The Alla Prima International Art Fair 2014 turned out to be a disappointment for the participating artists as rain played havoc on the arrangements put in place on Sunday.
This happened despite some exquisite art works on display from across the world and artists personally taking people on a tour of their works.
The venue was located in a tent that was set up at the Talkatora Stadium. The tent started leaking when it poured. The rain soiled some of the exhibits and the carpet was left soaking with puddles all over.
Some of the local galleries managed to pack up their works and leave but those who were visiting from Korea, Russia, Dubai and other parts of the country did not have the resources to shift their works to a safer environment.
The artists’ woes, however, were not restricted to the weather alone. Most of them were in an agitated mood as they alleged that the organisers had changed the venue to Talkatora Stadium in the last minute from the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts, which had been promised earlier.
Manoj Rajput from Rishikesh alleged that the organisers charged random rates for space that was promised to them. Only when they met at the fair did they realise the arbitrary pricing.
Most of the galleries from abroad decided to participate in the show after visiting the website of the fair. Artist Alpna Kataria said the organisers promised a lot but did not deliver even half of what was promised.
Artist Rajesh Kumar Singh was shocked when the brochure of the event printed blurred photos of his works. “The catalogue is a joke. It is full of factual errors and does not even contain a note from the curator or the organisers introducing the show,” he said.
The Hindu made calls and sent emails in an effort to contact the organisers for a response to the allegations but got no response. There was nobody from the organising team present at the venue as well to address the woes of the artists. The event ended on Monday.
