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As a part of the India’s 75th Independence Day celebrations, we posted about National Art Treasures of India on ArtKyk’s social media handles. The idea was to feature and commemorate the nine artists who are identified and deemed so under the Antiquities and Art Treasures act of 1972. Aligned to the format of social media, the posts were crisp and short. However, since this is such an important aspect of India’s national heritage, we felt that we needed to unpack this category in detail. We present our findings, thoughts and opinions through these posts. Please note this not a scholarly endeavor, but rather a setting of the context for ‘national art treasures’, and hopefully will lead to a wider, more nuanced discussion. How did National Art Treasures Come About? The aim of the Antiquities and Art Treasures Act of 1972 was primarily to make it illegal for taking Indian Antiquities outside the country. The trade for ancient artefacts was booming, and many historical and cultural sites were raided, with important artefacts removed. It was impossible for the government of the day to rightfully pursue or prosecute without any legislation. What happened with the listing of artists as National Treasures was an anomaly. The list was proposed by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). ASI’s primary objective is to excavate and maintain sites of national importance, therefore, we could not find the reason as to why ASI was accorded this responsibility, or indeed any basis for consultation or selection of the artists for the list. In addition, this was not a comprehensive exercise and artists were added to the list at different times. The chronology for selection is provided below. 1976 – Rabindranath Tagore, Jamini Roy, Amrita Sher-Gil and Nandalal Bose 1979 – Raja Ravi Varma, Gaganendranath Tagore, Abanindranath Tagore, Nicholas Roerich and Sailoz Mukherjea. In order to understand why we are going on about this, lets take a look at what ‘National Treasures’ mean in other countries, and how (possibly) it came to be adopted in India. Japan, Philippines, and China are some of the countries that legally recognize National Treasures. The classification extends across the categories to include buildings, structures, fine arts and crafts. In these countries the list is dynamic, and it evolves as per identified need to preserve, promote and nurture any aspect of heritage and cultural forms. The basic concept is to protect the historical and cultural value for the generations to come and develop a sense of national pride - the concept of ‘nationalism’ through cultural heritage. Greece, Italy and some other European countries recognize this concept as well. So how did the concept come to be adopted in India. This is what we have pieced together, so far. There is no documentation to accurately corroborate this, so this is an informed proposition! Unless we can get our hands on the government document from that time! Okakura Kakuzo (1863-1913), a Japanese scholar and art critic, in 1888 and 1897, was appointed to conduct a survey to evaluate and catalogue 210,000 objects of artistic and /or historic merit in Japan. This was the precursor to the formulation of the National Treasures Act in Japan. Okakura Kakuzo propounded the concept of richness of Asia as a unit, he also spent time in Calcutta and had close associations with the Tagore family. There was a vibrant exchange of ideas - artists and scholars travelled back and forth between the two nations. We therefore believe that the first ideas about nationalism for cultural heritage and art forms stemmed from these exchanges, and the concept was subsequently adopted in India. In addition, we must remember that Indira Gandhi studied at Shantiniketan, the educational institution conceived and founded by Rabindranath Tagore in 1921 to promote Indian art and culture in an open format. So somewhere from the idea of nationalism through cultural identity, the need to preserve and nurture Indian artists and art forms, the concept of cultural treasures, we ended up with a list of nine artists in the 1970s, selected by ASI, and as far as we can tell that apart from banning the exports of their works from India thereafter, nothing much else happened… These are all questions. And we hope they can be pursued in scholarly earnestness! National Art Treasures and Antiquities What does it mean for an artist to be deemed as the National Art Treasures, quite simply this – any artwork created by these nine artists cannot be exported out of the country! Please don’t confuse this with the Antiquities Act, which designates any object which is over 100 years old cannot be exported. So, while the designation of ‘National Art Treasure’ adds value to the artist, this causes impediment for transactional purposes and even the artwork must not be exhibited outside the country. Thereby restricting the reach to a wider global audience. The other ambiguity of artworks becoming 100 years and being designated antiquity is that soon most of India’s Modern artists would come under this purview! And then what? These would be deemed non-exportable; would need to be registered, which