KALPITA BASU
[ SATURDAY, MAY 19, 2007 Indian art, on a global fast track today, is increasingly offering a shoulder to charity. Art-for-a-cause is establishing itself as a movement by roping in the glitterati who love to dabble in social concerns over sketches, chiffon and, well, champagne.
And take it from the horse's mouth, United Breweries' chairman Vijay Mallya, arguably the ambassador of the Indian cocktail circuit. "Indian art has never seen such good days before. Ten years ago, I bought a Tyeb Mehta for just Rs 5 lakh. Today, Indian art is up on international auction houses like Sotheby's and Christie's,” he says. The liquor baron, who is now working with artist Subodh Gupta for India on Canvas - II at the behest of Khushii Foundation, feels a bullish art market is giving that much needed push to charity projects.
Khushii — an NGO founded by Kapil Dev — had organised an auction of 100 paintings in November 2006, under the title of India on Canvas - I, which saw a host of celebrities working in tandem with major artists. The auction that raised Rs 15 crore, saw the highest bid of Rs 95 lakh for a Tina Ambani and Jogen Chowdhury painting.
Other celebrity-artist teams that lit up India on Canvas - I were Union finance minister P Chidambaram and Anjolie Ela Menon; Amitabh Bachchan and Sakti Burman, Ratan Tata and Laxman Sreshtha, Montek Singh Ahluwalia and Krishen Khanna, Renuka Chowdhury and Jayashree Burman among others.
Khushii is organising India on Canvas - II in October in Mumbai. The project will see the likes of Kumar Mangalam Birla team up Anjolie Ela Menon, Dimple Kapadia with Siddharth, ex-chief justice of India YK Sabharwal with Rahim Mirza, Milind Deora with Remen Chopra, Madhur Bhandarkar with Gopi Gajwani and Hafeez Contractor with Alok Bal.
So what are the factors that have cast art in the benevolent mould in the last couple of years? Explains Khushii Foundation patron Tarana Sawhney, "Indian art has caught up internationally. Secondly, artists as a community are known to be charitable. Khushii, through India on Canvas, has made a difference by bringing in eminent Indians from all walks of life to add value to a particular work." While the basic price of a painting is Rs 3 lakh, a celebrity adds 25% value to it, which goes to the artist's kitty.
Increased corporate participation has also given a fillip to art and artists. Recently, ABN Amro, along with Concern India Foundation, organised an exhibition for under-privileged women and children. Says Tina Chatterjee, director of special assignments, Concern India Foundation, "International artists have always supported charity, In India, you could say charity is another retail outlet for artists to showcase their works." She is quick to add that Concern India Foundation has associated itself with art auctions since the last six years "even before art for charity became terribly fashionable. Auction was what we built upon before this was a trend." The NGO has an annual auction every year and held one in Mumbai in February this year.
V Vasantha Kumar, head of marketing & communication of ABN Amro, says the bank had been associated with art events ever since it launched consumer banking in 2002. The fact that Indian art is now creating waves has only helped matters. "This is something that we've been doing as a brand as we need to gift our high net worth clients something beyond financial products. And what can be a better lifestyle experience than art?" he asks.
In March last, Gallery for Indian Art, Damayanti, and NGO Youthreach had organised a similar show for under-privileged children. Here too art and industry rubbed shoulders at a plush ITDC hotel in the presence of minister for women and child welfare Renuka Chowdhury. The event was supported by Pradip Burman of Sanat Industries and brother of Dabur Industries chairman VC Burman, who named it after Paulo Coelho's The Manual of the Warrior of Light.
While agreeing with the idea of auctions for charity, the art fraternity, however, issues a word of caution. Says a renowned artist on condition of anonymity, "Art for cause has become a fad as the art mart in India is on an upswing. But we artists are feeling pressurised by such frequent charity shows. I understand that NGOs are doing such events for a good cause, but there should at least be a gap of two years between auctions."
And take it from the horse's mouth, United Breweries' chairman Vijay Mallya, arguably the ambassador of the Indian cocktail circuit. "Indian art has never seen such good days before. Ten years ago, I bought a Tyeb Mehta for just Rs 5 lakh. Today, Indian art is up on international auction houses like Sotheby's and Christie's,” he says. The liquor baron, who is now working with artist Subodh Gupta for India on Canvas - II at the behest of Khushii Foundation, feels a bullish art market is giving that much needed push to charity projects.
Khushii — an NGO founded by Kapil Dev — had organised an auction of 100 paintings in November 2006, under the title of India on Canvas - I, which saw a host of celebrities working in tandem with major artists. The auction that raised Rs 15 crore, saw the highest bid of Rs 95 lakh for a Tina Ambani and Jogen Chowdhury painting.
Other celebrity-artist teams that lit up India on Canvas - I were Union finance minister P Chidambaram and Anjolie Ela Menon; Amitabh Bachchan and Sakti Burman, Ratan Tata and Laxman Sreshtha, Montek Singh Ahluwalia and Krishen Khanna, Renuka Chowdhury and Jayashree Burman among others.
Khushii is organising India on Canvas - II in October in Mumbai. The project will see the likes of Kumar Mangalam Birla team up Anjolie Ela Menon, Dimple Kapadia with Siddharth, ex-chief justice of India YK Sabharwal with Rahim Mirza, Milind Deora with Remen Chopra, Madhur Bhandarkar with Gopi Gajwani and Hafeez Contractor with Alok Bal.
So what are the factors that have cast art in the benevolent mould in the last couple of years? Explains Khushii Foundation patron Tarana Sawhney, "Indian art has caught up internationally. Secondly, artists as a community are known to be charitable. Khushii, through India on Canvas, has made a difference by bringing in eminent Indians from all walks of life to add value to a particular work." While the basic price of a painting is Rs 3 lakh, a celebrity adds 25% value to it, which goes to the artist's kitty.
Increased corporate participation has also given a fillip to art and artists. Recently, ABN Amro, along with Concern India Foundation, organised an exhibition for under-privileged women and children. Says Tina Chatterjee, director of special assignments, Concern India Foundation, "International artists have always supported charity, In India, you could say charity is another retail outlet for artists to showcase their works." She is quick to add that Concern India Foundation has associated itself with art auctions since the last six years "even before art for charity became terribly fashionable. Auction was what we built upon before this was a trend." The NGO has an annual auction every year and held one in Mumbai in February this year.
V Vasantha Kumar, head of marketing & communication of ABN Amro, says the bank had been associated with art events ever since it launched consumer banking in 2002. The fact that Indian art is now creating waves has only helped matters. "This is something that we've been doing as a brand as we need to gift our high net worth clients something beyond financial products. And what can be a better lifestyle experience than art?" he asks.
In March last, Gallery for Indian Art, Damayanti, and NGO Youthreach had organised a similar show for under-privileged children. Here too art and industry rubbed shoulders at a plush ITDC hotel in the presence of minister for women and child welfare Renuka Chowdhury. The event was supported by Pradip Burman of Sanat Industries and brother of Dabur Industries chairman VC Burman, who named it after Paulo Coelho's The Manual of the Warrior of Light.
While agreeing with the idea of auctions for charity, the art fraternity, however, issues a word of caution. Says a renowned artist on condition of anonymity, "Art for cause has become a fad as the art mart in India is on an upswing. But we artists are feeling pressurised by such frequent charity shows. I understand that NGOs are doing such events for a good cause, but there should at least be a gap of two years between auctions."
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