Weeks before its opening this afternoon, The Village Studio has managed to create the
kind of buzz that could well qualify to be a case study for most marketing
agencies. Merely by word of mouth, Laila Vaziralli – the inceptor of this new
art space in Parra, has got art creators and those who appreciate art in Goa,
excited about the good times ahead. And while the space is big enough to
accommodate a small-sized crowd, going by the storm it has managed to create,
it looks like the place will be swelling up within minutes of its opening this
afternoon. And when asked about what she thinks about the expected number of
attendees today, Laila laughs nervously and says, “I have no idea!”
The Village Studio is a casual art space for emerging artistes.
It is a venue for workshops, like the one that is going to be held on Block
Printing, on September 9 and 10; a café with an all day bar, and has
accommodation options in two rooms, too. And while Laila is the force behind
The Village Studio, her artiste friends and volunteers have helped her design
the space and make it what it is today, in exchange for smoothies and beer that
Laila has been rather generous with.
After studying at an alternative school, and spending about six
years in London studying photography, and working in cafés and bars, Laila
returned to India to involve herself with creative projects. Whilst working on
multiple freelance design projects of festivals such as Sunburn, NH7, to name a
few, Kitsch Mandi – an alternative flea market involving illustrators, graphic
designers, indie music bands, graffiti artistes, etc, was born in Bangalore six
years ago and soon found an extension in Mumbai.
The concept of The Village Studio was born out of necessity,
more than anything else. When Laila moved to Goa for a break last monsoon, her
love for green spaces convinced her to go back to Bangalore, pack a few more
bags and move to Goa. Laila says, “I had a body of work that I wanted to
display. I went to a few galleries, but found that the existing art spaces are
either really conceptual, where people are very intimidated to go to and have a
formal tone; or are dusty and hippie, where everything is dirty. The fun of
emerging art spaces is lacking in Goa.”
We hope The Village Studio helps bridge this gap, and we’re
excited!
The
opening party of The Village Studio begins at 2 pm today. The Jass B’stards
(Delhi) and Gautham Reddy (Func and bass DJ from Bangalore) will be performing.
Open to all
