Some things in life are inseparable — rain and a cup of chai, Indian roads and excavations for repairs, art, and wine... Take a glimpse at all the photographs of art show openings floating around on social media. There’s art on the walls of course, completely or for the most part, obscured by people with fancy hairdos, wearing clothes that seem like they have been hastily pulled out of laundry baskets with zero time to colour coordinate. Don’t be fooled, for reality speaks otherwise — they are the outcome of hours of careful consideration. And then, here’s the most important part: there is always a glass of wine, half sipped and precariously balanced on fingertips while chatting or posing for the photograph, smile intact. The wine is invariably omnipresent.
How on earth did Fine Art get so dearly associated with wine? Was it devised to entice an audience to visit an art exhibition, which most people normally consider absolutely boring? Indecipherable art and write-ups that would make anyone want to consult the dictionary regularly can certainly be an ordeal for the uninitiated. Pairing wine with art perhaps then, presents the perfect solution! Both have something in common — sensory pleasures and aesthetics. Sipping wine would obviously enhance the viewing experience and remove doubts of boredom. Alcohol of any sort, as we all know, can intensify emotions and this can set the mood to understand art on a deeper level. It has been said that the philosophy discussed in bars can surely surpass the discussions of the greatest minds any day!
Gallery owners whose primary concern is the sale of art, definitely seek to give the guests at a show opening a reason to stay on longer than it would have ideally taken to view the artworks. It is conducive to business if prospective buyers would linger on, greeting old friends and making new ones and wine certainly helps give an impetus to extending one’s hours. A glass would naturally lead to another and with moods thus lightened, the art calls for a second and a third look. The reflection on the true meaning of it all, suddenly takes on a new urgency, wine glass still in hand, mind you. And who knows, it may even end up as promises exchanged to buy a work or two!
That said, it is also imperative to understand that the free supply of wine does not make the gallery a bar. It is of utmost importance that a certain decorum has to be maintained, for more than a few glasses could not only lead to extreme embarrassment, it could also put invaluable artworks at risk.
Art show openings are significant milestones in an artist’s journey. It is that moment when the years of solitary studio practice are packaged and presented to an audience and enjoying a glass of wine while gazing at it all, can undeniably create a meditative experience for the visitors. So, the next time you attend an art show, savour the exquisite wine but don’t forget to engage with the soul of the artist, displayed on those white walls!