-------------------------------------------------------------------------- | Goa - 2005 Santosh Trophy Champions | | | | Support Soccer Activities at the grassroots in our villages | | Vacationing in Goa this year-end - Take back & distribute Soccer Balls | -------------------------------------------------------------------------- An invitation from the Consul
by V. M. de Malar [EMAIL PROTECTED] It;s a winning personal gesture that's found deep resonance in Goan hearts, and a welcome gust of fresh air into a diplomatic relationship bogged down in bureaucratic detail. It's also a pioneering curatorial effort that has resulted in easily the most interesting contemporary art exhibit in Goa in recent years. Topping all that is the historic open invitation; all of us Goans are welcomed to the residence of the Consul General of Portugal in Altinho, Panjim, from 4 to 8 every evening until the 18th of this month, to view an exhibition of exciting and provocative artworks on the theme "Portugal through the eyes of artists in Goa." That old hyperrealist, Stalin, once said that "sincere diplomacy is no more possible than dry water or wooden iron" and there's probably some truth there even if India and Portugal are locked in a post-Abu-Salem-extradition waltz that has brought our two countries closer than they ever have been. Even then, here in Goa, every consular move is dissected and interpreted, examined and re-examined; the colonial past is too recent, and too impactful, and ended far too messily for us to sweep it into the history books very quickly. Let's be clear: if this startlingly original exercise had been routed through proper channels, we'd be nowhere. If it were merely another mouthing of platitudes, and the usual banal rote, we'd have nothing. No, it took something rather maverick, considering we're talking about a diplomat. It took an avant-garde sensibility, a totally fresh look at what Goa has and what Goa needs, it took a certain sense of frustration and boredom with the endless citizenship paperwork that crosses his desk, it took an eye that's receptive and open to the expression of dormant feelings. So, set aside the lofty corridors of power and all that endless symbolism; this is really about the very sincere private effort by Pedro Cabral Adao, the Consul General of Portugal who first opened his eyes to the work, then his heart to the artists, and now even his wallet to properly curate this excellent arts exhibition; he has personally paid most of the costs involved. This isn't really about Portugal (though that country is well served by this dynamic young diplomat with movie-star looks and phenomenal communication skills), it's really a very interesting story of an unlikely and heart-warming embrace between Adao and the artists, a relationship that has steadily warmed into genuine solidarity as this project progressed. It has culminated in this exhibition with real depth and resonance, in the forging of what is surely a completely unique group spirit teaming spiffy European diplomat with scruffy Indian artists. Talk about brave new worlds, we haven't seen anything like this ever before and it's really quite marvellous. At the opening ceremony, senior Goan artist, Yolanda de Souza admitted that the Consul's invitation to the artists had a curious uncorking effect for many of her colleagues. All kinds of buried and latent feelings came to the fore; the result is a consistently provocative collective grappling with the theme. Admittedly, the show's a bit uneven in quality, but several strong works keep it on track, among them contributions by Hanuman Kambli, Nirupa Naik, Pradeep Naik, Rajendra Usapkar, and Hitesh Pankar. But the gold ribbon surely goes to the oversized 'Govern-or General' by Viraj Naik, a brash, gutsy, big statement that should be seen and exhibited permanently in Goa after this exhibition ends its proposed tour of Margao (at Clube Harmonia next month), New Delhi, and perhaps Lisbon. This promising young Goan artist borrowed cannily from Latin American imagery, he's portrayed an encounter between a gruff conquistador and a bemused native everyman. A galleon peers over the European's shoulder, there's a dagger on one side of the canvas and a pistol opposite, and a cashew dangles in a rather interesting section. It's a painting about exploitation and colonial conquest, and so it's particularly interesting to see it in a temporary art gallery housed in the dining room of a Consul General of Portugal who is quietly rewriting the role his office can play in a changing Goa, in a resurgent India, in 2005. Good show, Pedro Cabral Adao, thank you very much. --------------------------------------------------------------- VM de Malar, a Goanetter since the early days a decade ago, was inspired enough to return to Goa, where he now lives with his wife and two children, and writes about the place besides photographing it. 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Send Christmas Greetings to your loved ones in Goa. 2005 Christmas Package - Flowers, Bubbles and Layers of Love. http://www.goa-world.com/expressions/xmas/ -----------------------------------------------------------------------