BEYOND SERENDIPITY

A selection of projects from Serendipity Arts Festival 2016 were showcased at new Delhi’s Bikaner House in 2017.

Indian Crafts: Tradition and Expression- The exhibition Indian Crafts: Tradition and Expression, curated by Dr Jyotindra Jain and Manjari Nirula, intends to create a specific space for the crafts which will aim to exhibit, educate and revive the historic importance of these. “Representing 20 different crafts falling under the category of sculpture, textile and painting, we attempt to change the way the craft is received by its audience though commissioning, purchasing and loaning craft objects of exceptional skill,” says Nirula.

Photography exhibition – Samar S. Jodha’s Express/Aspire is a 11 day exhibition which is the outcome of a photography workshop that included 25 girls and boys from Auxillum School, Caranzalem, Goa, in the age group of 12 to 14, learning the basics of photography and making their own digital prints for submission.  The school with 1,000 plus students educates those from low income families. Most of their parents are migrant workers with high rate of illiteracy and work in the unskilled sector. A photography workshop that went beyond honing children’s creativity, it helped raise their self-esteem, imparts life lessons and offers possibilities that are hard for the participants to otherwise imagine in their difficult circumstances.

Chakraview – an installation by India Design Forum (IDF)- An installation by India Design Forum in collaboration with scenographer Sumant Jayakrishnan, is an installation which is uniquely Indian at its core and celebrates the Chakra, or a source of power, and a symbol of evolution and renewal. The Chakraview is a walk-in installation which has Jamdani and Ikatsilks hanging from the ceiling, hand-painted signs enclosed in circular hoops, and a black, shiny, reflective floor which mirrors the ceiling and the multiple chakras on it. 

Sandhi, curated by Sanjeev Bhargava, is a collaboration between a classical dancer and a classical vocalist addresses a serious lacuna in the field of dance—the scarcity of creative dance music. The performers Ayona Bhaduri (Odissi), Bhuvanesh Komkali (Hindustani vocal), Srinibas Satapathy ( Flute), Amrita Lahiri (Kuchipudi) and Sudha Raghuraman (Carnatic vocal) present four productions which are a confluence of dance, music and literature. “We believe the Bikaner House will be the ideal location for the exhibition keeping in mind the cultural hub it has become. It fits well into our idea of bringing interdisciplinary art forms together, twining them with our heritage and yet looking forward,” says Sanjeev Bhargava, Founder of Seher.

Storytelling  – Eight Moon Project by Salil Mukhia 

Koitso Salil Mukhia has been working to document the sacred traditions of tribal cultures of the Eastern Himalayas and retell vanishing stories. His effort over the last 15 years, both as a storyteller and traditional healer brings the lesser known traditions of tribal India before the mainstream. 

Play – Dr. Khanna (Dir. Tom Alter)

Through the course of the 45 minute appointment, psychiatrist Dr. Khanna challenges businessman Mr. Kohli’s perspective of his own problems, and the formal barriers between patient and doctor begin to melt into a camaraderie that the two begin to share.