Gallery 7’s The Summer Sale is back with 85 works by more than 15 legendary artists of India. A group show comprising of the creme de la creme of art, gallery owner Nicholai Sachdev talks about the sale, his passion for art and the relationship between being physically present in a gallery and the online medium as a place to sell art.
What is the reason behind the exhibit?
The show is titled ‘The Summer Sale’ which keeps in mind the current season and allows collectors to view the exhibition over a period of two months. During the Summer, most people are generally travelling with the schools being shut, so having the show over 2 months, helps art collectors view their favourite works and pick up a piece which they like. It also celebrates the cusp of the monsoon.
It’s an exciting exhibition with 19 artists and 85 of their best works. That in itself is a strong enough reason for people to get out of bed and view high quality art!
What will be some of the biggest attractions?
With such a large and wide spread of works in multiple mediums and on different subjects, there is something on display which will suit each person’s tastes.
There is not one single work that is the biggest attraction, but it is a complete array of work under one roof which is the attraction.
Which do you think will be the 'best seller'?
There was no particular piece that we preconceived that would be our best seller. Every piece has been carefully chosen and curated for this show.
Who are the target audience?
Considering the price points and the body of works in the show, we expect the exhibition to have a footfall of HNIs, senior art collectors and also those collectors who have a significant collection and are just looking out to fill in the gaps.
How has the art industry evolved?
The art industry has evolved in many ways and is reaching a wider audience through online mediums, exposure at international art fairs and with auctions and galleries showcasing aggressively internationally and locally. As a result, the community that collects art has grown.
However, I also feel that there has been a regression in terms of people understanding Indian art. Once again there is a large community who wants to buy art only for commercial returns more than the satisfaction and understanding of a particular art piece.
Do you suppose selling art online nowadays make more sense or physical presence and a gallery are important?
We have recently re-launched our website, Gallery7.com. We had initially built it in the early 2000s but we just went live with a new user-friendly approach and easier functionality for collectors to find what they are looking for. However, we are very old school in our approach towards art. Whilst we feel everything is better when it’s available through the internet, we strongly advice people to first browse online and then come to the gallery to get the touch and feel of the piece. That is ideal according to us.
Do you think the passion for art has dwindled?
Art is not a trend or a fad that is temporary in nature. It is something that will outlive us. Often art acquisitions can be cyclic and what goes down, must come back up!
What will happen to the proceeds of the sale?
In most cases, the artists and the artists’ families will receive the proceeds. And where we have sourced art from certain collectors, we hope that they will come back in the art market and replace their prized possession which we sold, with another piece which should excite them as the initial piece did.
