Who Says Delhi Gets To Have It All?

When you first started thinking about Art Mumbai, what was the ambition behind it?

I’ve been in the art world for 25 years, and I’m from Mumbai— I’ve lived here all my life. For such a vibrant, diverse city not to have a major art event always felt like a pity. Mumbai was where the modern art movement began; the Progressive Artists’ Group started here, and some of the biggest patrons of Indian art were from this city, expats like Rudolf von Leyden. Yet we weren’t projecting that cultural diversity. And yes, it rankled a bit that Delhi had an art fair and we didn’t.

If you look at Mumbai today, we have more billionaires than Delhi and a very discerning audience when it comes to art. They do their research and are genuinely interested in what they’re buying. And what we’re creating here goes beyond art. There’s pop-up theatre, dance, music, speaker series, great food. It’s a festival, really, one where you can see incredible pieces of art that, hopefully, inspire you.

What really goes into pulling together an art fair of this scale?

No sleep! [laughs] You have to get buy-in from the main stakeholders, whether it’s galleries, auction houses, collectors or artists. There has to be a level of trust and faith that you’ll do a good job and present their work the right way. I think it’s because the stakeholders participate so enthusiastically that it has steadily become one of the most important art events in South Asia.

Building an ecosystem like this requires a disciplined and methodical approach. There are so many moving parts. But when it all comes together, and hopefully it will, it’s pure joy. This time, there are so many museum curators, institutions, art collectors, even non-Indian collectors, coming down. I think it’ll be this big coming together of the art world.

Would you say that reflects how India itself is emerging as a major hub for art in the region?

Indians are buying Western art, they’re buying Indian art. They have the taste, they have the education. Of course, they’re buying huge flats worth ₹100–200 crore, so they need to fill them with art. But now it’s different. There’s a social pressure; you can’t have this fantastic home and have average or no art. People will notice. So, I think that social pressure is also there.

What I found surprising is that some of the artists these collectors are buying are actually quite offbeat (but not cheap!). You still need the marquee names because of that social pressure, but they’re also buying what they genuinely like. And that’s very good because it’s not a speculative market—it’s a consumption market. People are actually living with the pieces, putting them in their homes, and enjoying them.

Twenty-five years of being in this industry, how have you seen collecting evolve?

A couple of things have changed. People now see art as a generational asset. They’ve seen paintings resell and realised it’s something that gains value over time. Traditionally, Indians leaned toward real estate, gold and jewellery, but there’s been a real mindset shift. And of course, Indians today have the wealth to buy the best—and they’re choosing the best of the best.

Dinesh Vazirani, Co Founder Art Mumbai

There’s always been this debate about Indian art being influenced by the West. How do you look at that conversation today?

You know, the question I used to hear was that modern Indian artists are derivative. But I think all art is derivative, because every artist feeds off their contemporaries. Maybe Rothko influenced Gaitonde, or Picasso influenced Souza. That doesn’t mean it’s derivative — they’ve seen something, adapted it, and made it their own. And that’s what Indians do. We’re one of the few countries with 5,000 years of culture. There’s just so much beauty here.

Who are some of the new artists you’re personally really excited about?

We’re focusing a lot on emerging artists. There are some, like Ranjani Shettar for example, who’ve done very well internationally.

If you’re coming to the art market looking at contemporary work, forget about investment. Just buy what you like. Think about investment only when you’re spending five or ten crores. If you’re spending five, ten, fifteen lakhs, just buy something you like. That’s the way to have fun with it.