would also mean that only those galleries and dealers registered to deal in antiquities would be able to transact in the works! This bodes to be a very cumbersome exercise. It will restrict galleries, international museums, institutions, and fairs from exhibiting the works of these artists. There is an urgent need to evaluate the antiquities act in the context of Modern art, and to establish the appropriate mechanism to deal the soon-growing number of artists who are on the cusp of being deemed antiquity! As a country in the nascent years (1970’s) of establishing itself as a modern State, we took a bold step to identify artists as beacons in the realm of visual art, over and above classical art and historical landmarks. But five decades later we seem to have stagnated. It is time to ask questions and look for a new direction. The National Treasure Artists Regardless of the status quo of the artists, their works are beautiful. For now, we talk about the nine treasures on the list and what makes them special!We start with the Tagores since that’s where the story begins. The Tagores are one of the preeminent families from Calcutta in the late 19th and 20th century. Rabindranath Tagore, a polymath and Nobel laureate for literature in 1913, is well known for his books, poems, plays, compositions, songs (he also wrote India’s national anthem), philosopher, social reformer. In addition, he was also an accomplished painter. A true modern man, he didn’t believe in living in the past, travelled extensively around the world (when air travel was non-existent). His vision for the new India was a country open to new ideas, while well rooted in its heritage. His school. Shantiniketan, is an embodiment of this dream, and still remains a much sought-after institution for the arts. His works portray his deep commitment to his country, and speak of a profound, holistic understanding of life. The other two Tagores on the national treasure list are his nephews Gaganendranath and Abanindranath. Gangendranath, the older of the two was both a painter and a cartoonist. He embraced cubism in his works and is known as one of the early modernists of the Indian art. His personality and rather satirical views of the ‘Bhadralok’ (higher gentry of Calcutta) are evident in his cartoons! Abanindranath, well versed in the arts, and following in the footsteps of his illustrious uncle and brother had definitive vision for the new India. He is also the creator of the now well recognised ‘Bharat Mata’ artwork. He created ‘Indian Society of Oriental Art’ to promote the idea of reenergising India’s art. Their sister Sunayani Devi, though not featured on this list, was also an accomplished (self-taught) painter. We also want to point out that there is just one woman on the national treasure list, and it felt unfair to leave Sunayani Devi out, while the other two siblings are celebrated! The next three on the list - Jamini Roy, Amrita Shergil and Raja Ravi Varma are the best known. There is a Hindi movie made on Ravi Varma, Amrita Shergil's beauty continues to fascinate, and they feature among the top billed artists in auctions - pick any catalogue and you will see the first few works will always be by Jamini Roy. Amrita Shergil and Raja Ravi Varma have been well talked about, in many of our social media posts as well. At cost of over simplifying (and a few raised eyebrows) - their styles and approach are completely different, but both the artists’ works reflects a coming together of Indian ethos and Western academic style. Some food for thought eh! Simplicity is also the hallmark of Jamini Roy's works. The playful cat, doe eyed Krishna, Gopis and mother and child, continues to bring joy. So much so that we have seen this imagery replicated as jewellery and even prints on sarees! But the simplicity carries a message - Jamini Roy's dream of every home having art! The last three artists on the list are Nandalal Bose, Sailoz Mukherjee and Nicholas Roerich. Perhaps the least on the larger public consciousness, these artists have nevertheless left an indelible mark on the Indian art. Nandlal was closely associated with the Tagore's, his early works reflect the romanticised delicate watercolour works, however when he moved to Santiniketan his outlook underwent a radical shift and his works were bold and shaped the new India cultural ethos post-independence. Sailoz Mukherjea was the odd man, a loner he was not associated with artist groups and his sensibilities were honed to a Modern idiom. One wonders why Nicholas is on this list, considering he is a Russian! But all these questions disappear when we look at his canvases, an ode to Indian Himalayas, their majesty, magnificence, and spirituality (he established the Agni Yoga Society in 1920). The canvases leave us spell bound, lost in an ever-lasting conversation, a reference to his continuous search for ‘Shambhala’ - land of happiness and peace. Sources: Analysis Of Antiquities And Art Treasures Act In India (jatinverma.org) National Treasure (Japan) - Wikipedia Nine artists whose work is art treasures - GKToday

