1. Copal
The Leading Authority on Indian Art
Weekly Collector Issue: III
March 2011
Newsletter for Art Collectors & Aficionados

2. Thought for the week: World's largest museum of decorative arts
and design exhibits at NGMA, New Delhi
Courage is what it takes to stand up and
speak; courage is also what it takes to sit An exhibition from London's Victoria and
down and listen. Albert Museum reflects the best of
international photography since the mid-90s
- Winston Churchill With 40 images by more than 30
photographers from around the world
Indian art regrets the passing away of senior including renowned British Gavin Turk and
Indian artist Biren De. He breathed his last Richard Billingham, an exhibition by V&A
on March 12, 2011 in Delhi. De's (85) Museum plays at the National Gallery of
significance in the history of modern Indian Modern Art, New Delhi on the notion that
art is marked as he belonged to that the photographer sees a subject through a
generation of artists who were evolving lens.
their own approach to engage with The exhibition specifically focuses on
modernity. photographs of the last 20 years and the
holdings reflect some of the best in
“De was among the first Indian artists to international photography since the mid-
experiment with introducing indigenous 90s. One of the most progressive figures in
fine art photography, Fabian has done
elements in his abstract expression. This
exclusive “camera-less” photographs since
was way back in the 1950s. No doubt, De mid-80s which has been showcased in this
was familiar with the expressions of tantra exhibition.
This show named “Something That I'll
art. But what spurred his creativity was the
Never Really See” brings to the fore how
purity of forms — the phallic, the floral and pronounced British cultural engagement
the circular mandala and bindu — which he with India has become of late.
British Prime Minister David Cameron's
distilled from Indian aesthetic sensibilities”
cultural agreement with India during his
July 2010 visit has put the seal of
~Artist A. Ramachandran
officialdom on this cultural exchange and
has opened the gates to more events such as
this one.
“Be it in art, design, textiles or even
photography, there is a lot of good Indian
work out there”
~Kate Bellamy, Victoria & Albert Museum
The exhibition is at the National Gallery of
Modern Art, New Delhi until April 10, 2011
3-week Indian arts festival 'Maximum
India' at Kennedy Center, Washington
An artwork by Biren De

3. The Kennedy Center in Washington has Collection' Part II at Bonhams is a part of
been converted into a palace to showcase Indian history. The letter was written by
Gandhi clearly for publication on December
India's arts, precious gems and diverse
15, 1919.
culture. The mega festival has artworks
worth USD 7 million which opened on And, declaring his 'relentless pursuit of
March 1, 2011and runs through March 20. truth', Gandhi also explains his attitude
With nearly 100 performances, films and towards the British and his position in
events, it is one of the largest U.S. festivals relation to the Khilafat question, on Indian
ever devoted to the south Asian country of Muslims to support the Khalifah, their
1.2 billion people. Exhibits include a spiritual head. It is written in English in a
secretarial hand with a few minor autograph
collection of traditional saris, an installation
corrections. This is one of the most
featuring words from a historic speech by
important single letters/articles by Gandhi
Mahatma Gandhi, and colourful crafts from to come on the market in 30 years and
various Indian streets. more.
“I hope it gets the people who have never
been to India to have a sense of what it is - "I venture to claim that I have rendered a
to have a feeling of what it is to walk in the service of the highest order by advising the
streets of a large urban city in India” Mohamedans of India to express their
sentiments in a restrained manner and by
~Adrien Gardere, curator of the exhibit
advising the Hindus to make common cause
Beyond the visual art, the center also is with them. I do not wish & have never
offering a wide array of culinary creations. wished to embarrass the government and I
The India festival is the latest in a series of have never worked up an anti-British
large-scale events tracing the cultures of the campaign for any cause whatsoever. My
Silk Road trade routes across Asia. Earlier personal religion would forbid me to do
festivals featured China, Japan and 22 Arab either the one or the other. My stubborn
countries. opposition to some acts of the British
Government must not be mistaken for
unfriendliness. Such peculiar notions are
Gandhi letter to go under hammer
entertained about friendliness and loyalty in
A significant evidence of the Indian history India that any strong expression of
- letter from Mahatma Gandhi will go under displeasure in regard to acts of Government
hammer at the Bonhams auction house, passes for disloyalty"
London on March 29, 2011. It refers to
Gandhi's belief in passive resistance and the ~Excerpts from Gandhi’s letter written to
need for unity between Hindus and British journalist Edmund Candler
Muslims.
It is expected to fetch an estimated USD
12,848-14,454.
'Papers & Portraits: The Roy Davids

