SOUL OF ART
Patricia Ann Alvares
As architecture and heritage play out in perfect unison at the Portuguese
imprinted Latin quarter of Fontainhas, the inclusion of art is but natural
in such a setting. Envisioning this way back in 1988, connoisseur and avid
art collector, Ajit Sukhija first opened Gallery Gitanjali at his ancestral
home, Panjim Inn.
But the gallery remained low profile until the advent of daughter- in- law
Miriam Koshy- Sukhija in 2004. Allowed a free rein by Ajit and husband Jack,
Miriam gave it dimension, focus and form, turning it into one of the most
prolific and trendy art spaces in Goa. “ The idea is to provide a platform
for art education, as well as help people discover the artist within,” avows
Miriam, who has continually sought to engage artists and art lovers in a
series of interactive workshops and activities.
The Panjim Pousada ( 1997) and the Panjim People’s { Gallery Gitanjali} (
2004), which were roped in later, are today the main hub of these
activities.
WelcomHeritage Panjim Inn retains its repute as a heritage hotel.
Interestingly, all three are housed separately within a triangular hop from
each other.
Apart from its activities, the triune galleries are unique in their set up,
juxtaposed between the antique and the contemporary. The Panjim Inn has
retained most of its Portuguese influence with a few modern touches. The
Panjim Pousada has a striking open chowk with a double terracotta- tiled
roof in a square verandah encircling a raj aangan. Panjim People’s art space
occupies the ground floor of a colonial Portuguese house. A striking 6-feet
wooden carving of Ganesh stands in welcome posture at the entrance.
A café in the forepart of the gallery, where one can read art books or
listen to music of their choice while soaking the art and antiques around,
is irresistible to most visitors. Precisely chosen for this special quality,
it was designated as centre for discussions and lectures during the
erstwhile Fontainhas Festival of Art. It continues to be patronized for
private conferences till date.
A self- taught curator, Miriam’s MBA degree has held her in good stead as
she learnt the finer nuances of curating, organizing shows while locating
viable art markets. Tying up with Saffron Art Gallery Mumbai and with
inclusions in social media sites like Facebook and India Art Works, she has
nudged the gallery into an international arena.
Working on the premise of getting people to react and engage in art while
combing various forms of creativity with art, Miriam’s latest endeavour
Chitrangan-skills and techniques is an off-shoot of a successful alternative
art studio Chitrangan held last year. Similarly, Between the Lines, A
Happening: Kodel, Kutre ani Kinetic, What you see is what you get (
WYSIWYG), The art history club Zeitgeist and Picture This- art appreciation
course which are continual activities, have all received tremendous response
from the artists as well as art lovers. Imago: Exploring the language of
film and Temenos: The Film Study Circle, which had taken a hiatus after two
years are likely to be revived soon. “ Basically you get an idea of art in
all its forms and possibilities.
Art gives multiple permutations and combinations of what it can be. For that
matter, there is art everywhere.
Art is a touchstone to open peoples’ minds and make them see things
differently.
This was one of the aims of WYSIWYG,” explains Miriam.
With a flair for conducting art shows, Miriam has displayed various genres
of art at these galleries ranging from the realistic to figurative,
abstract, expressionist and more.
Renowned names like Mohan Naik, Rajshree Thakkar, Suhas Shilkar, Francis De
Souza, among others have been hosted here. Again, not all art shows have
conformed to the standard. In a departure from the normal, Iranian artist,
Sohela’s teamed her art exhibition with a dance performance titled “ Tribal
Wisdom”, followed by an art animation film based on her artworks.
Caving in to the call of the creative, Miriam recently debuted as an artist
with her installation Split Wide Open.
Toying with the idea of art residencies in the future, she also hopes to
have a continuous lecture series where people bring in perspectives not only
from India, but abroad as well.
As she broadens the horizon of art in Goa, Miriam continues to delve into
the soul of art. (ENDS)
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Goanet A-C-E!
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