Arts20 Dec 20243 MIN

Fancy a little art detour from your Goan Christmas?

At Goa’s Serendipity Arts Festival, haircuts and Lego-like flowers steal the show

Photographs by Rohit Chawla

Serendipity Arts Festival is an adult Disneyland where the culturally minded come to get their artistic taste buds tickled. Post pandemic, Goa has become a happy home to a diverse creative community that seems to thrive in its yet not polluted air. But, some nine years ago, it took a brave punt from Sunil Kant Munjal, chairman of Hero Enterprise and founder patron of The Serendipity Art Festival, to bring India’s first multi-disciplinary cultural jamboree to Goa, against many odds. Over the years, though the festival has only grown bigger and bigger.

As a photographer, I am not particularly enthused by long explanations around what art is and what it isn’t. I feel art is best absorbed and appreciated on its own merit. And public art festivals like this, allow you to walk around and take it all in. Below is what caught my eye at this edition of Serendipity Arts Festival:

‘Bhupen in Goa’ curated by Ghulammohammad Sheikh showcases three hundred original works of legendary artist Bhupen Khakhar’s work. What stayed with me was this particularly pertinent quote by him that was inscribed on the wall at his exhibit: “An artist should not preach, talk philosophy, try to reform society, because he constantly revels in illogicality, sensuality and vulgarity.”

‘Bhupen in Goa’ curated by Ghulammohammad Sheikh, Serendipity Arts Festival

‘Geographies of Yourself’ is a special exhibition that showcases works of some well-known international artists—James Benning, Olafur Eliasson, Sheba Chhachhi, Tomás Saraceno, Zarina Hashmi and finally, the one that resonated most with me, Ai Wei Wei. ‘Water Lilies’ is a mammoth Lego-like rendition of Monet’s masterpiece—a definite must see for those who worship on the altar of beauty.

Serendipity Arts Festival, Water Lillies by Ai Wei Wei

'Deep Cosmological Constant Collective’ by Olafur Eliasson is the other standout from the same exhibit. It comprises a cluster of glass spheres on a wall with a shifting colour palette when viewed from left to right—playful, interactive and exuding that elusive cool quotient.

'Deep Cosmological Constant Collective’ by Olafur Eliasson, Serendipity Arts Festival

‘MultiPlay’ curated by Thukral and Tagra has some clever interventions. ‘Nafrat/Parwah’ (Hate/Concern) is particularly whimsical and witty. This experimental project transforms the sentiment of hate into gestures of care. Here you exchange an object of hate for a service (of care almost) that includes haircuts, massages and beard trims—it works and brings a smile to even the most cussed among us.

‘Nafrat/Parwah’ (Hate/Concern), Serendipity Arts Festival Goa

‘Past Forward’ curated by Kristine Michael intrigued as it explored the intersection between ceramics and glass as mediums of self-expression. Key pieces include works by M. Sasidharan, Partha Dasgupta, Hemi Bawa and Reshmi Dey.

‘Past Forward’ Serendipity Arts Festival

‘Haptic Score’ curated by Virangana Solanki features some interesting inter-disciplinary works that combine sound, memory, and sensation. The installation by sound artist Noni-Mouse ‘Amma, Homunculus’ draws you straight in—it’s set in a hospital room and uses gendered sounds including the hissing of a breast pump.

‘Amma, Homunculus’ at Serendipity Arts Festival Goa

‘Journey through Kasuti: Celebrating a Return to our Roots’ celebrates Kasuti—a 6th Century-old embroidery art form from Karnataka that embodies the creativity and storytelling of generations of women—through a lovely tapestry of sorts. Culture platform, No Borders collaborates with master Kasuti artists and artisans, including the National Award winning Usha Pawar.

‘Memories from the Land’ by sā Ladakh is an installation made out of re-usable textiles in line with the regenerative approaches to art making from Ladakh. It is absolutely beautiful!

‘The Game of Whispers’ by Parag K Mittal features an interactive and generative video game that draws parallels between the political intrigue of the Mughal empire during Shah Jahan’s reign and the role of AI-driven disinformation in today’s world.

‘Mock Wild Picnic Series’ is curated by Edible Issues. Using an AI tool participants in the workshop help create recipes that minimise ecological harm and maximise biodiversity.