Art Expo India (AEI) 2009 acted as a window to peep into vibrant vistas of contemporary Indian art. It brought together leading art galleries from India and abroad, to provide a glimpse of talented contemporary artists, working in various genres, styles, mediums and themes.

The second edition of the event was a fulfilling journey, involving art connoisseurs, collectors and investors. There were a series of informative seminars involving Jitish Kallat, Ranjit Hoskote, Alka Pande, Anjolie Ela Menon and Bose Krishnamachari, among others. Also on the panel of speakers were internationally renowned experts like Kay Saatchi and Judith Greer.

With years of experience behind her, Mrs. Saatchi’s keynote address on spotting young talent and building up an art collection was insightful as well as entertaining. Judith Greer, an independent arts producer and consultant for contemporary art projects, talked about ‘Art in Life: the daily pleasure of collecting’.

AEI struck meaningful partnerships to promote art in every form it exists. A case in point was its association with the London-based art initiative, Heart on Art, which organizes exhibitions, promote artists, hosts thematic art events, and collaborates with corporations to build a cultural connection.

Priyanka Sethi, the brain behind Heart on Art, is a keen follower of contemporary art trends. She has played a major role in evolving themes and outlining ideas for art talks and seminars at Art Expo India 2009. Her passion for art is reflected in her efforts to generate an interest in art and connect the broader art world with unknown markets, segments and people. Using her insight of contemporary art world, She played a major role in making the event a success.

Summing up the spirit of the event, organizer Vickram Sethi said, “Art is about looking without prejudice and approaching subjects without preconceived notions. Art Expo India created a space where collectors could see the context in which the art is produced and how far along the journey Indian art is.”

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Art Expo India witnessed a successful second edition thanks to the vision and planning by Vickram Sethi and his son Digamber Sethi. The dynamic father-son duo aided by a dynamic team of Trade & Technology Exposition Co. (India) Pvt. Ltd. made the event a memorable and fruitful one by combining their art expertise and managerial skills.

It was established in 1987 as an exhibition organizing company and several events on different themes were organized thereafter. Their flagship exhibition is GIFTEX, a showcase of corporate gifting. With over 70 Shows to their credit Trade & Technology have the experience, the ability and the understanding of the art market as well.

Mr Vickram Sethi has been actively engaged in promoting contemporary Indian art for over three decades. He is also the founder of The Arts Trust that organizes exhibitions and hosts art camps. The Institute of Contemporary Indian Art (ICIA) serves as a logical extension of The Arts Trust to showcase a wide pool of talent and creativity. 

He founded Asta Guru, an acclaimed online auction house, to connect art buyers from across the globe to Indian marketplace. He believes that art should be bought because you enjoy it, but having said that, as an investment it has continued to give a stronger return than traditional equity markets for those interested in investing in the medium to long-term.”

Digamber Sethi looked after the logistics and organization of the expo that involved constant coordination between different individuals and institutions from the domain of art. He is currently studying at University of Glamorgan, Wales.

Giving an idea of the background work and research that has gone into setting up the expo, he states, “Before launching AEI, our team visited art fairs all over the world interacting with galleries and art buyers to understand their needs. We have the ability and knowledge to put together an event of such scale and magnitude that would cater to the needs of the broader art market.” 

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Indian art is slowly but surely becoming a crucial component of an alternate investment portfolio. This shift of strategy is largely being driven by the fact that Indian art is drawing attention and valuation that it thoroughly deserves.

Contemporary Indian art is gaining prominence worldwide. So it is not mere coincidence that Art Expo India has emerged as among the most prestigious art events to showcase Indian art for collectors and art lovers worldwide. It is among the most important art event in India, a cultural highlight for the country.

The three day long Art Expo India 2009 event, starting from 25th September, is a platform to launch Indian art in the international arena with meticulous selection of top galleries and well-conceived program of special exhibitions, seminars and other events.

