As art mimics life and reflects the reality of its times, it is constantly evolving vis-à-vis its form and message. Also evolving, therefore, is the process of engaging with it. From being a tangible-only, in-person, at-gallery experience, art is increasingly becoming a digital-first en-counter where discovery is prized, inventory rules and the ease is instantly gratifying. Yes, we are talking about buying and selling art online as a trend, which is here to stay. Read on to find out more about how this is revamping the market and the best Indian art portals, right on your screen, from where to get your next arty-fix!

Celebrated author and Nobel Prize winner, Saul Bellow said, “Art has something to do with an arrest of attention in the midst of distraction.” While this statement pertains to nature or function of art itself, its stance is that of an intervention and at that, a staged intervention. In as much that art is deliberate, so is the act of purchasing it. The forethought that accompa-nies a connoisseur’s final choice in collectibles marks his indulgence, [in a work of art], as a careful investment, not just of energies but also of economic interests. So, buying art has been traditionally seen as the private playground of high-decked private [and pedigreed] bidders and brick-and-mortar galleries who ‘patronise’ select trophy or to-be-trending artists. However, of late, this landscape is certainly seeing a turn for the good, as it were, with the coming in of e-commerce. While e-tail has revolutionized the fashion, books and music world, fine art has mostly resisted being taken in, so far. Even as the saturated high-luxury industry is now looking towards online channels as further medium to complement their offline presence, so is the art world expanding its horizons with the steady advent of art dot-coms as re-defining spaces for buying and selling art.

pic1A work by Christopher Wool for the online selling exhibition ‘‘Open Source: Art at the Eclipse of Capitalism’’, which also had physical viewings at Galerie Max Hetzler, Berlin and Paris

[Credit: Photograph by Florian Kleinefenn, courtesy of Christopher Wool, Luhring Augustine Gallery and Galerie Max Hetzler, Berlin and Paris]

Netherlands-based European Fine Art Foundation, or Tefaf, published a report in March 2015 which pegged online transactions as having contributed 6 percent of the record 51 billion Euros, or about $59 billion, of art sold by auction houses and dealers in 2014. Adding to these figures is another survey from April 2015, excerpted on Statista.com, where it is revealed that 71 percent of international buyers stated discovery was an advantage of buying art online as it enabled them to find artists and art works that they otherwise would not have found. Now that the traditional gallery & private-viewing only kind of art market has peaked, with prominent auction houses like Christie’s and Sotheby’s reporting declines, the time is ripe for a certain opening-up of the market with the digitally-nativised consumers taking the lead and with art portals catering to an hitherto under-served audience who might not be new to experiencing art itself, but could be first-time art buyers, or aspiring collectors.

pic2Saffronart’s upcoming online auction,An Aesthete’s Vision, showcasing vintage furni-ture from the house of Mahendra Doshi, India’s famous restorer

While services like Amazon Art, UGallery have caused the necessary disruptions in the rigid and rarefied realms of art buying and collecting, they have also brought in their wake, a whole host of sites with their own USPs. What binds the digital-first experience of viewing and buying art is the convenience and accessibility that it promises, along with other high points, such as vast and varied inventories representing artists of diverse ancestries, and then, of course, the affordability [which comes with the high-volume, lower-value art sales that online art-sites are tapping into]. While there was no veritable online art market until a just a few years ago, there exists one now with such recognizable names as Auctionata, Paddle8, christies.com/onlineonly and Artnet Auctions – world’s leading online-only auctio-neers – reportedly clocking in an average 109 percent increase in sales in 2014. This ex-uberance has led on to newer trends, such as, where the brick-and-mortar galleries are in-vesting in their online offshoots or even joining hands with different digital counterparts. A case in point here is Sotheby’s live auction platform on eBay – ebay.com/sothebys – which allows for live bidding for authentic artworks and promises a “classic Sotheby’s experience, with an innovative twist”, a line that, in a way, encapsulates the essence of the adventurous online art-marketplace.

pic 3In a world where browsing and carting is the way to go, online shopping extends itself to fine art and curios, so that the wall to mount on is now changing to the wall to click on

Having set and shared the global context, we come down to how the art-market in India is responding, or rather, adapting. Even as the India Art Fair 2016 concluded yesterday, cele-brating an original attempt at ‘bringing art to the people’, here is more power to art reaching out to hard-core enthusiasts and emerging admirers alike, with a select list of India’s top 7art-sites changing the way art is being sold and bought in the sub-continent:

1. INDIAART.COM – A great place to find emerging as well as well-known artists, this site houses a wide array of paintings and sculptures which one can search thematically, as well. One of the highlights is their special section for art made by children and a dedicat-ed area for serigraphs as well [even though their print inventory is not a large one to talk about]. The payment procedure is seemingly easy and the site can be definitely navi-gated seamlessly.

2. MOJARTO.COM – Their website says, “We are focussed on making Indian art and col-lectibles more accessible” – a credo they take seriously, as is apparent with their unique Art Advisory page where potential buyers can share their budgets, about the space to decorate, in return for customized recommendations. One can also view artworks in about 30 different galleries from this one space. Powered by NDTV, with a young team at helm, this e-gallery is worth a scroll [even though they are not exactly budget-friendly]. But then, do check out their digital prints collection,for sure.

3. GALLERIST.IN – Boasting a wide array of budget friendly options for the art-minded and an informative blog for the art novice, they have some for everyone [even though the range seems a tad limited]. In fact one caneasily create a palette of art options, by choosing from categories like medium of art, theme, price and the kind of room to put it up, to get a selection which can be then compared. A user friendly site, it also has an option for one to return an unopened piece bought within a period of 30 days.

4. FIZDI.COM – Fizdi has been around, since 2009, and it has a vast collection of hand-painted art to prove. One can browse well and can take a pick going by a particular shade, to look for paintings in that colour palette, or choose between different the size. Staying true to their emphasis on making art affordable, they have multiple options to choose from [even though they are not the site for serious art buyers to go to or when looking for well-known artists].

5. ARTFLUTE.COM – Having started in 2008 with the aim of creating a transparent, online marketplace for artists, the site has grown on to specialise in unique sensorial prints. They release not more than 100 limited edition sensorial prints of original works globally – each accompanied by a numbered Certificate of Authenticity from the artist. Theirs is a curated collection by contemporary artists meant to appeal to a young collector or an art veteran, for home and also corporate spaces. Once can browse easily, going by collec-tions sorted as per price, colour, style etc or go onto look up artist profiles and respective works to choose from. Their trend-oriented blog is also worth a read [maybe not so much for the well-versed connoisseurs].

6. SAFFRONART.COM–Founded in 2000, this live auction platform for fine art and col-lectibles distinguishes itself as one catering to the Indian diaspora and the international community at large. Housing renowned artists’ works, this is portal meant for the pas-sionate art lover/collector who can take a pick from a glossary of old and modern names, or go by price [which also has a section of ‘upto Rs 5000’]. A good example of the online meeting offline, Saffronart has held several online and live auctions, [the latest one being of works by F N Souza], accompanied by preview events in cities like Mumbai, New Delhi, New York, London, Singapore and Hong Kong.

7. ARTZOLO.COM – Started in 2013, this is a site which redefines mass-market as one can find not just find paintings and first prints but also decals, handicrafts and much more. A mish-mash of art and artifacts, this portal is one for browsing with a cup of chai in hand.

Now, with this guide in place, go ahead and take a plunge in the dynamic world of buying art digitally.

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