Subodh Gupta's Aura was a ceiling-high sculpture made from stainless steel utensils illuminated with a great many tube lights in a big jumble. The light created an illusion that foreshadows the emptiness of things- big and small. The stainless steel utensils with their towering presence are placed in perspective by the strong white light. The illuminated illusion conveys the make-believe prosperity of the new middle class. "Seems like the loft of a utensil shop," commented a visitor.

A golden deer about six-foot high caught the eyes of every passerby reminding them about the style of Damien Hirst. One visitor remarked, "Is this the deer that Sita wanted in Ramayana?" A curved mirror with a huge garland distorted faces of everyone who looked at it. No wonder many people captured their crazy 'selfies' or self-photos. A similar exhibit was a mirror that showed your face upside down!

Across the main exhibition halls was a hall with art shops, refreshments and sundries. Bang in the middle of these shops selling art books, art materials, art magazines, costume jewellery and refreshment stalls with tea, coffee and snacks was a huge circular artwork. Titled 'If you meet Buddha on the road, kill him' it was created by Yo Hongxing, a Chinese artist, and showed a black Buddha sitting in the lotus posture, deep in meditation, surrounded by very colourful textiles, stickers, glass beads and toys used on a canvas and wood panels. Dazzling the visitor with image overload, it shows the influence of mass media, pop culture, architecture, environment and landscapes of East and West. The artist from Beijing says this work shows swift change of China's social system. It is also a satire on Asia's fast evolving social, financial, environmental and technological systems.

The different venues for lectures and seminars go on during the four-day fair. Renowned art critics, dealers, experts, auctioneers, dealers and professors address the various sessions. Many of these sessions are well-attended with lively discussions and debates.

Surprisingly, the director of this humungous exhibition is a young lady from Delhi, Neha Kirpal. The story goes that in 2008 she visited London while working for a PR and event management firm. She was awed by London's happening feverish art scene with 9,000 galleries. She wondered, Why not have am art fair for Delhi?

During a flight, she wrote the business plan on the back of an airsickness bag, got off the plane and convinced her employers to loan her ten million Rupees to create the Art Summit.

The first show in 2008 was called India Art Summit at Pragati Maidan showgrounds in New Delhi for modern and contemporary art. The first fair targeted over 6,000 visitors with 34 exhibiting galleries at the fair, and over 550 contemporary and modern artworks. This first show managed to attract local art galleries on one big hall but the next event was much bigger with more Indian and international participation from Britain, France, Spain, USA, Canada, Australia, Hong Kong, Italy and many other countries. Before this Fair, Mumbai was the premium centre for Indian art shows but this event has changed all that and now many galleries from Mumbai exhibit here because they cannot be left out of such an important event on the international circuit that generates good business. After another two years of steady growth, increased participation and attendance, the venue was shifted to NSIC ground in Okhla.

During its six events, the fair has managed to exhibit and facilitate the sale of many world renowned artists like Picasso, Dalí, Auguste Rodin, Miró, Marc Chagall,Marina Abramovic, M. F. Husain, S H Raza, F.N. Souza, Anish Kapoor, Damien Hirst, Anjolie Ela Menon and Thota Vaikuntam.

What a feast for the eyes!