Business of Art by On Course Global

On Course Global, a creative and alternate education company, launches the second edition of the Business of Art program at their Gurgaon location.
A part time bi weekly program from November 2nd to December 30th, that is highly interactive and engaging, aims to acquaint the fellows with the nuances of the Indian art market.
The curriculum includes classroom lectures, and visits to Museums, Galleries, Artist studios, Collectors homes, and a restoration studio.
The brainchild of Neeraj Batra, investment banker turned educationist, the course delivers high quality content. The classroom lectures, highly anecdotal, are supported by slide show presentations and videos. Neeraj is himself an avid art collector. His collection boasts of important works by Indian modernists and International contemporary artists.
DAG Modern, a Delhi based gallery, holding the largest collection of Indian Modern Art in the country, is a part sponsor of the Business of Art. Kishore Singh, Publication and Exhibition head at DAG, has to his editorial credit, numerous articles and books on artists, art movements and exhibitions.
Saffronart, also a part sponsor of the course, is India’s premier auction house for art auction. Saffronart was the first auction house worldwide, to administer online art auctions successfully. The Harvard Business School has conducted and published a case study on the company as many renowned auction houses had failed on the online front.
The course is designed to interest novice and seasoned art buyers.
Course Review
We caught up with Rinku Jain, alumnus of the first batch,for a first hand feedback.
Not from the art background, I was unsure till the very last minute, about signing up for this program. But after the very first session with Neeraj Batra, I had no regrets about taking the leap of faith. The course started with a brief introduction of World art history, including artists like Van Gogh, Manet, Monet, Renoir, most of who were alien to me before this short course. World art movements, important international collectors, international gallerists and stories around them were put forth.
It then moved into a more detailed study of Indian Modern painters, Art movements in India and performance of Indian art at international auction houses. This was supported by a trip to the National Gallery of Modern Art, conducted by none other than Kishore Singh. A real treat.
We visited the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art, one of the few private museums in the country. The presentation by curator Roobina Karode of artist Nasreen Mohamedigave an insight of the artists life and related it to her works. I never saw art that way in a museum. An eye opener. Finally, we were honored to meet Mrs. Nadar and hear about her journey as a collector. Awe Inspiring.
A session on art restoration involved a visit to the restoration studio of Priya Khanna. Priya has to her credit, restoration of paintings, sculptures and ceramics, of various artists and palaces. One of her important projects includes the restoration of works damaged during the terror attacks at the Taj Mahal Hotel, Mumbai.
Sessions with industry icons included one with Deepanjana Klein, International Head of Department, South Asian Modern and Contemporarty Art, Christie’s, NY.
Minal Vazirani, co-founder Saffronart, India made a presentation on the company’s journey and the challenges they faced.
The fellows, an integral part of the mix were from varied backgrounds. We had artists, gallerists, collectors, media persons, and novices.
The second edition includes sessions on Antiquities and Contemporary Art, adding the missing links.
I would highly recommend this program.