Put Your Art Where Your Mouth Is

Source Tehelka par Aradhna Wal
Is art functional or just for art’s sake? The camp lines are redrawn in Mumbai on 5 April, with the opening of the Art for Humanity exhibition. Teesta Setalvad brings together 74 contemporary Indian artists, in the fund raising collaboration by her foundation, Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP). Short on money for her many causes, Setalvad struck upon art as a solution. “The obstacles we face are mainly political. In artists we found natural allies. People unafraid to ideologically challenge the powers that be”, says the 50-year-old activist. “Communalism is like racism. It’s a fight against the demons within us. Not everyone is strong enough to face them. Artists are.”
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Trafficking mafia killed rape victim's mother

Source The Times of India by Suchandana Gupta
This is more than a story about trafficking of women. It is also a disturbing glimpse at the not-so-shining India where marginalised groups like tribals are exploited in all forms. More than six decades after India's independence, their situation should have been much better. It's not. We have stopped affirmation action for them with reservations. That's not sufficient. Unless there is strong deterrent action in cases of this kind, the mindset that views the marginalised as lesser citizens will continue to thrive. And that would be a severe indictment of us as a nation, because a civilised society is really judged by how it treats the underprivileged.
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Ten Expert Tips For Investing in the Art Market

Source Forbes by Abigail R. Esman
Think of the New York couple, Dorothy and Herbert Vogel – he a postal worker, she a librarian, who scrimped and saved to buy small works by emerging Minimalists in the 1960s and 70s, paying just a few hundred dollars for each — and whose collection is now worth hundreds of millions of dollars – though they refuse to sell a single thing.
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Work by master Indian artist Bagta breaks auction world record at Bonhams

Source Art Daily
Bonhams announced a stellar performance of a very important, previously unrecorded work by the master Indian artist Bagta (fl. 1761-1814) in the March 19 Indian, Himalayan & Southeast Asian Art auction NY. This remarkable work and cover lot to the sale sold for six times the high estimate claiming $302,500 (pre-sale estimate $30,000 - 50,000). Edward Wilkinson, Bonhams department specialist, states about the sale, "It was truly incredible to witness the sale of this work come to fruition. Bringing in a lot of this caliber has proven to be not only a highlight of my career but also a highlight for Bonhams and for this 2012 Asia Week." This portrait of the imposing figure of Rawat Gokal Das celebrating 'holi' with his consorts was consigned by a collector who bought the piece two decades ago for a modest a $125. Dated 1808 and measuring 16 x 22 inches this work is a rare representation of Bagta's larger scale depiction.
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See Keith Haring's Early Artwork From the Brooklyn Museum Retrospective

Source Art Info by Alanna Martinez
The show is a testament to the artist’s dedicated career, which bridged underground activism, connected a massive network of artists, and helped define a period in the history of New York’s vibrant bohemian culture.
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BB initials : Bombay Baroda

Pour un passionné de l'art moderne et contemporain indiens ces deux dernières années étaient particulièrement difficiles tant les catalogues de vente, de Londres à New York (sans parler de la disparition de Paris !) s'appauvrissaient graduellement à l'instar du dernier catalogue de Sotheby's NY renouant avec la médiocrité du début des années 2000. Heureusement le dernier catalogue d'Osian's nous sort de cet engrenage. Loin du nombrilisme bling bling auquel nous avait habitué le fondateur de cette récente maison de vente, ce catalogue permet de découvrir l'art indien dans la diversité constituante de sa singularité.
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Moving on from Jangarh: Gond art comes into its own

The Sunday Guardian by Aditi Uberoi
Gond art, for centuries, has adorned the walls of the Pardhan Gond tribe homes in Central India. However, over the last two to three years, interest in the art has escalated among city-dwellers and foreign collectors, with its growing accessibility, vibrancy and affordability. The credit for popularising the art form, formalising many of its styles and its transformation on canvas, is always attributed to the father of Gond Art, Jangarh Shyam. His mysterious death in Japan left his admirers bereaved but during his lifetime, he gave help and guidance to many of his tribe whose only livelihood is painting. Artist Arpana Caur, one of the first collectors of tribal art in India, reminisces of the time she met Jangarh. "Even though he was already quite famous when I met him, his manner was always that of a sweet village boy. He would have been so happy to see his tribe do so well now."
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Brazilian Art Exhibition Builds Bridges to India

Source Divanee by Hanifa Haris
From BRIC to Bollywood, a new bridge in the relationship between Brazil and India has marked a new era for the countries. Índia Lado a Lado (India Side by Side), a contemporary art exhibition of Indian artists traveling through Brazil, reflects this bond. The countries have long been tied through their shared colonial histories. The first bilateral treaties between India and Brazil arose in the 16th and 18th centuries, while both were colonies of Portugal, resulting in an exchange of flora, fauna, food, customs and clothing. This exhibition explores the modern relationship between the countries.
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