India Art Fair: Don't miss these stories from the Mint Lounge Art Special

We’re just days away from Delhi’s annual India Art Fair at which more than 120 galleries will show the work of contemporary artists from all over the country, who cast the world around us in a new light. Indian art is having its moment in the sun, and this is in no small part due to the imagination and vision of artists from the country. The Hurun India Art List 2024 recorded a 19% rise in sales from the previous year for the top 50 artists from the country at ₹301 crore. The entry point for the top 10 artists rose from nearly ₹2 crore in 2021 to ₹7.7 crore in 2024, close to a 300% increase. What is it that swells the price tags for Indian art, and who are the people at the forefront of rethinking art and its role in society? Many of the stories we did in the past week at Lounge are an attempt to find the answers to this, as well as to questions about what it is about art that moves us. This year, more than ever before, the thread connecting many trends we’re likely to see in the art world, seems to be practices and voices that aren’t often heard. A number of contemporary artists are working with textiles, collaborating with traditional weavers, tapestry makers and artisans, and interrogating ideas of creativity, originality and art itself. For centuries, weaving, sewing, darning, tapestry making, knitting, crochet and embroidery were considered women’s arts or hobbies, though the labour of these women saved families money and produced durable as well as decorative clothing. Now, artists such as Viraj Khanna and Jayeeta Chatterjee are using the same thread and fabric to tell intimate and immensely political stories about the world—and the result is some absolutely stunning textile art, as Avantika Bhuyan reports. We’ve also met the young artists trying to break out of the stereotypes associated with “Dalit art” even as their work remains deeply rooted in resistance. And Kiran Nadar talks about the 15 years of work that has gone into the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art, India’s first private museum, and the way KNMA changed institutional curation in the country. And once you’re done reading (or bookmarking) these stories on the world of art, you can take look at these other stories we worked on in the week gone by.  

Should you trust wearable AI gadgets?

Memory is a fickle thing. You often forget the names of the people you met or your daily tasks, and it is easy to believe that if you remembered all these things, you would be more productive or have a better social life. A hoard of AI-powered wearables, like the Bee, Omi, Limitless and Neo 1 from Indian startup NeoSapiens, in pendant and wristband form, tap into that belief and promise to build you a “second mind”. They listen to and make sense of your conversations, but privacy researchers are concerned about the security aspect of these devices. Ivan Mehta tells you more about these gadgets, how they work, and the risks involved.

How to style your home with art

Picking a piece of art for your home can be a nightmare, especially if you’re not sure about the kind of art you like or are worried about the provenance of artists. Instead, you could consider picking home décor that’s crafted by a designer with the attention and imagination that goes into a work of art. Designers are experimenting with materials such as marble, brass and wood to create decor that isn’t just practical but also has the aesthetics of art and a sense of fun. They’re working with wood, marble, even waste materials, to create everyday objects that make your house look like a gallery while having the comfort of home.

Why curators are the caregivers of the art world

Curator. It’s a word you hear often, and it’s applied to everyone from arts managers to influencers. But what does a curator really do? Somak Ghoshal explains that a curator’s responsibilities range from giving feedback to the artists they work with to providing inputs on the display in a gallery or museum, looking after the logistics and, most crucially perhaps, managing people—emotions, expectations, meltdowns, you name it.

Portion control your way to good health

Many ailments we suffer from, be it diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer or weakened immunity, are a result of what we eat, and importantly, how much we eat. Portion control reduces the strain on the digestive system, minimises the risk of digestive overload and allows the body to process food more efficiently, discovers Shrenik Avlani after spending a week at a wellness retreat where servings were limited at every meal. Some of the most effective ways to reduce food intake include mindful eating, and choosing local and seasonal foods. 

Sabyasachi turns 25. What will the next 25 years be like?

Designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee’s grand show on 25 January in Mumbai, marking 25 years of his brand, demonstrated his ambition to be a global Indian luxury house, writes Pooja Singh. It was not a retrospective but a fashionable flex to show what the brand believes it is capable of and is working towards. The ready-to-wear collection was clearly aimed at the global luxury shopper who prefers comfort. The 150-odd looks blended the nostalgia of old Kolkata—silk scarfs and embroidery, rose-tinted glasses and ties—with luxe grunge, traditional embroidery and the language of the Instagram generation.

Where and what to eat in Canberra

Australia’s capital Canberra has coffee shops with exceptional espressos, breweries with fresh beer on tap and wine bars that stock the finest vinos from around the world. On a trip to the city, Aatish Nath discovered its eclectic food scene—from an Ethiopian restaurant to a cosy Italian trattoria to an Asian diner. He went truffle-hunting on the outskirts of Canberra and sampled an outstanding tempranillo at a winery. While Sydney and Melbourne are usually in focus of food tours, Canberra too has a unique food identity. 

‘Deva’ review: Shahid Kapoor in a sober thriller

Audiences expecting a flamboyant cop film might be wrong-footed by this Shahid Kapoor-starrer, writes Uday Bhatia, in his review of Deva. Dev (Shahid Kapoor) is a renegade, trigger-happy cop with the Mumbai police tasked with solving a murder, before he crashes his bike and loses his memory. This is very much a film about male bonds, as well as the anxieties about the surveillance state.