The definition and overall perception of Contemporary Art remains a point of discussion and debate in the current age. It is imperative to contextualise the same in developing countries as this perception varies vastly in different socio economic groups. For the purpose of this paper the author focuses on examining India. This report discusses a definition of contemporary art as a movement. Furthermore, a literature review is conducted, which outlined that the perception of contemporary art in India is greatly unexplored. Consequently, the author conducts a qualitative study of the perception of contemporary art in Mumbai, India, from the perspective of 3 different major groups associated with the same, to which the author refers to as the ‘the Art Sphere’. These include the Art Gallery personnel( curators, overseers, owners), the exhibiting artists, and the art gallery visitors. The overall result of this study shows that most of the participants are open and understanding of Contemporary art. However, many of the visited galleries were not open to the public, and physically closed off, which created a divide between the common public and the art sphere. A few possible solutions were discussed to improve the engagement of the larger Indian population with contemporary art. Lastly, some exhibitions were examined, and evidence showed that exhibitions with immersive elements, although not liked by curators, were popular among the public.

Authors:
Elvira Mishra, Indian Institute of Technology, India
Jayesh Pillai, Indian Institute of Technology, India

About the Presenter(s)
Ms Elvira Mishra is a University Doctoral Student at Indian institute of technology, Bombay in India

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