Indian Art Collectors - By: Namita Sibal

Targeted at the Artists

The Indian Contemporary art market has been booming over the last few years. Indian art is fast becoming an investment avenue for the rich middle class. There has been a spurt in the number of art galleries that have opened at every nook and corner, and the secondary market is busy with re-sales, as collectors are trying to cash their investment as soon as possible. Auctions have taken prices of some artists to sky high levels, and there is a lot of coverage in the media on how Indian art is finally getting its due.

However though Indian art and Indian art collectors are finally getting their due, the fact is that nothing much has changed for the artist. The ones who are getting rich in this boom, like always, are the middle men and the collectors. Most works up for sale in auctions do not belong to artists. They had probably sold them many decades ago for a pittance. Galleries often buy out complete collections from an artist for a small amount and then sell individual artworks for a big profit. Also many talented artists, who are not good at marketing themselves, or don’t have access to patronage from large galleries, struggle through their entire life without making it big. Collectors are caught between acquiring works they "really like" and buying what art galleries are promoting aggressively as those are the ones that will eventually appreciate.

IndianArtCollectors is an online art community art portal attempting to redefine market dynamics with the help of the highly developed internet, courier and online banking services. The objective of IndianArtCollectors is to use these modern services to benefit the artists of Indian contemporary art and make the market more efficient in their favor. IndianArtCollectors already has a collector base of 700 upwards and 40 contemporary Indian artists. Overall, the portal displays more than 1700 paintings by Indian artists.

How IndianArtCollectors works is really quite simple. Any Indian artist, in any part of the country or even world, can apply for registration by submitting their bio-data and sample of works to the Art Panel, which comprises of art lovers and collectors (and not businessmen). Once an artist is registered with IndianArtCollectors he can upload his works to sell in the following steps:

1.Artist uses his login and password to submit artworks for sale, at his convenience and sets his own price.

2.Browsing collector buys the artwork through the shopping cart module. Artist gets notified immediately on sale through an email.

3.IndianArtCollectors receives the payment on behalf of the artist from the collector and notifies the artist of the shipping address.

4.The artist packs and couriers the artwork to the collector along with the system generated authenticity certificate signed by him.

5.Once the artwork is received by the collector in good condition, IndianArtCollectors transfers the money due to the artist (after deducting service commission and service tax) within 2-3 working days.

Through IndianArtCollectors, an artist gets several benefits:

1.IndianArtCollectors allows artists to pursue their passion in an environment that stimulates their creativity. Artists can spend more time concentrating on their work rather than making the rounds of galleries showing new works, and collecting payments against sale of older works.

2.IndianArtCollectors empowers the artist by eliminating the middle men in the industry. It provides a platform to artists to present their works directly to collectors allowing them to choose whether from the works offered.

3.IndianArtCollectors charges only 15% service commission as opposed to 33% or above of conventional galleries, and allows artists to display their paintings on the site for free.

4.IndianArtCollectors allows artists to know who their collectors are, as the artworks are couriered by the artists directly to them.

5.IndianArtCollectors pays its artists within 3-4 working days of the collector having received the artwork through an electronic transfer. This is a stark reduction as compared to conventional art galleries who can take as long as 60 days!

To sell art online and enjoy the benefits of IndianArtCollectors, all the artist needs is an internet connection and a courier service. IndianArtCollectors expects artists to take the responsibility to submit good quality images, record the correct details of the artwork, price their works reasonably, pack their artworks safely, use a courier service of repute, and print and send a system generated authenticity certificate with every shipment. IndianArtCollectors believes that if every member of the art community conducts himself with discipline and accountability, this beneficial model will be the future of tomorrow’s art market.

About the Author

Namita Sibal, Director IndianArtCollectors, is interested in the rapidly changing Indian Contemporary Art market and the developments it bring with it. Namita can be reached at contact@indianartcollectors.com and invites suggestions and feedback on how to make www.IndianArtCollectors.com more beneficial for the artist and collector community.

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