Sometime in May, the famous street artist Banksy paid a tribute to the medical staff of NHS (UK) with a creation titled ‘Game Changer’ to remind the world about the true superheroes.
Closer home, there is altogether a different game changer working its way. Water colourist Vijay Kiyawat says, “I am doing fun paintings to depict lockdown life in a quirky way. But I’m wary of the market changes that may soon rear its ugly head.”
In 2020, as artists cut costs by not participating in physical gallery shows and galleries go virtual with Instagram Live, online shows and other platforms, digital marketing through WhatsApp, Facebook and mailers could be a rising trend.
Nidhi Jain, director of Gallery Ragini, says, “A time like this has allowed us to think afresh. We have been creating online stories on folklore art such as Gond, Patachitra and Madhubani to engage people. As for sales, we are hopeful that the market would pick up soon.”
Being a niche market, the art segment is known for its volatile ups and downs. With cancelled exhibits, art shows, and a dip in sales of artworks, the experts in the industry are determined to iron out a Plan B for sustaining.
Ishaan Bhalla, director of Asia Art Festival, says, “With participants from 21 countries, our festival was focused to bring all forms of art from distinct parts of the world under one umbrella. Responding to the current situation, we are planning to migrate to online viewing rooms. In the current situation, art is expected to be accessible through our handheld devices.”
Similarly for museums, the dip in ticket sales is a huge concern. Argha Kamal Ganguly, an assistant curator at the National Gallery of Modern Art in Delhi, says, “As public engagement is on hold, ticket sale, sale of portfolios, artwork sale, and revenue generation are affected. Many artists are creating videos and sharing artworks online.”