Amid the kaleidoscope of colors, commerce and pedagogy that mark the ongoing India Art Summit 2008, the country’s first official art fair in the capital, one name was conspicuous by its absence — master artist Maqbool Fida Husain. And the organizers have explained his absence by saying they did not want to invite any controversy.
Husain’s works apparently did not match the guidelines and advisories issued by the organizers, Hanmer MS&L, a communication and creative services firm hosting the summit. But the artist understands the situation. In a statement from Dubai on Friday, he said there were 2,500 cases pending against him in various courts across the country and he empathized with the decision of the organizers.
The summit organizers also tried to set the record straight. Hanmer MS&L managing director Sunil Gautam said he wanted the caches of works to be tightly curated. “I wanted every frame to match the walls and told the galleries not to bring in works that would court controversy.”
The Culture Ministry had issued an official statement on Thursday night objecting to Husain’s exclusion from the summit. But Gautam told IANS: “We as organizers have the highest regard and huge respect for the legend M.F. Husain. The artist himself understands the situation and it is an indirect way of Husain blessing the event. He knows our problems — this is public space and we are exhibiting works worth crores (millions) of rupees. I could not expose the show to any kind of risk. It was my duty to safeguard everyone’s interest.”
Husain’s works may be missing from the fair, but that does not mean he is out of the country’s art circuit. A simultaneous show of his works by Sahmat, a cultural organization, in the capital is making up for his absence from the summit.
