Do You Support Artists' Resale Rights?

We have eyes trained on Worli's Gallery Art & Soul this Thursday, for a rather significant exhibition titled AA Raiba: Droit de Suite | Artist Resale Rights. Along with celebrating one of the lesser-known modernists Raiba's 90th birthday, curators Zasha Colah and Sumesh Sharma wish to introduce the concept of the Artist Resale Rights through this exhibition.

The idea is to encourage auction houses, galleries, collectors and dealers to pay a small percentage (five per cent of any subsequent sale in the secondary market) to the artist. Raiba, who was largely patronised by M F Husain until his tenure in India, has worked as an artist for more than six decades, and his works form part of significant collections.
 
However, for more than a decade he has lived a life of a recluse. He does not receive any royalties on the sale of his works in the secondary market and is not presently producing work for sale from his studio. And he is not the only one.

 The lack of social security in India often leaves veteran artists in penury. At the exhibition, works of Raiba from a private collection are up for sale, and five per cent of the sales proceeds will be paid to the artist. Better late than never.

Source: Mumbai Mirror