Speakers Schedule at Art Expo India 2009
25th September

5:00 pm: The Key note address will be Mrs. Kay Saatchi in conversation with Malika Sagar Adwani on spotting young talent and building up an art collection.

26th September

•12:00 am – 1:00 pm: Art in Life: the daily pleasure of collecting, Dr. Rashmi Poddar in conversation with by Judith Greer.

•3:00 pm – 4:00 pm : The aesthetics of the erotic Dr. Alka Pande, Satish Manashinde moderator Anjolie Ela Menon.

•4:30 pm – 5:30 pm : (X)topia: A Search for Place, A Place for Search - A Conversation between Jitish Kallat and Ranjit Hoskote..

27th September
•12:00 am – 1:00 pm : Everything is Art a panel discussion between Bose Krishnamachari , architect Shantanu Poredi moderator Rajshree Pathy.

•3:00 pm – 4:00 pm : Sharan Apparao & Menaka Kumari Shah buying art in recessionary times Moderator Brian Brown.

•4:30 pm – 5:30 pm : Kirsty Ogg  in conversation with Abhay Sardesai on Indian Art in an international prospective.

Art Expo India 2009 serves as an opportunity to know more about adding art as an asset class in your portfolio, and also as an option for gifting at corporate and individual level.

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If you want to gift someone a piece of art, you need to follow certain steps so that you buy the right artwork of a good artist at the correct cost in the context of current market scenario.Of course, buying art either for collecting or for gifting purpose has now become much easier thanks to the fact that the art market has certainly become more matured and more transparent.

The process of buying art has become more ‘democratic’, so to say. The whole process of buying and gifting art can be invigorating, educative and exciting. It’s largely about spotting the potential early in a budding artist.

This may also be subjective since the person you want to gift the artwork would have his or her own choices and tastes. Accordingly, he or she would identify with a particular style of work and would fancy. This point needs to be kept in mind when you are buying an artwork from a gifting angle.

Before you buy an artwork for gifting purpose, it makes sense to approach experienced art advisors for understanding intricacies of the art market. Expert inputs are indeed crucial from point of view of understanding artistic significance and market potential of a particular piece.

Of course, you may conduct your own study of the art market. This is not difficult since information about individual artists and broader art market trends is now available online.

Indian art market, still in an early growth phase, offers good scope for appreciation in value at this juncture! So, it’s the perfect time to diversify your gifting portfolio, and make art a part of it.

Buy a piece of art for someone dear to you. It may well prove to be the most precious possession a few years later!

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Art has a great display and asset value for both individuals as well as corporate houses. It makes a treasure to cherish in every sense. This value will come to the fore at Art Expo India 2009 (Venue: Nehru Center, Mumbai; Dates: September 25th - 27th) is a comprehensive source for understanding art – its past, present and future. It will present a wide array of works by famous and upcoming Indian artists.

Despite the recession and the subsequent fall in prices, experts feel the market for fine art is still very strong, though not as hyped as it was a couple of years ago. Importantly, long term collectors want to use this phase to build on their portfolios.

Especially, a host of investors-individual as well institutional- from European and American art circuit are looking to add Indian art to their collections. For many of them Indian art is still new. Art Expo India 2009 will act as a window for them to peep into Indian art.

Trade & Technology Exposition Co. (India) Pvt. Ltd was established in 1987 as an exhibition organizing company and several events on different themes were organized thereafter. Their flagship exhibition is GIFTEX which is now in its 21st year. With over 70 Shows to their credit Trade & Technology have the experience, the ability and the understanding of the art market as well.

The organization is headed by Vickram Sethi and has a support team that specializes in setting up trade events.  He has been setting up art shows and events from 1990. Before setting up art expo, the core team members had visited art fairs all over the world speaking to both galleries and art buyers to understand their needs. Being in both businesses Trade & Technology Exposition Co has the ability and knowledge to put together a major art event that would cater to the needs of the broader market.

Visit and enjoy Art Expo India 2009! The vibrant vistas of Indian Contemporary Art have opened for you.

