Photographer Dayanita Singh recently created a home project that used copies of her artwork. This shed light on a question – how should one display art? the art world responds
We live in a postmodern, post-Duchampian world, where technology allows us to reproduce almost anything, both artistically and personally. Once ‘collected’ we can then recreate the concepts, and change the arrangement and composition of the artwork. However, when this is done without artistic permission and consent, it brings us to a very provocative discussion in the era of NFTs: what is ethics and when is it not okay to do so?
On January 15, photographer Dayanita Singh caused a stir on Instagram when she asked (good-natured) Mumbai-based interior designer Ravi Vazirani to make copies of her box-of-shading artwork – one of only five unbound books Which they created, each consists of 30 image cards put together in a wooden structure – and displaying it in their client’s home. Imitation may have been the sincerest form of flattery, but she was not flattering. (While the performance of an artwork is separate from copyright, it should not hinder the integrity of the work or compromise its intent.)
While Vazirani did not comment on when The Hindu Weekend When contacted, he responded to Singh promptly, removed his post and made the necessary changes. “The problem is not the performance; This is entirely the prerogative of the collector. But to replace the artwork? To make copies of it? That is the problem,” shares Singh. “However, in this case, I believe they didn’t really know what they were doing; they just got carried away.”
If Raja Ravi Varma’s Olographic Press (which was started by the artist in Ghatkopar, Bombay in 1894 to print copies of his work for mass consumption) has taught us anything, it is that the fine arts should be considered a part of popular culture. Bringing in the realm is probably the best way to make an artist a household name. However, not all artists are comfortable lending their imagery – or, if they do, they may want to forgo their original gallery to oversee production.
That’s why we asked some people from the art world to join in:
Nishat Fatima
photographer and writer
“Dainita’s artwork allows you to change the front cover, if you have two boxes, which means she has given her viewers/collectors the freedom to collaborate. But collaboration is not meant to replace the whole concept of an artist’s work. He has made the box so that his images can be seen at once. It is a collection presented as a single object. Collectors would not dream of buying an art installation and breaking it into pieces, or copying and displaying it. This will be true whether they understand the concept behind it or not. so is it [Vazirani’s project] Indicates that photography is not considered serious ‘art’? I would argue that there still exists a sense of ‘less than’ about photography, driven by the proliferation of images, among other factors, and this is something that needs to change.”
Roshni Vadehra
Director, Vadehra Art Gallery
“Artifacts should be exhibited as often as possible in consultation with the artist. This can sometimes be as simple as a diptych painting that is hung together. If an artist intended to set a work in a certain way Also, the copyright of the images always remains with the artist, even if they are no longer alive. Permission is required to reproduce the images, whether in print or art memorabilia for use in [the gallery’s shop sells products like limited edition prints, cushion covers, books and calendars], If the artist is not around, we ask the family or faith. ,
Vikram Singh
freelance photographer and founder of Art Dose
“I am all for allowing people to experiment with imagery in a variety of formats and mediums – and display of artwork can be a collector’s prerogative – but artists’ intellectual property rights and copyright laws must be respected. [in India, the copyright law is valid for 50 years, after which, unless the image is copyrighted to a particular person or association, anyone is free to use the image],
Monica Jain
Curator-Director, Art Centrix Space; She works in the interior too
“When assembling or setting up an installation at a customer, I inform the artist and we hold a conference call. In some cases, the artist himself has even traveled to install the work. After all, it’s a signed act, not just a ‘design element’, and we’ve never faced a problem because communication and consent are inherent in the process.”
,