The art-world over the last year has been abuzz with NFTs (Non-Fungible Tokens), especially post the sale of Beeple’s work, Everyday's: The First 5000 days, for $69.5mn by Christies to MetaKovan (Vignesh Sundaram) in March 2021. So, anyone remotely connected to digital commerce, art / collectibles / crypto monies need to be in on the conversation. https://www.theverge.com/2021/3/11/22325054/beeple-christies-nft-sale-cost-everydays-69-million It’s here and its happening – no matter whether we have time to wrap our heads around what, whether, why or how! It appears largely to be fuelled by the explosion of new currencies, blockchain technology and is defining / redefining / changing the language of art. The plethora of NFT platforms coming up, in India and internationally, the focus now is how quickly one can set up a site, align with a digital market platform, create a space for anything that might capture a buyer’s interest. At this point, it is difficult to predict whether the buyers would evolve to be collectors, but that seems to be almost moot, with the NFT space mirroring an e-commerce site. The discussion on whether NFTs are art is not simple. As a creative expression of the current times, they have captured the imagination of a wider audience, more attuned with the digital world. They also allow engagement, through purchase, of digital currency investors. The heady numbers of some of the recent sales creates an added desirability. ‘ The NFT event in New York, NFT.NYC, in November 2021 was reported to be sold out and attended by both the start-up wonderkids and art world aficionados. The worlds of digital experts, gamers, fashion, music, hedge-fund managers, art mingled around this new commodity. The popular NFTs trading in apes, ducks and other similar images are snapped from the digital marketplace, the moment they come to the market. The NFTs are pushing the boundaries with original tweets, video games art, music, fashion, all making a claim on the market. https://www.theverge.com/2021/9/9/22664469/bored-ape-yacht-club-sothebys-auction-amount The market itself is fascinated by the ability to buy a digital image (which can be original tweet, verse, fashion illustration…the options are becoming limitless), backed by blockchain technology to establish ownership. In addition, since the trade is documented on the blockchain, the veil of pricing that galleries guarded zealously, no longer exists. And to add some more tech, Metaverse, the alternate digital reality, where digital space is now expected to expand, seems to be the next stop for NFT trades. In fact Sotheby’s recently launched its exclusive digital art platform, named just that ‘Metaverse’ (https://metaverse.sothebys.com/natively-digital) , and Christies has undertaken successful NFT auctions in 2021. We know when these two powerhouses put their resources behind a tradable ártform’, the item has become mainstream. Since this landscape has changed so dramatically over the last two years, it becomes difficult to predict where it will go next, but what remains interesting is how easy tradability, ability to establish originality and ownership, price transparency will restructure the established art market. So what’s the flipside? Some noises are made about the environmental impact of mining digital currency, but that is quickly absolved with the notion that technology will grow and become more efficient.

In early July 2022, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York opened an exhibition on ancient Greek and Roman sculpture, no surprise there as the Met (as it is referred to in the art world) has a robust collection of sculptures and other artworks from this period. But what caught our fancy was that the sculptures were different – they appeared in vibrant avatars, clothed but their hair, eyes and accessories all brightly painted! This made us question our long-held perception of Greek and Roman sculpture in pure white marble (and might we add, in fanciful thinking, glowing from within). The exhibition titled Chroma: Ancient Sculpture in Color reveals the colorful backstory of polychromy—meaning “many colors,” in Greek. Exploring the practices and materials used in ancient polychromy, the exhibition highlights cutting-edge scientific methods used to identify ancient color and examines how color helped convey meaning in antiquity, and how ancient polychromy has been viewed and understood in later periods. The exhibition features a series of reconstructions of ancient sculptures in color. The reconstructions are the result of a wide array of analytical techniques, including 3D imaging and rigorous art historical research. All this is well and good, but how does this relate to Indian art? Well, quite simply plaster casts of Greek and Roman sculptures were de rigeur in art colleges across India, especially among those set up in the late 19th century during the colonial period. These art institutes were meant to train the Indian artists in a western mode of representation – and Greek sculpture was revered as the ultimate reference of excellence in understanding and representing the human form, it was classical and ideal and nothing could surpass what was achieved by the artists. This was unquestionable and plaster casts could be (can be!!) found in art colleges across the world! Here is a look