With a record 135 exhibitors presenting works by leading names in art and design over its four-day duration, the India Art Fair (IAF) reaffirmed its scale and ambition. A testament to its success, apart from the increasing footfall, were also the several red dots that appeared across booths.

Jaya Asokan, Director, IAF, noted, “With this edition, India Art Fair has entered a decisive new chapter. The eyes of the global art world are on South Asia, and India Art Fair 2026 met that moment; record exhibitor numbers, ambitious programming, and four days of palpable energy… Over the years, we’ve been proud to build the essential gateway between South Asia and the international art world; our 2026 edition shows that that exchange now flows powerfully in both directions.”

Robust sales were seen across gallery booths for all segments — from the modernists to contemporaries and emerging talent. On the very first day, Vadehra Art Gallery sold 80 per cent of its booth, including works by Atul Dodiya, NS Harsha, Manjit Bawa, Anju Dodiya, and Sudhir Patwardhan, with prices spanning from $6000 to $600,000.

While David Zwirner sold two sculptures by Huma Bhabha, a painting by Suzan Frecon and a photograph by Wolfgang Tillmans, Rajiv Menon Contemporary sold all but one work at its booth, with prices ranging from $5,000 to $35,000.

Ashish Anand, CEO and managing director at Delhi Art Gallery (DAG) noted, “The strong opening-day response to our booth at IAF reflects the accelerating global recognition of South Asian modernism. Ranging between 50 lakh to 12 crore, the successful placement of works by Radha Charan Bagchi, Sewak Ram, SK Bakre, Jamini Roy, Shanti Dave, Sohan Qadri, SG Thakar Singh, Meera Mukherjee, Krishen Khanna, Nandalal Bose, Madhvi Parekh and Sakti Burman points to a sophisticated collector base that is increasingly focused on historically significant practices.”

Director of Art Alive Gallery, Sunaina Anand, also saw several inquiries and sales at her booth, as did Bhavna Kakar of Latitude 28 and Ushmita Sahu, director of Emami Art.

At the Experimenter booth, several sales were also made to new collectors. Prateek Raja, co-founder of Experimenter, said: “We were very happy to return to IAF with a presentation of works by 18 artists from the programme. Included in our booth were several new commissions by artists Kaveri Raina, Biraaj Dodiya, Sohrab Hura and Vikrant Bhise. We placed several works with new collectors. Over 90 per cent of the presentation was sold. We placed significant works by several artists, such as Aziz Hazara and Christopher Kulendran Thomas in museum collections in India and abroad.”

The experience was equally rewarding for international galleries as well. Sophie Murphy, associate director at Saatchi Yates, which had, among its highlights, Marina Abramovic works, said, “The fair has exceeded our already high expectations. By the third day, we had almost entirely sold out our booth. The sales have been outstanding and we are delighted with the turnout. We have placed our work with a major institution in India and it’s been great to meet so many new collectors at the fair.”