Team of DAW (From left) Sunaina Anand, Reena Lath and Tariq Allana
The second edition of Delhi Art Week (DAW), which will begin on Wednesday in a hybrid format, takes a slight deviation from the first one to garner international audience and to buffer the blows of uncertainty sparked by the pandemic. The organisers — Tariq Allana, associate director of Art Heritage, Sunaina Anand, director of Art Alive Gallery, and Reena Lath, director of Akar Prakar — have collaborated with NYC-based Artsy, an online marketplace for art, for a virtual exhibition which will be on view till September 14. “The first edition was launched in April last year when the Delta wave was in full swing. It limited people from viewing the DAW as it was a physical event,” says Tariq.
He points towards technological evolution in the art world during Corona times, stating that almost all art fairs have now transitioned to a virtual space by creating online versions of their event, called the Online Viewing Rooms (or OVRs). “So, for the second edition, we learnt from our experience, and decided to make it a ‘phygital’ event – onsite in the galleries and institutions, as well as online. By taking it online, it also opened up the opportunity to give DAW an international flavour and give it a spot on the global art calendar,” he adds.
An independent and inclusive non-profit initiative, DAW brings private and public art institutions to put the spotlight on modern and contemporary art in New Delhi. The city has been divided into four art zones, where one can find clusters of galleries and institutions listed in each zone; a total of 34 galleries, two museums and over four institutions are part of the weeklong event. “The key goal of this collaborative initiative is to strengthen ties between art organizations and art lovers, and encourage patronage,” says Sunaina. She shares the galleries will host exhibitions in their own space, choose artists they want and have control over the proceeds of artworks sold too. The galleries have contributed financially towards DAW and its collaboration with Artsy, she adds.
“We have been in talks with Artsy since August 2021 and spoke to organisers of other art weeks who partnered with them. Their feedback was that the online version of their event on Artsy added value to it,” says Tariq. The organisers and participating galleries volunteered to pay a token amount to Artsy for the collaboration; every gallery gets a digital booth at Artsy’s online space at DAW. Sunaina informs Kiran Nadar Museum of Art will inaugurate DAW with a show ‘Between Vows & Words – Anupam Sud’ on August 23. The weeklong event will also host a panel discussion moderated by Yasmin Kidwai of Culture Plus at Bikaner House on Public Art, with Municipal Corporation of Delhi, KNMA and DAW as speakers. “We are also reaching out to schools to encourage school children to come to galleries during DAW,” she adds.
The galleries will be open on Saturday and Sunday till 9pm. 
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