India Art Festival comes to Hyderabad

The festival also features live music performances, art demonstrations, and film screenings.

Hyderabad: Making a significant milestone in the city’s burgeoning art scene, the India Art Festival, a leading contemporary art fair, made its debut in Hyderabad at the Kings Kohinoor Convention at Rethibowli on Friday.

The three-day event promises a multi-sensory celebration of art in its various forms and aims to bring together and provide a platform for seasoned artists and emerging talents, creating a melting pot of diverse artistic endeavours.

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With 85 stalls showcasing 3,500 artworks, including paintings, sculptures, and installations, visitors have an opportunity to explore a myriad of artistic expressions and creations from across the nation. The festival also features live music performances, art demonstrations, and film screenings.

Among the 290 participating artists, 60 hail from Hyderabad. Noticeably, the festival features the work of around 100 women artists. Galleries from Delhi, Mumbai, Noida, Gurgaon, Bengaluru and Gnani Arts from Singapore — which has been associated with the festival since its first edition in 2011, have also taken stalls.

Prominent Hyderabad artists include Satya Gannoju of the Hyderabad Art Society, National Award winner Sama Kantha Reddy, 3D artist Srinivasaram Makineedi and veteran artist Murali Prasad, aged 68.

“Whenever we attended the India Art Fair in Mumbai and Delhi, we felt that Hyderabad deserved a similar platform. The city’s art scene is thriving economically and with talented artists, but it needs more visibility,” said award-winning artist Shankar Pamarthy.

The festival also serves as the launchpad for Hyd Art, a new gallery dedicated to digitising and democratising art to reach a global audience.

“A month back, the announcement of the festival was made, and we thought, what better platform to launch the gallery,” said Hasan, the founder of Hyd Art.

“When we started in 2011, Hyderabad was not a natural choice. However, the city has developed vastly over the last seven to eight years. Our market survey indicated that Hyderabad, with its nearly 11,000 corporates, is perfect for a mega art fair like this,” noted Rajendra, Director of India Art Festival. The festival features 20 per cent up-and-coming artists fresh out of art schools and is open until June 9, from 11 am to 8 pm.