at a classroom in the Sir J J School of Art, Mumbai and it has all the key plaster casts. And students have been studying these and making drawings for over a century now! It has been drilled into the collective consciousness of art students: Greek sculpture = to white. Met’s exhibition usurps this long held belief! The Greek sculptures were viewed as epitome of grace, beauty and most importantly restraint, how would the classical minds and eyes react to this? We possibly would have aesthetic tastes that would be used to seeing bright colours and not be repelled by the medley of colours that greeted them in India, maybe the course of art would be on a different trajectory! The British eye and sensibility would be aghast and would probably wax eloquent of Indian miniature paintings. And Indian sculptures in stone and bronze would probably teach them admire the simplicity of the material! Alas our mind is mulling over things that cannot be changed! But Here is what we do want to do, look at some of the student day works of the artists whose sensibilities were honed by the study of these plaster casts. One striking example is Jehangir Sabavala (1922-2011), who would have studied these while he was a student at the Sir J J School of Art and also while in the Heatherley School of Art, London from 1945 to 1947; in Academia Andre Lhote, Paris in 1948 to 51; the Academie Julian from 1953 to 54; and finally, at the Academie de la Grande Chaumiere in 1957. It is not surprising that Greek sculpture formed the foundational basis for art students across the globe! Sabvala would go on to paint some of the most exquisite canvases and some in what is identified as cubist style. More of that in another story.

Biennales are large international art exhibitions held every two years. In contrast to Art Fairs, these are not objectively commercial in nature but held to showcase the art offerings from a region or country. Participation in Biennales is through Government agencies or institutions, because these are mammoth affairs - typically the entire city is subsumed as venues for exhibitions, with large pavilions being built specifically for it and 'non - art' spaces being used as venues for exhibitions - it takes a long time to organize and hence they are held every other year. The events typically attract the art communities from the region, in the more prominent ones, from around the world and can last for a few days, weeks or months. The art exhibitions / pavilions are usually themed and supported by forums for discussion, performances, and various gatherings to allow for networking and discussions. The main idea remains to promote a destination as a cultural space and attract visitors and patrons. India had Triennale - every third year - it started in 1968 and was oragnized by the Lalit Kala Akademi and had 11 editions. Venice Biennale, the oldest in the world attracts submission for participation from all over the world and now houses thirty permanent national pavilions. In 2019, India gained access for participation after a hiatus of eight years, through considerable effort from Kiran Nader Museum of Art. As with other aspects of art in India, the success of international visibility rests with few prominent private institutions and individuals and is not part of the larger public mandate. Venice Biennale 2019 (Lombard Odier) The next edition of the Venice Biennale is slated from April to November 2022, and titled ‘The Milk of Dreams’. This name is borrowed from a book by Leonora Carrington, in which , as the Artistic Director Cecilia Alemani says, “the Surrealist artist describes a magical world where life is constantly re-envisioned through the prism of the imagination, and where everyone can change, be transformed, become something and someone else. The exhibition takes us on an imaginary journey through metamorphoses of the body and definitions of humanity.” For an artist to be featured in any of the 90 odd Biennales that happen across the globe is considered a feather in their cap! One story that continues to be a point of mystery is M F Husain and Picasso, for the 1971 Sao Paulo Biennale Husain and Picasso were the only 2 artists who were invited to exhibit in the Hors de Concors - a dedicated room for their works. Husain sent 29 paintings on Mahabharata, and both the artist were to be part of a discussion (?) However Picasso did not send any works neither did the conversation happen and Husain never confirmed or denied any of these. Kochi Biennale, 2018-19 (Hrishikesh Pawar) Kochi-Muziris Biennale is a commendable effort as it was conceptualized and executed by a group of artists, led by Bose Krishnamachari and this is a well-received Biennale and a must visit in the art circuit. The first edition was inaugurated on December 12, 2012 and was a resounding success. #artkyk

