Diversity through art

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The Serendipity Arts Festival returned to Goa from December 15-22, 2018 with a vision to transform Panaji into a vibrant cultural space

Colourful graffitis and sculptures adorned the city during the Serendipity Arts Festival last year. The annual multidisciplinary arts event was organised from December 15 to 22, this year with more than 90 dynamic projects showcasing visual, performing and culinary arts at various venues throughout the state. As many as 10 venues across Panaji were set to transform the little state of Goa into a vibrant cultural space with multiple exhibitions, performances and experiential arts events involving more than 1,300 artists.

Do not be surprised if you see huge art works making their presence felt in the city. Because it’s Serendipity time for Goa; a time when art has no limits what so ever. Festival director Smriti Rajgarhia emphasised the importance of arts and culture in India’s society, and the Serendipity’s commitment to accessibility and arts education, as well as the diversity and artistic integrity of this year’s projects.

At a press conference announcing the schedule of the festival, the panelists, including co-curators of Panjim 175 exhibition Vivek Menezes and Swati S Salgaocar, and culinary arts curator Odette Mascarenhas, spoke about the highlights of this year’s festival.

Rajgarhia said, “We’re delighted by the huge support we have received from the people in Goa and are excited to showcase the diversity of projects we have this December. The festival truly celebrates our rich artistic heritage, and we hope that this will foster cultural growth and energise contemporary practice, not just in Goa but across the country.” An initiative of the Serendipity Arts Foundation founded in 2016 by Sunil Kant Munjal, the festival’s third edition is focused on fostering cultural development, supporting emerging artists across South Asia and is unique as the only arts event in the country that unites the creative disciplines. The first two editions transformed Goa and received an extremely positive reception from the public, redefining perceptions of the arts while also fostering arts production, awareness and practice across the country. The event has activated Goa’s cultural milieu, attracting more than 400,000 visitors, with dynamic projects that have included internationally acclaimed performances highlighting India’s rich traditions of music, dance and theatre, alongside culinary arts, craft, and visual arts exhibitions. Unique activations in the core disciplines of craft, culinary arts, music, photography, visual arts, dance and theatre intend to invigorate dissipating and marginalised traditional art forms, while the more contemporary projects  address significant social issues. This year’s event  also has increased international participation aimed at furthering global dialogues with Indian culture. Vivek Mene zes pointed out, “Serendipity Arts Festival has been a tremendous force for positive developments in Goa’s cultural landscape, and immensely innovative in its use of Panjim’s desperately neglected and underutilised heritage infrastructure. I am so glad this event has given us the chance to celebrate the 175th anniversary of the capital city, which the state itself has largely ignored.”

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