A question of answers

Anupa Mehta

A New Delhi based art collector recently bequeathed a few works from his collection to a well known American museum of contemporary art. Prestigious as it is, the situation is not without its share of irony. In fact, it is a comment on the sorry state of our own museums. Why else would an astute collector of mostly cutting edge work end up donating to an overseas museum? It’s common knowledge that the few museums that we do go on about, remain mired in petty politics leaving little room for constructive or creative growth. If we get really lucky, once a year they showcase well mounted exhibitions of trunks et al by prestigious brands. Modern and contemporary Indian art, anyone?

Consider the fact that the NGMA, Mumbai, is still begging for a full time director. Consider also the fact that the situation is likely to maintain its status quo as the (unlikely) incumbent will have to deal with the pull and push of its steering committee members, plus the fact that the honorable Mr. Lochan, a government employee whose tenure ends only at age 60, is unlikely to vacate the seat or relinquish the reins from New Delhi.

Occasional art shows by remote control appears to be the fate for Mumbai. No wonder Anand Sarabhai chooses to serve on the board of MOMA and Ms. Ambani chose the Peabody Essex, while Anupam Poddar, Mrs. Nadar and Ms. Pathy just decided to open their own museums.

Are we as an art community entitled to any say at all in the running of a public art institution that is run as a fiefdom? Can we look beyond price and market? Can the toothless Department of Culture actually do anything about the NGMA, Mumbai? Or, for that matter, can it take a long hard look at the abysmal state of art education and facilities at our art colleges? Can it consider setting up public galleries and acquiring state of the art collections? No. We remain comfortably numb, dumb due to diplomatic reasons and the rest of it remains as rhetoric.

On another note, each time the media runs reports about newer benchmarks notched at auctions, we get chuffed about the market and its upward movement. But what does it mean when the escalation is mostly on the sales of works by the Moderns. Are we as a nation able to actually support emerging art practice? Are there enough collectors, leave alone buyers, willing to run the risk of supporting young artists and their idioms? Clearly not as many as should be… why else would so many galleries that deal in cutting edge work end up sustaining their projects on the strength of the sales of senior artists? Can our collectors who routinely set records with astronomical bids on prized art works consider supporting talented young artists with bursaries, travel grants and residencies instead? Why are we always looking at the West to fund our alternative art spaces and the few art awareness programs that are run?

Can we as a community give back to our own?

The truth is that the general apathy towards the visual arts is a crying shame. And it’s unlikely to change till the time we come up with a radical strategy for a re-haul. I have one. Just as, I’m sure, many other well travelled, forward looking Indian art collectors and educators do. But there aren’t any takers, just as yet.

(Anupa Mehta is director, THE LOFT, Mumbai and Arts Reverie, Ahmedabad. Her email ID is: mehta.anupa@gmail.com)