Day 3 of the ongoing Serendipity Arts Festival 2023 took the audience on an exploratory journey of discovering the various facets of text, musical ecosystems and the dynamic coupling of sound with sight and vice versa.
A wonderful addition to the sixth physical edition of the Festival’s programming is the ‘Text/Matters’ project which is supported by the JCB Literature Foundation and is in partnership with The Marg Foundation and Art India Magazine. The project aims to encourage audiences to look at literature as an art practice in itself.
“Over the years, the Serendipity Arts Festival has been working towards bridging the various expressions of arts within India and we are extremely excited for this collaboration that narrows the gaps even further. Foundations like JCB and Serendipity need to collaborate for Text/ Matters because we work towards the same goal, which is extremely integral to mapping the culture of our country and ever-changing ecosystem. We are trying to make sense of the nation’s narrative and to work towards a collective consciousness of artistic expressions,” said Mita Kapur, literary director of the JCB Prize for Literature.
Curated by Veeranganakumari Solanki, ‘Synaesthetic Notations’ explores the image as an arrival and departure point with sound as the crux of the formation of deciphering images. Spread across the first floor of the old GMC building, the exhibition features works of over 15 artists who have employed various mediums to explore the relationship between sound and visual imagery as their primary senses.
Works on display captivated the audience as they experienced stories, musical sounds and voices from nature reverberating throughout the exhibition space. Curious onlookers participated as they watched the videos and listened to audio while interpreting individual meanings from the artwork.
A notable work within the ‘Synaesthetic Notations’ exhibition was artist Satya’s production ‘Hello? Who is Speaking’ that uses the sound and fragmented pieces of glass as an instrument to deconstruct and understand the meaning of ‘self’ that is layered with multiple connotations. Visitors were seen interacting with the work while engaging with the artist to understand the conceptual framework of the display.
A workshop that witnessed an overwhelming response was ‘What’s Desire Got to Do With It’ which decoded people’s obsession with aphrodisiacs, the nuances of pleasure politics and the implications of consumption through the lens of food and desire.
The turnout at the musical evenings at the Arena at Nagalli Hills Grounds was phenomenal as Day 3 of the festival offered an eclectic series of musical events that married folk and contemporary melodies. ‘Nimad: Under the Neem Tree’ documented the sonic tapestry of Nimadi folk music from Madhya Pradesh. The electric performance seamlessly blended these traditional melodies with global influences, resulting in a rich palette of sounds that breathed new life into the timeless world of folk tunes passed down through generations in small communities.
Closing the day was an electrifying performance by ‘Bollyjazz’, a band known for marrying Bollywood songs into amazing jazz tunes. As the musical group belted out evergreen Hindi songs from the Golden Era of Bollywood that were rearranged with Jazz rhythms such as Samba, Bossa Nova, Swing and Funk, the ground shook as the audience grooved, danced and swayed to the thumping rhythm.
