‘Aparanta’ has been a true confluence of ideas, efforts, beliefs and the hard work of many. It has, in more than one sense, crossed the horizon of the beyond and related itself to the spirit of a rich mélange of culture and tradition imbibed from diverse sources through the ages. This exposition, ‘Aparanta’, held at the historic Old Goa Medical College Heritage Precinct, is intended to emphatically put on stage what Goa always has been in the world of art: bold and path-finding, and to dispel the twilight shadows that one has begun to associate it with.
It all started with the idea of presenting Goa in its true light. The project strongly reflects a contemporary cultural need yet can be considered offbeat: to present a past which is very much of the here and now. To showcase Goa’s history, tradition, culture, heritage and art, not as an antiquated remnant relegated to museums and the deeper recesses of a generation passing into history, but as a fine and integral part of people’s everyday life.
To present this unheralded facet of Goa, it was decided to have some of Goa’s finest artists to come together at a painting camp and let loose their imaginative powers. What was indeed surprising was that 20 of them, some residing outside Goa and yet others outside India, actually believed in their being the face of change that a government agency, the Goa Tourism Development Corporation, was out to portray. Confidence in Goa was justified by the incredible help and support that we received everywhere we turned. It was refreshing to see that everyone spoken to was excited about the project.
A palette on the hills was what it was meant to be. The serene Farmagudi Hill Resort, 20 artists of repute, 10 days of fertile imagination and unfettered creativity. It was a confluence of exceptional synergy, of bonhomie, of Goanness, of creative togetherness. The result was these images, which create a well of ideas and an insight into the emergence of an exciting aesthetic that combines the old and the new.
The works coming out of the Farmagudi camp form the core of ‘Aparanta’. It signifies the culmination of this unique togetherness of artists who have made it a point to show the art world the special place that Goa can hold in the realm of Indian art. It definitely presents a major first on the canvas of Goa’s art history. A first for the sheer number of artists who said ‘yes’ to an experiment which they believed in. A first for the new who brushed alongside the old, the senior who opened wings for the young. A first for their belief to come together for Goa and reveal this amazing dimension of its contemporary culture.
‘Aparanta’ offers a glimpse into the Goan art scene through a wide-angle lens. Never have such a cross section of Goan artists come together to give a much needed perspective on contemporary Goan art. ‘Aparanta’ rightly chooses to revere Goan masters of an era gone by and acknowledges their contribution towards firmly rooting the journey of Goan art to the beyond. ‘Aparanta’ also tries to show Goan inspiration in one way or another, in the works and contribution of some who have made their mark in the larger Indian art context.
‘Aparanta’ hopes to enhance, open and expose to the local populace and to the traveller looking for a wholesome, authentic cultural experience to this facet of Goan ingenuity. It ingrains itself into the essence of Goenchi Asmitai. ‘Aparanta’ hopes to find a continuity between that which was, that which is, and that which will be.
Aparanta makes a bow towards Fatima D’sa, Chairperson, and staff of the Goa Tourism Development Corporation, and also to Ranjit Hoskote, MalcolmD’Souza and Vivek Menezes.
Feel welcome to enter this brief but evocative exposition of an aspect of Goa that many may never have contemplated.
(The writer is Managing Director, GTDC, Goa)
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