4. Standard Chartered Bank hosts an
exclusive art exhibition for its clients excellent long term asset and holding
opportunity, store of value and means of
Standard Chartered Private Bank transferring wealth between generations.
organized a contemporary art exhibition
under the title: "Celebrating Indian Art Michigan celebrates the art and culture
through the World of Serigraphs" by the of India
Serigraph Studio on March 14, 2011. The Saugatuck Center for the Arts, Michigan
celebrates art and culture of India in an
event at the Capital Club in the Dubai exhibition that launches the third annual
International Financial Center (DIFC) and Global Cultural Festival — this year
celebrating the art and culture of India.
was attended by more than 50 high net
From the permanent collection of Grand
worth clients. Valley State University, the center's exhibit,
“330 Million Faces: Meeting Hindu's
“Art is increasingly being incorporated as Deities,” features more than 25 pieces of
an alternative asset class into local, Indian art including miniature court life
regional and global investors' portfolios. paintings, sculptures of major deities, and
Art continues to be an attractive investment folk art from various Indian villages.
opportunity among local, regional and
global investors. Considered as a collectible Cultural Festival programming at the SCA
and an alternative asset class, art is runs throughout March and April and is
increasingly being incorporated into anchored by this really beautiful collection
portfolios in the interest of diversification that focuses on the multitude of Hindu
and asset allocation.
deities and their role in Indian society.
The exhibit features two and three-
~ Stephen Richards Evans, Head of Private dimensional works, the three key Hindu
Banking, Western Hemisphere, Standard deities are showcased (Brahma The Creator,
Chartered Bank Vishnu The Preserver and Shiva The
Destroyer) along with numerous other
The exhibition showcased 'Limited Edition
Hindu deities. Though Hinduism's roots are
Serigraphs' based on iconic works of some
centuries old, modern India is still steeped
of the most renowned artists of Indian in the rich, complex traditions of this global
origin. religion.
Copal Comments: The increasing The Inspiring story of blind
significance and awareness on various photographer: Pete Eckert
aspects of art encourages the need to know
more on art. More art showcase will hearten
the responsiveness towards art. Art as a
luxury collectible gets distinct status
because art buyers operate along a spectrum
from pure collectors to pure speculators.
The former argue that the very essence of
art is beyond commercial judgment and
reasoning, while the latter consider it as an

5. Master Strokes: Festival of Fine Art in
Chennai
Works of contemporary masters, towering
installations, live painting, seminars and
discussion; exhibition “Art Chennai”
launches in Chennai from March 20 to 26.
“What we've tried is to bring a bit of
everything that has to do with Indian
contemporary art to the city, so that people
can gain exposure. This first edition is not
about selling art or making a profit; it's
Pete Eckert is a visual person. Trained in about giving people a chance to see work
sculpture and industrial design, he had they wouldn't otherwise get to see”
hoped to study architecture at Yale. But
Eckert's plans were abruptly put on hold ~ Sanjay Tulsyan, spokesperson, Art
when he began to lose his sight, and was Chennai
subsequently diagnosed with retinitis
pigmentosa, a genetic eye condition that
leads to permanent blindness. One might
think that such a condition would put an end
to Eckert's artistic dreams, yet his passion
for all things visual pushed him towards an
art form that - for a blind person - seemed
impossible: photography.
He relies on sound and sometimes
An installation by Samar Jodha recreating
touches to familiarize himself with the
the Bhopal tragedy
environment of his shoots. In 2008,
Eckert won the 'Artists Wanted' award for
Spread over a week from March 20 to 26,
emerging artists. The prize included a across 18 sites in the city, 'Art Chennai' will
reception held in New York City, a USD feature over 2000 works by contemporary
10,000 cash prize, and international artists from around the country. There will
publicity, launching his career with a be six days of 'live painting' by 27
bang. acclaimed artists, and a speaker forum
where celebrated curators and collectors,
“Occasionally people refuse to believe I
artists and lovers of art will come together
am blind," I am a visual person. I just
and discuss the topical art scene.
can't see”
~Pete Eckert

6. Copal in News better and a certain way of going
about art.
A feature on Copal Art and its initiatives as · Art requires passion and Copal is
appeared in Asian Age Mumbai dated
March 12, 2011 highlighting the present and there to act as a catalyst to that
future endeavours of Copal and Ajay Seth's passion.
(Chief Mentor) views on artworks for
corporate spaces.
~Ajay Seth (Chief Mentor, Copal Art)
Forthcoming Events
COPAL DIALOGUE SERIES XVIII
The forthcoming series of the 18th Copal
Dialogue will have Dr. Rakhee Balaram,
specialist in modern and contemporary art
speak on 'Fearful Symmetry: Amrita Sher-
Gil's Two Girls'. The talk is scheduled for
March 26, 2010 at India International Centre,
Annexe, Delhi.
Copal's Chairman and also a distinguished
poet, critic and art lover Ashok Vajpeyi would
preside over the discussion. The event will
begin at 18:30 hrs followed by cocktails.
Excerpts from the article:
· Collectors need some guidance to
buy works are should be more
aware of what to buy and what
not to.
· We help people to understand art
better by making them more
aware and by bringing more and
more art works to them.
· Initially, people would only buy
paintings which were simpler to
understand, like landscapes and
portraits. But, the society is
evolving and turning to abstract
art as well.
· Most times people are not aware 'Two Girls' by Amrita Sher-Gil
of the new works coming our
way. We study the growth pattern
on artists, their inclination to do

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Special Contributions by: Ashok Vajpeyi, Ajay Seth, Devesh Garg
Editor: Saguna Ahluwalia
Contributing Editors: Mithila Kapoor, Nikhil Khandelwal, Ricky
Seth, Sahitya Prakash, Sharan Seth, Swati Sharma, Mahendra
Nayar
Coordinator: Sanjiv Choube