Art Full

This season Goa saw an art calendar bursting with fantastic shows ranging from ecclesiastical photographs to charming posters and design objects to the overwhelming festival that was Serendipity. Samira Sheth attempts to take it all in

IN THE PRESENCE OF MAJESTY

Sometimes it takes a photograph of something to make viewers pause and really focus on what they’re looking at. With Payal Kakkar’s exhibition of photographs Ecclesiastical Goa: 16th & 17th Century, this is exactly what happens. Sometimes we forget how truly majestic Goa’s churches are especially those built during this period, influenced by both the Catholics of Goa and its Portuguese rulers. Kakkar documents this legacy of global architecture through her fine art photographs. Zooming in on the little details, her closeups of altars and wide angle shots of frescoes and arches reveal the magnificent grandeur and splendor of these aweinspiring places of worship. Widely travelled, Kakkar’s encounters with European churches led her to explore Goa’s ecclesiastical landscape more closely. She says, “After spending several years in and out of Goa and my interaction with the Goan Catholics, I have immense admiration and a high regard for them. The benevolent Goans embraced me with open arms and this gave me an opportunity to understand the customs and practices of Goan Christians. I am in awe of the feeling of love, gratitude, compassion and forgiveness within the community.”

Of her response to these monuments she says she focused on, “not only how it looked but also how it felt to be in its presence. The images speak of how I felt and not just what I saw. With my camera, I was able to explore 450 years of ecclesiastical architectural history, revealing what can be seen and what cannot be seen. The collection showcases my journey through a multidimensional world.”

The stunning collection of photographs was on exhibit at the Sé Cathedral Parish, Old Goa. It was the first time an exhibition of churches has been set in a National Heritage Monument in Goa.

ECLECTIC OFFERINGS AT THE PROJECT CAFE