What is Indian art market? Is there even a ‘market’ or a collection of galleries and auction houses undertaking some trading activity for an exclusive set of buyers? To put it in perspective, Indian art market presents a fraction of the estimated global market of $50bn (Art Basel 2020 Report, down from estimated $60bn in 2019 due to pandemic). At a best guess estimate, it accounts for less than 1% of the thriving business happening in the US, Europe, and increasingly from Greater China (China, Hong Kong). The pandemic conditions of reduced mobility and volatility of equity markets worldwide, shifted the focus to a broader digital footprint for buying and selling art. It also reinstated the resilience of art as an alternative asset for investment. New products such as NFT (Non-Fungible Tokens) further obliterated the lines between art, digital economy and new age investment models. In this cornucopia of activity and excitement about change and opportunities, India remains a small footnote. The question arises why the country has not been riding the wave of this change, considering its strong digital and ecommerce sector, as well as the fact that in spite of the last few years of slow economic growth, Indians are estimated to grow in wealth at the faster pace than the rest of the world (Knight Frank Wealth Report 2021). One of the key reasons is that India has not had a broader history of viewing art (and collectibles) as instruments of investment and asset building. In the wave of economic growth post 1990, the focus has been to build the traditional asset classes such as real estate and infrastructure. With fewer avenues for personal portfolio diversification, the wealth has largely poured into stock market (which continue to see extreme highs) and the old Indian favourite gold. An old report from Kotak Bank of where Ultra High Net worth Indians spend their money indicated that approximately 5% of the portfolio allocation was for art and collectibles’, which include luxury cars, watches, high end designer bags etc. The fact that this report hasn’t been updated, or that there is a lack of similar period analysis also indicates low priority for arts as an investment in India. Deloitte’s Art and Finance Report for 2021 succinctly captures the interconnected and deep relationship between the art and finance sectors in developed markets. Source: Deloitte Art and Finance Report 2021 For the market to grow, and for the country to truly realise the potential of the wealth of art and artists it holds, there is a need for a greater activity of buying and selling of art. This at its basic level is what drives the market to grow and to become institutionalised. Indians, apart from a small elite population, hesitate to buy art. This is primarily because there is little information on what is being offered, how is it valued or what might be its growth potential in the future. Developed markets, Americas and Europe, benefit from the established setups which are supported from both market forces including galleries, auction houses and art fairs, as well as institutions such as museums, foundations and research centres. Greater China has also seen a explosion of growth on the back of furious auction house activity. Institutional growth is following this pace with the establishment of many private museums, funded by China’s new wealthy elite. There is reason to believe that India should follow the same trajectory, but it can only gain traction if people understand that art is a good buy for disposable income and have access to comprehensive and transparent information on what they are buying.

Aren’t all art experiences immersive? The terminology though has acquired a distinctive connotation, speared by amalgamation of technology and digital art. Immersive art has gained traction over the last few years, largely fuelled by innovation and ever-growing reach of technology in art. It now alludes to an almost full-body experience, whereby viewers / patrons are engaging with art through sight, sound and in some cases touch and smell. One of the main reasons for discussing this on this platform is that this extra-sensory experience through technology is making it possible to experience art in a completely new way. Immersion in any sphere can allow a person to experience something outside of their immediate reality and thought process. Yayoi Kusama describes this process as “self-obliteration”, alluding to the strange phenomena of losing oneself within something ‘greater’ , while at the same time accessing it, within an artwork. The popularity of creating immersive / ‘consumer art’ spaces is expected to grow, since it has obviously hit a chord with the visitors, with new museums and traveling showg providing innovative experiences. Possibly a sign of the times – integrating art, digital shows, technology and of course the ability to communicate through social media. One of the most successful show - ‘Immersive Van Gogh’ - has had popular showing in Europe and is now taking the US by storm, with tickets being sold to packed viewings. Competing companies have taken up this project, since Van Gogh works reproduction don’t have copyright rights. At least three companies are bringing the ‘Van Gogh expereince’ to the public in 13 cities in the US alone. Some of the companies creating this are “Immersive Van Gogh”, connected to Massimiliano Siccardi, the Italian director behind the Atelier des Lumières experience, and “Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience”, an entirely different light show produced by a company called