Art galleries open their doors, but sales tepid

Some are complying with distancing norms and hosting exhibitions. Others have gone virtual

Kynkyny is currently showcasing sculptures titled ‘A Trail of Thorns’ by Sandilya Theuerkauf. The exhibition is online.

With major exhibitions and fairs cancelled, art galleries are looking at new ways to keep afloat. Some galleries think online exhibitions are the answer, but others are convinced the art experience can’t be replicated online.

Gallery Sumukha, Wilson Garden, is in the first category. It is hosting an online exhibition titled ‘Visual Echoes’ till July 4. Earlier, Sumukha had only organised offline shows. It doesn’t plan to open its physical doors until next year. While online shows have a lot of visitors, the numbers do not translate into sales. Dr Premilla Baid, director of the gallery, says, “Many international galleries are selling, but India needs some more time. People who have money will buy when they want to.”

Home-office sentiment

Kynkyny, now an online gallery, says art might come in handy for those trying to create a mood or sentiment at the home-offices people are setting up.

Namu Kini, founder, expects things to look up. “We want our buyers to connect with the artist, understand their story and thereby connect with the art. We have to continue telling those stories online,” she says.

Classes question

Many galleries are conducting online art classes with master artists, but not everyone is convinced that is the way forward. “Collectors aren’t interested in learning how to paint. Maybe we could have conducted art appreciation courses during the lockdown. Now, with people returning to the norm, who has the time? Besides, there are too many webinars and Zoom calls anyway, and people are fed up,” says Premilla.

Hybrid model

Kynkny was a physical gallery for 13 years until it took a three-year sabbatical and relaunched in July 2019 as an online platform. The online presence has been particularly advantageous during the lockdown. The gallery still conducts four or five offline exhibitions annually. “Galleries have to keep expenses as low as possible to be able to survive this time and by being online we were able to completely cut down on overheads,” Namrata says.

The gallery doesn’t plan to relaunch offline events immediately. Art lovers need to be open to change and the hybrid model might be the best way forward, she suggests.

Will they survive?

With the end of the pandemic not in sight, many galleries are struggling for survival. “Unless people are able to fund the galleries from their own pockets it might be difficult to stay afloat,” says Premilla. Staff salaries and rents are recurring costs, which many are struggling to pay.

Physical shows

Tried-and-tested physical exhibitions continue for some galleries. Amrita Varma, AVP, RMZ Foundation, says the physical nature of art cannot be done away with. RMZ Ecoworld, the gallery run by the foundation in Bellandur, is hosting The Goa Affordable Art Festival’s Bengaluru edition till June 26.

This is one of the first art festivals the city will see after the break. Organised in collaboration with the Museum of Goa, the event will see works of Sonal Varshneya, Gurjeet Singh, Christeena Shaju, Brojeswer Mondal and Manisha Agarwal, among others. A big new challenge for galleries is to comply with social-distancing rules without taking away from the art experience.

S Ramesh Magar, director, Magnitude Gallery, is showcasing a series of paintings under the theme of ‘Monsoon Aura’ till June 30. This is the gallery’s first show since the lockdown.

Visitors are few in number at both locations of the gallery, at Jayanagar and JP Nagar. “The situation is unlikely to change for the next three to four months. Hopefully, we will be able to reevaluate the situation by Diwali,” he says. Magnitude doesn’t plan to go online. “We don’t want to remove the touch-and-feel aspect of art. Also, we show original artworks and putting them online opens them up to the risk of plagiarism,” he says.

Art will thrive

Despite the uncertain future, the future of art isn’t in question, galleries say. Art is an intrinsic part of our cultural identity and like music, it is here to stay, says Namrata.

“The need of the hour is to sustain the artists. With no sales, they might give up on their career as artists,” says Premilla. Amrita believes art will survive this phase. “For humans to survive, art must survive and we who work for it must carry the light through,” she says. While it may not be a priority, art will only become more profound during this time, observes Ramesh.

Physical and virtual

Galleries hosting online exhibitions

Kynkyny.com

Gallery Sumukha, Wilson Garden

NGMA, Palace Road

Crimson Art Gallery, Cunningham Road

Galerie Crescent, Race Course Rd

Galleries hosting physical exhibitions

Magnitude Gallery, Jayanagar and JP Nagar

Gallery G, Lavelle Road

Galleries doing both

Artisera, Indiranagar

Sublime Galleria, UB City