artbahrain: Please tell us a little about your background – where you grew up, what you studied and what path led you to founding 1×1 Gallery in 2007?

Malini Gulrajani: I am from Bombay and grew up in Bangalore, I moved to Dubai 26 years ago.  I have a basic education in Computer engineering and commerce.

Growing up in Bangalore was an idyllic childhood, memories of a little painting in my father’s book, a Vermeer. That I will never forget. I feel this is where my love for art begins.  I think I am very lucky today that I am able to work in an area so close to my heart.

ab:  Which is your first love: art or business?

MG: It is art; there is no question about that!! I would not have been able to be where I am if I did not love my work. But the business aspect of things is very important for survival so it is necessary to find a balance.

ab: Why Dubai? Are your collectors mainly from the subcontinent or a mix of Middle Easterns too?

MG: As I said earlier circumstances made it that I was in Dubai. Dubai became my home. I did not think twice about starting anywhere else, Dubai was just an uncontested location and I could not have chosen better.

There was nothing happening in the arts when I moved here.  Operating out of a small gallery space in Satwa I founded almost 17 years ago, my decision to open a commercial gallery stemmed from a love of art sparked by trips to and from India. I started by buying works for myself, and suddenly found myself buying more and more for friends who were interested and from there decided to turn it into a business.

The scenario in Dubai has completely changed today.  Strategically located at the cross roads of the east and west the UAE is today set to become one of the world’s most powerful art centers. Vibrant, cosmopolitan, cross-cultural and extremely receptive this country provides the perfect platform for artists and galleries to show their works. The building of museums and art institutions and the growing patronage of the government and the corporate sector in support of the arts play a very crucial role in the growth of art and culture in the region.

I would say my collector base is 80% Indian and 20% Middle Eastern and collectors from other nationalities.  However the viewership at shows and events is very mixed.

ab: Can you tell us what differences you find between the art scene in Dubai and other emerging artistic hubs in India?

MG: The Art Scene in Dubai is very vibrant and diverse.  One gets to see art from all over the world and that provides an insight into different cultures and ways of thinking.  Being in the art fraternity in Dubai I get to meet artists / curators / art lovers from all over, which is a very fruitful experience.

India has emerged as a powerful presence in the contemporary art world Internationally. I do sense an extreme energy in the new generation of art happening in India.  The Indian art market is also opening up to International shows and Galleries and platforms like the IAF are providing great opportunities for this.

ab: How has 1×1 Gallery changed since the early days? How have your goals and vision for the gallery changed over the past 5 years?

MG: 1×1 is in a constant process of growth, change and learning. I have been constantly searching… and I think this is what leads me to find that work, that artist that I am looking for. There is always an element of surprise, of discovery, which keeps me going.

ab: Were there defining moments for you in the recent years?

MG: I don’t have a decisive answer to this.  My experiences of working in the field of the arts have led to numerous moments of changes and this process has formed us into what we are today.

ab: Out of the 42 international galleries exhibiting in the 5th edition of India Art Fair, why do you think 1×1 is the only gallery from Dubai? Is there a market for Middle Eastern artist?

MG: We specialize mainly in Indian art so the fair gives us an opportunity to exhibit the artists we work with in our country of origin. It also is a perfect platform for us to expose the talent from the Middle East in India, which is a huge market and now opening up to International art and artists. We showed a group of Iranian artists last year and it was very well received. This year we will be exhibiting three artists living and working in the Emirates.

ab: Which artists’ are you exhibiting in India Art Fair? Why?

MG: 1×1 represents an exclusive selection of Indian and Middle Eastern artists at the 5th edition of the India Art Fair – Biju Joze, Chittrovanu Mazumdar, Christiana De Marchi, Mithu Sen, Mohammed Kazem, Patricia Millns, Samira Alikhanzadeh and Simrin Mehra Agarwal.

I have a strong belief in the artists whose works I am showing. This year we are proud to exhibit in Delhi works by artists like Mohammed Kazem and Patricial Millins who are some of the most experimental and innovative artists working in the Emirates.

ab: Which contemporary Indian artist(s) should we be collecting now and why?

MG: All the artists that I work with are according to me worth collecting. But finally the collector has to cultivate his/her own choice.  Aiding in this process is also a part of the job of the gallery.

ab: And finally, where do you see yourself and 1×1 Gallery in ten years?

MG: One has visions and dreams.  I don’t know how and when they will get realized. But we will work towards it…

 ab