The art and design community in Goa has expanded considerably with a number of people
moving here to set up base either full time or part time. This has led to a
simultaneous growth in the art scene. While the traditional art gallery still
exists there are a host of new spaces that have burgeoned all across Goa, from
the north to the south. The concept of a space exclusively for art has evolved
to offer a whole lot more.
The design led Assagao space Project Café for instance is hard
to pin into one watertight category. The 120-year-old beautiful home offers
rooms to stay, each designed by a different designer; an inviting pool,
eclectic store, gourmet coffee; an elegant restaurant and of course art! The
multifaceted space takes its art seriously and has hosted a number of
interesting shows with renowned fine art photographer Dayanita Singh unveiling
her Pocket Museum series here to the interesting Tales of Two Cities which saw
artists across Ahmedabad and Goa present their works. Also in Assagao and in an
old Indo-Portuguese house, the bohemian Artjuna hosts some interesting art
exhibitions in its lush garden café space.
Among Goa’s finest artists, Yolanda Sousa De Kammermeier runs
the Art Chamber along with her husband Rudolf in Calangute. The unusually
designed space is more than just a place to display art. Music plays an
integral role in the form and function of this space which regularly hosts
fantastic musical events and soirees alongside its art exhibitions.
In Majorda, Carpe Diem has grown into a reputed art centre,
hosting meaningful art shows while the café and store bring in regular
visitors. There is always a fun workshop or class one can catch here. Instead
of drinking the coffee, learn to paint with it with artist Trishna Patnaik or
participate in the recently held Safarnama Courtyard where ardent travellers
collected to share their experiences through poetry and music.
While individual spaces have done their bit, the annually held
Serendipity Arts Festival (SAF) has largely contributed to this phenomenon of
spreading the arts. Every December, Goa gets to see artworks across a
mindboggling number of unusual spaces from the old GIM building to the Adil
Shah Palace to the PWD complex to the street and a barge anchored in the river!
A mural in Fontainhas, an installation in the park, a sculptural figure on a
Panjim rooftop – there is plenty to startle and delight viewers.
Locating an art work changes and transforms the viewer
experience completely. The superbly talented Goa Artists Collective chose a
dilapidated old boarding house, Poonam Lodge in Fontainhas for their inaugural
exhibition some time ago. Held among its ruins, the show was an apt exploration
of when a house ceases to be a house. One simply cannot imagine this show being
as effectively moving if it was held in a pristine art gallery with immaculate
walls and lighting.
Truly
a feast for the senses, this new trend of finding art where one least expects
it is a wonderful way to revitalise Goa, her inhabitants and visitors. Go on,
enjoy the spread!
