Contemporary artist, Subodh Gupta has denied the anonymous allegations of sexual misconduct as documented in a series of Instagram posts on the handle, Scene and Herd, on Thursday. The fallout of the allegations is clear though, with Mr. Gupta stepping down from his position as co-curator of the visual arts section at the Serendipity Arts Festival 2018, which launches tomorrow in Panjim, Goa.
In a reply to The Hindu ’s query posed to him on Thursday, Mr Gupta responded: “I deny the anonymous allegations made on the Instagram account @herdsceneand in their entirety; I have never behaved in an inappropriate manner with any individual who worked with me and several of my former assistants can attest to this. These allegations are entirely false and fabricated.”
The festival authorities have chosen not to release a press statement. They have instead circulated an internal statement to the festival’s 14 curators and other team members. The statement is, “Serendipity Arts Festival is an organisation with multiple social objectives, focused on creating an inclusive and responsible space for practitioners across the artistic spectrum. In light of recent allegations, Subodh Gupta, has issued a statement denying them, but has also decided to step back, and will not be present at the festival, so as not to detract from the collaborative efforts of over 90 projects at the Serendipity Arts Festival this year. Serendipity Arts Foundation supports the #metoo movement and is committed to the safety of all in the workplace and the welfare of the extended Festival community and its participants.”
There is no further word on whether the allegations in the Instagram posts will be investigated by the festival organisers as of now.
