Hugo Weihe, CEO, Saffronart & former International Director of Asian Art at Christie’s says the world is finally paying attention to the ‘neglected’ Indian art market

Globally-acclaimed as one of the foremost connoisseurs in the field of Asian art, Hugo Weihe moved from Christie’s to Sotheby’s in 1998 to establish the department of Indian and Southeast Asian Art. Within a year, he was heading Christie’s Asian Art department in America, and eventually the entire global department. In December 2013, following Weihe’s proposal, Christie’s realised its first auction sale in Mumbai. A year after joining Saffronart, Weihe calls his move ‘the next challenge’ and affirms his committed to the Indian market. Excerpts from the interview:

You switched from global art house Christie’s to Saffronart last year, which focuses on the Indian art. What made you take that step?

I love challenges. I was promoted at a time when Christie’s decided to promote the idea of doing sales in India, which we did successfully in 2013. So, I told them that the next step has to be on the ground level to take the Indian market to the next level. I was happy to take on the next challenge. At Saffronart, we have focused on Indian art definitely. There is much more to come.

Saffronart’s auction Evening Sale set records, surpassing even pre-sale estimates. How did you compile the auction?

We went about in a considerable manner and laid out the sale to promote unusual art pieces. The auction achieved a total sale value of Rs 68.55 crore ($ 10.38 million) against pre-sale estimate of Rs 62.1-87.8 crore ($ 9.4 – 13.3 million), witnessing enthusiastic bidding throughout that saw 79 per cent lots sell. Our focus was on modernism. We realise 1960s were pivotal in shaping modernism in India. We had Nasreen Mohamedi looking at abstractions; Akbar Padamsee translating colours into shades of grey. We have Ghulam Mohammed Sheikh in 1962 recurring image of his hometown. So that era saw the rise of a whole new perspective on modernism. Henceforth, we looked at the movement in a broader sense and not just through a handful of masterpieces.

Akbar Padamsee’s Greek Landscape sold for for Rs 19.19 crore, setting a world record for the artist.

That clearly is an outstanding masterpiece recognised right from the outset by his colleague Krishen Khanna. It’s truly Padamsee’s greatest achievement. When you look at it coming from 50 years down the lane, it stands out even more. Padamsee, on seeing it recently after sixty years, was blown away. His eyes lit up and he said, “It’s like I did it yesterday”.

What is your view of the present state of the Indian art market?

The Indian art market is well-informed. It keeps its focus on the best works, in the sense that the major masterpieces are picked up and are put up appropriately in the market. Also, such pieces cater to a larger audience as they are relatively fresh. That is why I was not at all surprised when Padamsee’s Greek Landscape did so well. The market is exponential. However, I find the contemporary market suffering a little bit. There also, it is about sorting out the best and presenting it aptly. But then I think the market is quite healthy and is growing when at the same time other markets are far more troubled, like the contemporary market in New York which suffered a 35 per cent decline. One of the prime reasons behind the drop is people’s unwillingness to sell best pieces.

There have been a few successful art auctions in India in the past three years. How do auctions and such mammoth figures drive economics of the art?

I think one of the most important aspects of art auctions is that they help bring international validation to the markets. We have had some of the greatest artists and their works at our auctions, and it all happened in the last couple of years. Such progress solidifies global interest and thereby the demand for art. Successful auctions posit artists in a certain light in world arenas.

Where does India stand, when seen as a global destination for art?

Talking about the position of Asian art globally, curators in Western museums have typically focused on Chinese art. India has been neglected for ages and now they all want to catch up. In India, the market has flourished in the last eight to 10 years and international market has begun to pay attention. It has taken time to develop but art exhibitions are now more frequent in India. At least now things are being taken care of and it is a positive sign indeed.

China dominates Asian art. Where is the scope for India?

Indian art is still so inexpensive. Chinese art represents one third of the world’s market. It is estimated at $6 billion or so within China and majority of that is classical Chinese art. We are working to build-up on classical Indian art within the country. I see huge potential here. We are still at a nascent stage. After all India is a young country with oddly seven decades of Independence. Indian art market actually came into action 2000 onwards. It is just 15-16 years old which is negligible when compared to the global art market.

What’s the way forward?

We all play our parts in this. We have a huge job at hand in selecting, presenting and educating larger audiences. We must make people aware by explaining the context and not just haphazardly putting things together. Galleries do primary business by bringing and supporting artists and nourishing them throughout their career. We belong to a secondary market where we take over something and build it further. I’m thrilled to be on the ground. We can try to dig deeper into history and take out as much archives as possible. A lot is there that needs to be unveiled

How’s your experience in India?

It’s fantastic. Before coming here, I looked at Indian art and culture as an outsider and it looked quite well. But it’s a different story to be here and be a part of it. I feel privileged to be able to get a look from the inside as well. It’s completely a holistic picture now. I will do whatever I can to promote Indian art and culture here as well as internationally.