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If any of your friends or family members loves visiting art galleries; likes reading on art & culture, and relishes watching cultural shows, he or she makes a perfect candidate on your part to give an artwork as a gift! But where to source the reliable information about latest trends in Indian art!

Well, you may visit Art Expo India 2009, which is going to be a high profile meeting ground for art dealers, galleries, artists and prospective art buyers.

Dwelling on the importance of AEI, an ET report by Nalini S Malaviya mentions that talks by experts in the field, and an opportunity to interact with artists, gallerists, critics and other members from the art fraternity, sure add great value to such events. Insights into various aspects related to the art market, such as world markets, evaluations, regulations and so on, make the event more interesting, it points out.

The event is bound to act as a catalyst in building the art market in India. With more and more Indians becoming wealthier, there is a huge untapped potential waiting to be exploited. The new-found prosperity, a highly sophisticated audience and international exposure now present a perfect opportunity for art dealers to project buying, collecting and investing art a modern lifestyle statement.

Importantly, no other market can be as huge as the Indian market for Indian art itself. If it has to do well, it must ’sell’  in India to start with. AEI is looking to make this happen. Its aim is to build a community of art connoisseurs by building awareness and imparting knowledge of Indian art history as well as current art trends.

The event to be hosted at Nehru Center, Mumbai (September 25th-27th) strives to serve as a link among keen art viewers, artists and experts. It will provide you with an insight into the contemporary art trends.

Mr Vickram Sethi of The Arts Trust and AEI organizer, concludes: “Our exhibiting galleries are constantly bringing fresh perspectives to Indian art. We only invite galleries who are passionate and ground-breaking in the artists they foster.”

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Indian art is slowly but surely becoming a crucial component of an alternate investment portfolio. This shift of strategy is largely being driven by the fact that it’s drawing attention and valuation that it thoroughly deserves.

Of course, buying a piece of art for yourself for someone else is an art in itself! Bringing this to fore, Michael Moses, a professor at New York University’s Stern School of Business, has mentioned in an elaborate essay on the subject: “There are three beauties in some sense in art. The beauty of the object; the joy of collecting and meeting with people and talking with people and the excitement of the hunt; and there is the diversification potential of art in a portfolio.”

Broadly speaking, some research regarding an artist needs to be done before you decide to buy that artist’s work for gifting purpose. Following points give a clue to the artist’s intrinsic value:

* Age of the artist
* Academic qualifications
* Awards / Citations / Merits received
* Participation in National / International shows / workshops etc.
* Contents of the work
* Medium of the work
* Artist’ ability to explain the work and the thought processes
* Technique & style of work
* Buyers’ list
* Critics’ perception of the artist
* Association with prominent art galleries

The tastes of the person will also come into play. This can be very subjective. For example, someone may like figurative works, whereas someone else might relish abstract works. Some like decorative pieces, others take fancy to realistic works drawn from the life around.

Some want to get paintings whereas a section of art lovers are attracted to installations and sculptures for display purpose. This particular aspect must be kept in mind while selecting a piece essentially for gifting purpose.      

To cater to art lovers of all types and tastes, Art Expo India 2009 in Mumbai (Nehru Center) has a vast array of works on offer from India’s emerging and established artists.   

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For an added personalized touch to make your gift truly innovative and indeed unique, we suggest you one of its kind avenue! Gifted Lifestyles offers you a selection of mouth watering chocolates, jewelry or flowers to enhance the aura of your present.

Also on offer are wonderful wrapping services to enhance the beauty of your gift. Personal consultation is another value-add to the gifting service. Tarana Khubchandani, Kanchan Khubchandani, Armaiti Bhagwagar and Rashna Talati launched Gifted Lifestyles with the very purpose.

They all have combined their passion and professional skills in conceiving Gifted Lifestyles in November 2007. It’s a full-fledged boutique that has on offer a wide array of charming gifts that can be perfect for every occasion – social or personal.

