South Mumbai is not new to art lovers, who love flocking to its numerous art galleries every other weekend. But once in a while, you come across an art movement that is as unique as each piece of art displayed in these galleries. The Mumbai Gallery Weekend (MGW) was one such initiative—a five-day event hosted by seven leading art galleries—Chatterjee & Lal, Chemould Prescott Road, Galerie Mirchandani + Steinruecke, Gallery Maskara, Lakeeren Gallery, Project 88 and Sakshi Gallery, between January 14 to 18. Some of the artists whose work was seen at MGW included Anant Joshi, Samanta Batra Mehta, Hetain Patel, C.K. Rajan and T. Venkanna among others.
But isn't South Mumbai saturated enough when it comes to art? Abhay Maskara, Curatorial Director, Gallery Maskara, disagrees. He argues, "It is through collaborative initiatives like the MGW it becomes possible to engage with a larger audience. We hope to make people aware of current art practices in contemporary art, engage more deeply with existing collectors and celebrate the joys of creating, curating and living with art."
So how is MGW different from the rest of the art affairs, you may wonder. Maskara puts it in perspective. He elaborates, "First, MGW is built on a spirit of collaboration and partnership, which can only happen in Mumbai—the 'M' of MGW. Second, it is more focused on quality when compared to other festivals as there are only seven leading galleries that make up the 'G' of MGW. The 'W' of MGW is geographically concentrated in Colaba and Fort making it conducive for people to go from the gallery exhibitions to talks and then back to the galleries."
Now into its fourth year, MGW has grown organically, opines Maskara. "It is definitely a marquee event on the Mumbai art map. We are also delighted with the proactive role that Tata AIG has played this year in partnering with us," adds Maskara. On enquiring further about Tata AIG's role, Gopa Menon, National Manager – Personal Lines, Tata AIG General Insurance, explains, "Tata AIG has launched a new product called Private Client Group, which specifically caters to ultra-high net worth individuals. We cover their indulgences and other collectibles like art, jewellery, watches, shoes, stamps and more. Through this product, we safeguard their collection against accidental damage, burglary, theft and fire." And while art may be priceless, it sure is worth insuring, you'd agree.
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