India Art Fair 2026 – Educational Visit
20 February 2026, Friday
20 February 2026, Friday
10:30 AM
04:30 PM
Dr. Rashmi & Prof. Arjun (Visiting Faculty)
IILM University, Gurugram
Interior Design students from Semesters 4, 6, and 8 attended the India Art Fair 2026 at Yashobhumi, New Delhi, which brought together leading galleries, artists, and design brands, providing an immersive environment to explore interior materials, finishes, contemporary design trends, and Visual Merchandising strategies at the intersection of fine art, design, and spatial curation. The visit enabled students to explore a wide range of textures, finishes, and innovative material applications, enhancing their understanding of contemporary design possibilities beyond the limitations of classroom samples and material libraries, with many students actively documenting installations and material details for direct use in studio projects. Discussions explored how Visual Merchandising principles translate to interior environments and how curatorial strategies used in gallery and exhibition design inform spatial design decisions — bridging two distinct but interconnected professional disciplines that Interior Design students must understand. The relationship between art and spatial design was examined, including the influence of current global trends on Indian design practice, providing students with a culturally contextualised and internationally informed perspective on the evolution of interior aesthetics in India. The visit broadened creative thinking, strengthened material awareness, and inspired students to approach interior design with a more informed, trend-conscious, and experiential perspective — outcomes directly applicable to the advancement of their final-year studio projects.
Students shared highly positive feedback, describing the visit as both insightful and inspiring, with the opportunity to explore a diverse range of materials and finishes first-hand significantly enhancing their understanding beyond classroom learning. Many students actively documented installations and material details for use in their studio projects, translating experiential learning directly into academic and creative output. Students gained valuable insights into ongoing design trends, detailing techniques, and the practical use of materials in real-world contexts, strengthening their ability to make informed, trend-aware material and spatial decisions in their own design work. The visit introduced students to diverse Visual Merchandising strategies and highlighted how presentation influences perception and user experience — a cross-disciplinary insight relevant to Interior Design students working across residential, commercial, and hospitality contexts. The exposure broadened creative thinking, strengthened material awareness, and inspired students to approach interior design with a more informed, trend-conscious, and experiential perspective, with the India Art Fair’s scale and diversity providing an unparalleled learning environment unavailable in any classroom setting.