BY: Himali Singh Soin
India Art Fair is officially one of the best attended art events in the world: How to enjoy it and New Delhi at the same time
The India Art Fair (previously called The India Art Summit) features 91 galleries and art spaces from 91 countries.
Founded by 31-year-old Neha Kirpal in 2008, the India Art Fair features the work of well-known international artists such as Picasso, Dali, Rashid Rana and Damien Hirst as well as hosts a speaker’s forum by curators, gallerists, art theoreticians and artists from around the world.
The fair also lends its outdoor and (non-functional) indoor spaces to larger projects that cannot be contained within the gallery booths.
This year, look out for Zuleikha Chaudhari and Clemens Behr’s architectural installations, supported by the Creative India Foundation. These kinetic sculptures inspire awe and offer a space for silence and thought amid an otherwise intense atmosphere of seeing and dealing.
“Most people spend more than a day or two at the Fair and one of the reasons people also come back every year is that it offers a rare opportunity to experience the sheer diversity of the Indian art scene first hand, and under one roof,” says India Art Fair founder Kirpal.
“The afterhours parties, gallery exhibitions and collateral events happening around New Delhi during the Fair are a big pull for people visiting the city too.”
“With the Jaipur Literature Festival and India Art Fair Back to back, January is now really the best month for anyone interested in culture to be in India.”
AROUND NEW DELHI
EAT: indian accent at the manor
In close proximity to the fair and house in The Manor hotel, restaurant Indian Accent presents art on a plate.
With blue cheese parathas as a starter and Wasabi cucumber raita as an accompaniement, the food at Indian Accent, both conceptually and literally, fuses Indian with international flavors.
Chef Manish Mehrotra is the newest contestant on NDTV’s upcoming show, Foodistan, a cook-off between Pakistani and Indian chefs.
Try Mehrotra’s bharawan mirch with a goat cheese mousse, a surprising culinary experience that’s new to their winter tasting menu. And the strawberry-basil sorbet between courses.
Meal approximately Rs 2,000 per person.
The Manor, 77 Friends Colony (W), New Delhi; +91 (0)11 4323 5151; www.themanordelhi.com
Open for lunch from noon-3 p.m. and dinner from 7 p.m.-11 p.m.
