As I write, the world is being determinedly pushed to a war by the US. Despite the wise counsel for a peaceful approach by its only staunch ally in history, France, the Bush administration and its hangers on in other countries, have opted for war. The Security Council stood firmly enough against the US and its allies, but the UN Secretary General has shown a signal of lack of courage in the face of US pressure. The world is a divided place.

At such times, investment both in shares and real estate suffers, despite the bullish hope of arms manufacturers and the likes. The Iraq war, if it does materialise is likely to raise even less hopes. The US war effort is aimed at cornering the world?s energy resources, especially oil. And the study of oil-related economic crisis shows us that oil was in a period of recession resulting in a sharp rise in the cost of production of almost everything.

‘Bombing Baghdad’ by Atul Sinha, priced at Rs 50,000

It fuels unemployment, closures and further erosion in mass buying power, which narrowly situated arms industry can hardly offset. So the US, to push itself out of the recession, is trying to make the world pay. This will definitely lead to a deeper recession in the world economy and growing resistance to the US bullying. But instability does not help the stock market or realty market.

At such times, art becomes the best investment and the artist?s response is the best advice. Indeed, as expected, works against war and for peace are bound to surface now. They will come out of attics and store-rooms like Atul Sinha?s ?Bombing Baghdad at Christmas,? painted on December 31, 1998 when the US was conducting one of its numerous aggressions against that country.

Listening to Bush?s speech on BBC on March 18, 2003, he stayed awake all night and brought his 1998 work to the art gallery Veira Da Silva in Vasant Vihar and exhibited it there with his sculptures as a silent cry for peace. Arpana Caur?s ?Tears for Hiroshima? is on permanent exhibition at the Arpana Gallery in Siri Fort. One hopes Vadheras will exhibit a work from Hebbar?s ?Holocaust? series and Art Heritage Sunil Das? ?Gulf War? works that had a successful showing in New York and New Delhi. It is hoped that Vivan Sundaram?s ?Gulf War? works will also surface and the small investors can always go and buy Anita Dubey?s video of Yoko Ono?s ?Railway Carriage? of Berlin and Yokohama recently exhibited at the India Habitat Centre. Yes, this is the art to invest in today.

A great groundswell of the art of peace and understanding is developing. India has a strong contemporary tradition of it. The investor in art must choose carefully and buy the best works because good patronage is bound to produce better art. Good Indian contemporary art is a worthwhile investment today.

It is easy to carry and relatively cheap. It is of good quality. It is contemporary and relevant. And it has global appeal. As such it is excellent investment for the troubled times we live in.

Seeing the reaction of a number of artists including Anjolie Ela Menon on the developing war-like conditions around us, one can perceive that the US war unleashed on one of the cradles of human civilisation with Babylon, and so many ancient sites in it, one can expect cultured people to do everything they can to support the anti-war effort. So, good creative artists can be expected to produce anti-war art in India and all over the world as never before.

This art will be sought out by collectors for a long time to come. It will shine among all works of our times as it is an expression of civilisation against barbarism, of the preservation of culture against its destruction and of progress against disintegration.

This art has a future as it tied to the future of mankind. It is an art that reconstructs the Bamiyan Buddhas by confronting the power most responsible for their destruction. As such, those who invest in such art invest in the future of humanity, culture and civilisation.

This investment goes beyond the profit motive, into the realm of history. This is the basis of all good investment in art and other artifacts produced by humanity in its progress over centuries. Today, collectors have the good fortune to be able to buy it almost as soon as it is created. This opportunity should not be lost.