An art exhibit by Vikrant Kano displayed at SAF 2019

One insight she gained is that people seem to be responding positively to talks online because there are takeaways for both the artistes and the listeners. That’s why the festival’s digital itinerary is peppered with conversations featuring the likes of musicians Sneha Khanwalkar and Ranjit Barot, apart from food shows, theatre, etc. The idea is to curate a day filled with different mediums of art for people at home. Rajgarhia says, “We talked to all our curators and partners to aggregate all the best stuff online. It’s like, you can see an exhibition in the morning, listen to a playlist during the day and watch a cooking show later on. That’s how the whole day has been planned out.”

Poll

Who will win the Punjab Elections?

BJP 32.79%

AAP 42.62%

INC 24.59%

Submit

View All In Poll

Will the model persist in the future? It might, but only hand-in-hand with physical shows, Rajgarhia surmises. But one thing seems certain. The definition of success that art festivals have right now will have to be reassessed when a semblance of normalcy returns. “We have been in the numbers game for too long. So it’s a good time now to stop being on the same track, and find innovations. What is our carbon footprint as a festival? How many people do we fly in? There was a theatre director who asked me, ‘Do I need a play where 25 people are huddled in one green room?’ These are the sort of discussions we need to start,” she says.

Sneha Khanwalkar and Smriti Rajgarhia

But as a word of caution, Rajgarhia adds that ‘carbon footprint’ is a difficult term to deconstruct. Different people have different ideas of sustainability. And festival organisers will thus have to view the issue scientifically and collaborate with the right kind of people. Meanwhile, many artistes she’s spoken to are also adapting their creative thought processes to reflect the world as it’s become. “Whether the pandemic is here to stay or not, this is a historic moment that we will refer to and talk about even 10 years down the line. So artistes are also rewiring themselves, and those conversations are really exciting,” she says, adding that some related topics will be addressed in the talks. Which ones? We will leave that to you to log on and find out. Some things should remain serendipitous, after all.

Log on to https://www.serendipityartsfestival-safxyou.com/

Catch up on all the latest Mumbai news, crime news, current affairs, and a complete guide from food to things to do and events across Mumbai. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates.

Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news