Fever. Culturespaces, a Paris based company and original creator of Immersive Van Gogh, backed by IMG – a marketing behemoth – is also planning to present the high-tech versions of Gustav Klimt, Claude Money and other masters. Its Atelier des Lumieres has drawn over 3 million visitors in Paris since setting shop in 2018 (with two years of pandemic in the middle). Taking this trend, a step further, Fotografsika (a for profit Swedish museum) has plans to open additional museums to capitalise on the popularity of its immersive arts spaces currently in Stockholm, Tallinn and New York. Three new spaces are planned in Miami, Berlin and Shanghai between 2022 and 2023. The permanent spaces will include immersive art, curated shops and high-end restaurants and café. One of the most notable mentions is teamLab, an international collective of artists, technology professionals, animators, mathematicians and architects, founded in Tokyo by Toshiyuki Inoko. This unique group has been at the forefront of creating new immersive experiences, synthesising the vision of artists with some of the most high-tech installations and experiences. The success of teamLab’s efforts have resulted in permanent spaces teamLab Borderless in Tokyo (June 2018), Shanghai (November 2019) and Macao (June 2020), with another planned for Jeddah (Saudi Arabia) in 2023. teamLab Borderless becomes the most visited museum in the world (https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190808005373/en/teamLab-Borderless-Becomes-the-Most-Visited-Single-Artist-Museum-in-the-World.) This growing overlap of arts, technology, entertainment, retail and hospitality will possibly expand to other destinations which have traditionally been the arts / cultural centres in Asia and Middle East. While the entire enterprise might seem to be clever marketing ploy and an easy business idea – what remains interesting is the basic fascination with the need to experience arts, and how a digital experience facilitates this for the generation that primarily interacts with Instagram and ‘post-able experiences. We don’t have anything on this to report for India at this time. Art remains in the staid confines of galleries and largely lacklustre exhibitions.

Let’s talk about art fairs – a place for diverse galleries with a strong focus on sales and networking. This is what helps markets grow, for collectors / enthusiasts to come together form opinions, get a taste of what is popular and upcoming…in essence a trade fair for the arts. Art fairs have become very popular in the last decade, barring the hiccup due to travel restrictions imposed by the pandemic, where the activity shifted online. The reason for popularity is twofold. The first is of course congregation of some of the best artworks a region has to offer at a single place. Since art is primarily a visual space – the combined excitement of seeing dramatic visuals in a single location creates a sensory experience, which is unique in its impact. The second, and dare we say a more prosaic reason, is that they offer a chance for commercial activity, which is fuelled by choice, interaction of buyers (collectors) creating a heady competitive environment. Of course, this takes place in the backdrop of events, soirees, and increasingly an entire art week with various satellite fairs, gatherings, gallery and institutional events – creating ideal conditions for scale of economies. Some of the largest, and most sought after, art fairs such as Art Basel, Frieze have international editions in thriving hubs of commercial art. In the last decade many regional fairs in Dubai, Japan, Korea have also gained momentum commensurate with the deliberate actions of their respective government and / or industry forces to push art for public consumption. China here deserves a special mention, with many new fairs tracking the rise of the overall art industry in the region, indicating its increasing global prominence. Art Dubai – View of Fair Space India on the other hand has conducted the very successful India Art Fair in New Delhi for the last ten odd years. The fair has retained its quality and success from the time it began. However, the success of the fair has not grown into a larger enterprise or emulated in other major urban and cultural hubs in the country. The reason remains the same….Indian art market has not been able to translate its desirability to a wider public. India Art Fair at NSIC Grounds in New Delhi The pandemic has brought to fore the need for what is being termed as a hybrid model. Fair organisers are increasingly offering an online version of the fair in conjunction with the physical presence. The online model runs in parallel to the actual physical event and offers the artworks for sale online from the galleries participating in the fair. It is interesting to note at the online viewing rooms (OVRs) indicate the price of the artworks, as opposed to the market practice of galleries of not divulging prices to a wider public. This transparency has reportedly increased the sales whereby potential buyers feel more comfortable with pricing of the works. It appears that OVRs are here to stay, in line with the expanding footprint of art sector in the digital space.