Indian Art Fair’s international director Zain Masud on the upcoming edition

The Indian Art Fair director Zain Masud says the event's aims to one of the leading cultural gatherings in the region.

Zain Masud is the international director of India Art Fair. Courtesy Zain Masud

After five years as Art Dubai’s assistant fair director, Zain Masud joins India Art Fair (IAF) as its international director, an opportunity that she says has involved a “re-strategising, reprogramming, refreshing and rebuilding of what IAF has achieved in the past seven years”.

The Oxford graduate’s relationship with the subcontinent extends beyond a sincere interest in “the immense talent across various disciplines, including architecture, literature and design”. It also dips into her lineage: she was born to a Saudi mother and Pakistani father. Her paternal grandmother came from South India and married her grandfather, who was from the subcontinent, and found himself in Pakistan after the partition.

In recent years, Masud has spent time in London, Beijing and Moscow. Now in New Delhi, she hopes IAF “takes versatility and becomes an umbrella for all creative industries in India”.

The recently released full programme shows that of the 70 galleries participating in the fair next month, a quarter are international and 15 are new to the event, with Indian galleries in the majority. “The ever-expanding global culture of art fairs makes it increasingly important for an event such as IAF to distinguish itself with a strong identity relevant to its context,” says Masud.

Why is IAF important on regional and global art calendars?

South Asia and India are indisputable cultural hubs on every level. This market has unbelievable potential and the international community needs a moment in the calendar to keep their finger on the pulse of this region.

What changes have you made, and why?

Building on IAF’s foundations as the key platform for contemporary and modern art in India, we’re adjusting our focus and programming to provide a more concise, selective roster of galleries and turn the fair into a definitive reference point for South Asia. We’ve initiated a new programme, called Platform, that positions key art spaces and collectives, which might never otherwise be at an art fair.

We are also inaugurating the fair’s first film programme, ­Moving Image Art, curated by Shai Heredia (founder of ­Experimenta, an international festival for moving-image art in India), and are hosting fascinating projects that investigate the politics of food – natural steps for a country like India that is so defined by these forms of ­creativity.

These efforts also extend to the fair’s acclaimed Speakers’ Forum, which not only addresses access and integration across South Asia, but also the convergence of disciplines, art and literature, performance and film.

What would you say have been the challenges so far?

As with most emerging markets, there is a tendency to look to modern art and to depend on information, statistics and prices that are produced in auction. Sometimes there’s less of an understanding of a value system for contemporary art and the support required for it. Another challenge was a lull in the market after the 2008 crash, which calls for a moment of recalibration and a re-nurturing of confidence among Indians.

How much Indian art will be on display?

It is the bedrock of the fair, which is a platform for a host of stakeholders, institutions, galleries and artists. We wanted to highlight the best content in the region and have made a real push to reflect South Asia.

What kind of Indian art are we going to see?

There will be everything – important South Asian masters, pichwai (paintings portraying the Hindu god, Krishna), new media, photography, performance, film – the full gamut. There are also works of all values, so something for everyone.

What are Indian collectors generally like?

As with most growth markets, in India collectors often begin by supporting work that’s familiar to them. It’s hard to generalise though, given India’s scope, geography and demographics. There are highly educated exposed communities of patrons and new collectors (across) the length and breadth of the country, as well as a deep-rooted tradition of patronage.

The talks programme looks interesting.

We actually have two talks programmes running in tandem, and are anticipating some varied, rich discussions. The Speakers’ Forum, supported by the Goethe Institute, addresses access and integration across South Asia and the convergence of disciplines.

With a shared purpose to promote cultural discourse in South Asia, and provide a platform for such discussion, Godrej India Culture Lab, Asia Art Archive and Art India are collaborating with the fair as academic ­partners.

I’m really excited about (Indian artist) Amar Kanwar, (chief curator of media and performance art, MoMA, New York) Stuart Comer and Shai Heredia coming together to discuss collection and distribution of film. Also super-excited about artist Lala Rukh, in conversation with artist Ayesha Jatoi; Mumbai Art Room in conversation with Cona Foundation about their shared project, Bartered Collections; and (curator) Shanay Jhaveri in discussion with Moma’s architecture curator about the influences of Chandigarh.

• India Art Fair runs from ­January 28 to January 31. For more ­information and to view the full programme, visit www.indiaartfair.in