The young artist in urban India today has advantages the previous generation were deprived of - better education, improved exposure to art practices worldwide, travel and exhibition opportunities, advanced material and technological access, experienced guidance, platforms for experimentation and economic support to sustain a career in the arts.

At a stage where Indian art is being evaluated and understood in a broader context, the individual artist is developing skills to maintain simultaneous connections with the local and global, using international art vocabulary while retaining a cultural identity, and demonstrating a degree of street-smartness that allows for aspirations to artistic recognition and economic success relatively early in their practices.

Every large town and city in the country has colleges and institutions of fine art, some of recent establishment - both private and government run - which become local hubs for artists and students to congregate. Migration from rural and semi-rural to urban spaces for education and work is a common factor that influences artists as well, so moving to an older and renowned institution for a master's degree, diploma or simply studio practice is a widespread occurence that brings together a pan-Indian community. The Faculty of Fine Arts, M.S. University Vadodara; Vishwa bharati University, Shantiniketan, West Bengal; Sir. J. J School of Art Mumbai; Faculty of Fine Arts, J.N. University New Delhi; Govt. College of Art and Craft Chennai, Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath, Bangalore are examples of institutions of varying ages that have seen the initiation and fruition of collective art movements, and they continue to support practical and pedagogical activities like exhibitions, art camps, conferences, workshops, seminars and forums on art that attract large sections of the art community and become platforms for discussion and networking. The presence of several generations of artists who have either been alumni or teachers at the institutes creates a rich situation. Talent scouting on campuses by gallerists and residency programmers during annual grading shows allows students to make contacts that can further their work. And the quintessential ‘canteen' is often the setting of thought provoking debate, creative inspiration and the best deals in the business of art.

The flourishing gallery scene in cities like Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai, Kochi, Kolkata and Hyderabad with multiple show openings every month between August and March keep the social calendars of artists full. Exhibition previews are considered the best places to casually interact and network, meet new people, discuss opportunities and exchange information. Most artists make sure their names appear on all local mailing lists, not only of galleries but other spaces that host events like talks and screenings, on art and connected areas like design, architecture, cultural studies and film studies. Residency ‘open house' programs are also popular, as are informal gatherings organised in artists' personal studios. ‘Space' and ‘Tsar' artists' studios are among Vadodara's several novel initiatives to sustain the growing artist population and create infrastructure for them to work within independent spaces for dedicated periods of time. A great amount of interaction takes place in spaces like these, with ten to twenty individuals utilizing the set up at any given time; the model however is yet to spread to other parts of India in a noticeable way. Each city has a different set of spaces that make up the art district or regular haunts of artists, often with a distinction between centers for different types of art practice.

Artists keen on networking usually carry profile CDs or exhibition brochures their work might feature in, which they distribute at events or drop off at galleries. The art community is limited, and connections in different cities are relatively easy to develop through word of mouth and recommendations from seniors and more successful peers. Galleries and dealers in turn often network on behalf of the artist, locally as well as at foreign art fairs and expositions, where it generates enhanced opportunities. Large scale forums like the India Art Summit and Art Expo India are chances for physically networking with Indian and foreign artists, gallerists, collectors and writers. Business cards, when utilized, are more relevant if they contain information such as a personal or shared website, blog or net based identity. Many artists are comfortable being on networking sites like Facebook, Netlog and Artmesh, using the virtual space to host online exhibitions, debates and engage with happenings in the global art world.

A few art magazines and e-zines regularly publish news and stories on different aspects of the contemporary art scene, often profiling artists/exhibitions/curatorial activities; to be chosen to feature in these publications is beneficial to artist, curator or writer as these are the only broadly circulated art editions in India, however geographically bound their reporting might be. The television and print media that ignores art to a large extant, otherwise gives free publicity to artists when one of three things happens - an artist's work gets sold for an unbelievably large price, it becomes an object of public spectacle or ridicule, or it has been attacked by religious or political activists. The matter of censorship is still a troubled zone in Indian contemporary art, with several artists and their works having suffered the brunt of protests, the most well known case being that of M.F.Husain, who has been living in exile in Dubai for the last four years.

By and large artist's networking in India is informal and depends on an individual's interest and perseverance. Artists residing in towns and cities other than the centers of the art market (Mumbai and Delhi) have to put in additional vigor into building contacts. A few Artist Collectives and online galleries have gathered momentum across the country, these help member artists to broaden their networks and audiences. Certain Arts NGOs and foundations are working on creating artist databases, visual archives and resource centers for art professionals which when made public will structure the outreach of artist information.

Article by Lina Vincent Sunshi

• networking
• working internationally
• India