August sees the launch of Mumbai's latest arts space – The Loft at Lower Parel. Initiated by art consultant and writer, Anupa Mehta, who is also involved in Arts Reverie, an artists’ house in Ahmedabad, and has several years of experience as an arts consultany, The Loft brings together Anupa Mehta's wide-standing and varied experience with Indian contemporary art under one roof. According to Anupa “The Loft is envisaged as a studio space for creative interaction, national and international residencies, and a source for quality art.”

Anoop Kamath in a candid tete-a-tete with Anupa Mehta, who will launch The Loft at Lower Parel in Mumbai on August 1, 2008 .

AK: Can you tell us what exactly will be the relevance of The Loft in the current art scenario?
AM: The Loft is a simple, non-pretentious space, a basic studio for artists to come and work in. There is an intimate viewing area that serves as a small gallery. I do believe that we, (including artists), are becoming removed from the pleasures of art making in the rush to make it to the market. I hope to be able to host four international residencies and a series of shorter studio sessions for Indian artists to come and explore/question their own work process. Interested others would be invited to meet the artist. The Loft's relevance lies (perhaps) in the fact that we will draw attention back to the drawing board. (Smiles). That apart, I hope to stock and sell selected works for discriminating buyers.

AK: What prompted you to start The Loft? How different will The Loft be from the residencies available to the artists now?
AM: Three years in Ahmedabad made me sharply aware of starved we are for infrastructure. It's ironic. At one level there are flashy galleries across India . At another level, really talented artists don't have a space to call their own. So, when I decided to come back to Mumbai and had to re-invent, I thought of The Loft. I have helped set up a few gallery operations, managed shows at various levels and after a point you realise that unless you are completely independent, it's impossible to be true and credible. I am not funded in any manner. It's a completely independent, self-sustaining model. I am not aping or competing with anyone. I do hope that The Loft becomes a community space and I hope to host shows curated by many bright minds from across the country. I also hope to offer weekend programmes that will include theatre, film, literature, from October.

AK: Will it be similar to Arts Reverie, which you run in Ahmedabad?
AM: Not really. Arts Reverie does not have a gallery, nor do we sell art from there. It's a paid residency space on the lines of Sanskriti. Arts Reverie has just begun offering a three week residency in the monsoon months to Indian artists. Jitendra Baoni is slated to be with us in August. Arts Reverie is also house that functions as a space for professionals from the creative industries. I manage the projects of the artists along with my partners in the UK .

AK: Do you have collaborators/partners for this project?
AM: The space belongs to my paternal family. They are, in that sense, sleeping partners.

AK: You also said The Loft will be a source for quality art? Can you please explain.
AM: Alternate art spaces flounder due to lack of funding, a clear vision and proper management. I had to have a clear revenue model that is not dependent on the vagaries of corporate support. Artists have been very supportive of this clarity. Many artists have come forward to consign work. I am very touched by this faith in my credibility. We will stock and sell art, also to support our non-commercial activities.

AK: Can you throw some light on how The Loft will undertake representation for artists?
AM: I hope to represent 4-6 artists in India/overseas. This will leave the artist free to work with no pressures about sales/shows etc. These would be artists I know and whose work I respect.

AK: Will The Loft be looking to promote new and young talent in India ?
AM: Yes, absolutely.

AK: You have been an art journalist, consultant and curator for several reputed projects. Which of these roles are most gratifying?
AM: Writing remains my first love. Though, I find very little time or an appropriate platform to write for.

AK: You have also published your first novel – The Waiting Room – last year. How was the response from the readers and are there more novels in the pipeline?
AM: Readers have been very positive, people still write in, although the media trashed it - The Hindu was particularly vindictive, almost a personal crusade - without actually understanding what the book was about. I am currently editing my second novel

AK: One last question – where do you think India art is heading in the global scenario?
AM: This may sound like a cliched answer, but I think much more needs to be done on the home-front, if we have to get a firm footing in the global arena. Right now, as I see it, it's a case of flavour of the month with two/three artists fetching big bucks. There are too many random galleries showing in a random way. It presents a very lop-sided view of the contemporary art scenario. Currently, it's a market driven phenomena, with art fairs and auctions and some key players who run the game. We need to go beyond all this, ne?