An art buyer need not be the one who must understand art, yet The Red Vineyard, by Vincent van Gogh. The only painting van Gogh sold in his life. It sold in Brussels for 400 francs, a few months before his death.people in general associate the very act of buying with a perceived lack of understanding. Most people in Assam do not buy even non-too-expensive art, because they are always tied down by other ‘priorities’. So, when the moment of buying art arrives, they think about other items that are still to be bought and works of art pale in this comparison. This has been the trend in Assam for ages, and therefore, pardon me for not mentioning a list of exceptions.

The scene in Assam, as far as art buying and making investments in art are concerned, has decades to go to come anywhere near the vibrancy of the big Indian metropolis. Art is a thriving industry outside Assam and artists are a happier lot. At the moment, Assam is not the best place to make investments in art.

Is it still possible to turn things around in Assam?

Why not; we can certainly make a beginning. An encouraging development in the current scene in Assam is that it is slowly undergoing a positive change. Nowadays, buying of paintings/sculptures is slowly picking up in exhibitions, especially those held in the capital. There are a few areas which we can explore to lay the foundation for the future.

First, we can take a leaf out of the book of the art investment scene outside Assam, to be precise, in metros like New Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata, and see how that can be feasibly replicated in Assam.

We can involve big corporate houses, MNCs, industrialists, sponsors and collectors by persuading and convincing them to come forward to create an art mart that may in turn create a win-win situation for both themselves and the artist fraternity.

Art showrooms may be set up in easily accessible locations in the capital city. This would allow people to easily identify the spot for buying works of art. The locations should be made attractive enough for people, accompanied by vigorous publicity. Any first-of-its-kind-in-Assam endeavour will automatically attract media attention, and it can be further accelerated with active mobilising of resources. The government’s help may also be sought in this regard, at least in setting up such centres.

Creating awareness among people regarding this aspect will also be of paramount importance. In Assam, works of art are appreciated and great works reminisced with reverence. Artists in turn have always proclaimed their loyalty to the masses, as they know the latter are their real ‘patrons’. Art exhibitions are primarily aimed at aesthetically enriching the masses. The people at large are always the target ‘audience’ and even outside Assam the art collectors, auctioneers and investors are counted in the second category. But patronising, in real sense, should be a responsibility of the affluent, not the larger audience.

We also need enterprising people having a heart for art to come forward and bring about a transformation. Already, a few groups have shown willingness to contribute in this regard.

We also can glamourise art and attach a status symbol to the very act of buying and selling. This would be important if we are looking at the prospect of building an art industry.

We can also hold well-publicised and well-timed art auctions from time to time and gauge the response of the people.

All in all, a holistic approach would be necessary to bring about a revolution in this direction. We certainly have the raw materials. Let’s make a beginning.

d.bezbarua@yahoo.co.in

Debashish Bezbaruah