Discovering the best and brightest in contemporary art at Serendipity Festival

The second edition of the Serendipity Arts Festival in Goa concluded earlier this week after hosting a range of exhibitions, musical performances, workshops and parties, all themed around works by some of our best contemporary artists, writes

once housed both shops and apartments on its upper floor. Curated by Vivek Menzes, the show had on display a myriad of artworks ranging from paintings, photographs, sculptures, sketches, installation pieces and a performance. This exhibition provided the much-needed context for today’s artists from Goa, to be understood and appreciated as products of the state’s distinct cultural evolution.

Artist Kalidas Mhamal, in his show entitled Now You See It, displayed sculptures, which were part of the series Caste Thread. The fibreglass sculptures, five headless busts really catch the eye. There is both the Hindu thread and Christian cross hanging on each of the busts. Busts were given name too.There is one Damodar Dominic, Mahabel Manuel, Laxman Lukas on display. “Thousands of Goan Hindus were converted to Christianity by force or arson,” says Mhamal. “Since there was no caste system in Christianity the higher caste Brahmin converts refused to be treated equal to the so called lower class converts, they wrote letters to the bishop stating that they be allowed to keep their higher caste, they appeal to bishop that they should allow to wear Janave (caste thread) which was symbol of their caste. Pope sent a decree allowing them to continue to wear their holy thread provided it was blessed by Bishop.”

Seeya Pandit, a volunteer at the festival and a painting student at Goa College of Art said, “The festival was truly a remarkable one. I got to meet a lot of artists and tried to understand their work.”