of fibre glass and automated paint said, "We are bringing
very fresh works to the market and a lot of collectors
expressed interest and may result in sales early next year at
our London exhibition," says Rob Dean. MORE PTI