Continuing the endeavour to foster inclusivity and pluralism, and breaking social as well as cultural barriers, the Museum of Goa (MOG) Foundation will celebrate the LGBTQ community through art in a day-long programme in north Goa on Saturday.
“Our initiative, Freedom is in the Air, inspired from Justice Indu Malhotra’s historic statement, aims to put together a platform for the LGBTQ community to gather and celebrate while also providing a creative space for them and the ‘other’ to engage, integrate, debate and chart the way forward,” Goa’s celebrated sculptor Dr. Subodh Kerkar said. Justice Indu Malhotra had said, history owes an apology to the members of this community and their families, for the delay in providing redressal for the ignominy and ostracism that they have suffered through the centuries.
“Since its inception in 2015, MOG has tried to bring art and local history to larger audience, in an attempt to reduce the huge cultural gap that exists in India,” Mr. Kerkar told The Hindu on Wednesday. “We believe that the judgment by the Supreme Court is a huge step ahead in the multitudes we are yet to take. However, there is a lot more at stake, there is a need to make people aware and most importantly change mindsets,” he said.
In collaboration with the Humsafar Trust, Mumbai, Goa Livelihoods Forum and Connect, MOG Foundation, will launch a day of fun-filled and intellectually-stimulating series of events on November 10.
An art installation by Subodh Kerkar, an exhibition of artworks on the theme of LGBTQ curated by artists Kedar Dhondu and Viraj Naik, a seminar organised by the Humsafar Trust in collaboration with Connect, film screenings, discussions and an evening of dance and music are all lined up.
An exhibition is also planned at MOG, Pilerne Industrial Estate in north Goa where they will showcase the works of young and emerging artists from November 10 to November 30. Eminent personalities from across diverse disciplines, including fashion designer Wendell Rodricks, chairperson of Humsafar Trust Ashok Row Kavi and others will be present.
The line up also consists of a dissemination of the Supreme Court verdict decriminalising Section 377 of Indian Penal Code by Supreme Court lawyer Amritananda Chakraborty, a release of India’s first white paper on the LGBTQ community: ‘Livelihoods’ by Charudutta Pannirgahi, mentor of the Forum of Integrated Development and Research and Goa Livelihoods and a panel discussion on the livelihoods of the LGBTQ community with filmmaker Apurva Asrani, Mr. Row Kavi, Ms. Chakraborty and Mr. Kerkar, moderated by the CEO of Humsafar Trust Vivek Raj.
MoG will be hosting film screenings produced by the Humsafar Trust under the same theme.
The event will end with the programme Live Agent with DJ Smita Singh from the World Ocean performing. There will also be food and games stalls for the public to engage with. Artists from the community as well as from across the country are expected to participate.