Their collection of gifting items has been an outcome of proactive search and in-depth research done over two years after traveling to a host of fairs and events apart from visits to internationally acclaimed markets of Paris, Hong Kong, Florence, Barcelona, Dubai Milan, etc that has gave rise to this fabulous range of gifts.

Gifted Lifestyles is indeed a treasure trove of exciting gifts like mahogany desk boxes, silk mannequins, filigree lamps, golden fortune cookies and hand embroidered lap trays. What you get on the shelves of this cozy, captivating store is a range of exclusive home décor products and amazing accessories, as well as personal luxury items plus a distinctive display for men.

Another admirable aspect is the constant revamp of the extensive merchandise on offer to suit the different moods and seasons like Diwali and Christmas. The creative team gives inputs to come up with gift hampers, to match any occasion.

If you are searching for a unique gift that would suit your budget and also reflect the recipient’s personality and tastes, Gifted Lifestyles is your best option.

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“Gifts should be so presented that they suit the receiver’s personality.”

..so thinks Nidhi Agrawal. Importantly, she acts upon what she preaches. Want to know more about her passion that culminates business and hobby? Well, just hand over a picture of your choice to her and she will apply her imagination to convert it into a dramatic present to reflect the person’s interests.

It can be anything from a Hello magazine cover for someone who is an aspiring model, a book of personal achievements for a dotting husband celebrating his birthday, to a calendar with key dates marked on it, a fine family video, or an apron for a person who relishes cooking.

It was about three years back that the idea struck this aspiring fashion designer. She was confused as to what to offer as a gift to one of her relatives. Se then decided to opt for something innovative as well as highly personal. She presented a wrist watch that carried a picture of the recipient on the dazzling dial. The idea was received very well and she extended it into a small venture for offering functional and useful gifts.

Nidhi Agrawal’s personalized gifts make a memorable and unique choice. Using watches, cushions and even blankets as mediums of her expression, she has now moved on to visiting cards, candles mouse pads, towels and baby books. She has even tried the idea on a jigsaw puzzle.

She first designs the idea on her personal computer. She makes modifications to it till the customer approves it. She secures most of her work through word of mouth publicity. 

For example, she has devised a clock with its hands fixed at a specific time to represent ‘memorable moments in one’s life with the pictures in place of the numbers. What’s more the creator has on offer a satisfaction guarantee the gifts.

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Corporate houses do everything possible to garner goodwill during the festive season. These are the times when companies gift their employees and clients. For example, to let their employees enjoy the Navratri festival, they even gift free passes for occasions like ‘Dandia Raas’.

Navratri, the season of nine nights, is celebrated with much glitter and glamour. It entails traditional dance types like garbas, dandia with the devotional songs in respect of Mother Amba and Mother Kaali. The people come together to have the blessings of the eternal mother, celebrate her presence within them and wish each other. Even celebrities join in the celebration of this traditional ritual of dance.

The profile of employees has become younger so it’s not surprising that several firms opt to celebrate such joyous occasions in the campus itself. Many companies join in the celebrations by gifting them traditional Navratri robes and free passes to the nine festive nights.

Many corporate houses sponsor local Navratri groups as part of innovative marketing methods to join the camaraderie during Navratri. Many of them come up with novel ideas like ‘designer dandias’.

True essence of corporate gifting is embedded in the fact that companies want to build a good relationship with their clients/customers. If the act of gifting motivates employees, corporate gifting at another level is part of a larger marketing & branding activity. It helps reconnect and re-establish a relationship with the key clients.

Festivals are a form of gettogether for most people across India. Festivals like Holi, Diwali, Christmas, Ganesh Festival and Navratri are rituals that are celebrated with great fervor, fun and frolic. This is the time of the year when corporate gifting takes place in a broader social context imparting a larger meaning to it. It acquires a whole new connotation during the festive season.

Gifting clients on such occasions is a must to spread brand identity and generate goodwill. Corporate gifting during  festivals is an opportunity to grow a company’s business that must be fully capitalized.

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