Tag: public art

Events in Goa

Panjim Transforms into a Living Canvas for the 10th Serendipity Arts Festival

Tanisha Cardozo

Written by Tanisha Cardozo || Team Allycaral

The Serendipity Arts Festival, India’s premier multi-disciplinary arts festival, returns to Panjim, Goa for its landmark 10th edition from December 12-21, 2025. This year, the festival transforms the city into a living canvas with immersive exhibitions, dynamic performances, interactive workshops, and public art installations across multiple iconic venues.

At Miramar Beach, the festival unveiled Terra Grove, the latest installation by renowned architect Vinu Daniel. This architectural marvel reimagines public spaces, making them inviting, responsive, and sustainable within Goa’s tropical landscape. Crafted from terracotta Guna tiles, the pavilion provides cooling shade while blending seamlessly with the beachfront, creating a space for both humans and animals. Terra Grove, sometimes called the Kulhad Pavilion, repurposes discarded mud cups, turning waste into a thoughtful, functional work of art. The project builds on Thukral and Tagra’s 2024 initiative, Multiplay, and is supported by Milton and Panjim Smart Cities, emphasizing sustainability and innovative design.

Milton, as the Festival’s sustainability partner, highlighted how installations like Terra Grove align with their commitment to reducing single-use waste and encouraging reusable solutions. Meanwhile, Imagine Panaji Smart City Development Limited emphasized the festival’s contribution to Panjim’s evolution as a citizen-friendly, culturally vibrant smart city. The festival’s presence over a decade has enriched the city’s social and cultural fabric, connecting contemporary art with Panjim’s historic identity.

Public art takes center stage this year, bringing creativity into everyday spaces and heritage venues across the city. Diptej Vernekar’s Beasts of Reincarnation: Mythical Beings in the City reinvents Goa’s living traditions of effigy-making, while venues such as Art Park, Azad Maidan, and the Old GMC Complex host workshops, performances, and interactive exhibitions. From Multiplay 02: Soft Systems by Thukral & Tagra to craft-focused showcases like Home is Where the Heart Is and Infinite Drape, the festival demonstrates how art in public spaces can spark dialogue, curiosity, and shared ownership.

The festival’s programming extends across multiple nodes of Panjim, including the Directorate of Accounts, PWD Complex, Captain of Ports Jetty (Old Goa), Santa Monica Jetty, and SAG Ground, forming a vibrant cultural circuit that blends installations, performances, culinary projects, and craft exhibitions with the city’s architecture and natural landscape. By integrating formal and everyday spaces, the festival creates an open gallery that welcomes residents, travelers, families, and students to experience art as part of daily life.

Celebrating its 10th edition, the Serendipity Arts Festival continues to champion the belief that art belongs to everyone. From architectural innovation and immersive performances to craft-led exhibitions and hands-on workshops, the festival encourages participation, sparks curiosity, and fosters a sense of community. Visitors can explore the transformative power of art across Panjim’s streets, heritage spaces, and waterfronts, making this edition a truly unforgettable celebration of creativity, culture, and sustainability.

International

Belfast Street Artists Bring Murals and Messages of Unity to Thailand

Tanisha Cardozo

Belfast’s vibrant street art scene is taking its talent global. Three artists from the Northern Irish capital—Zippy, Emic (Eoin McGinn), and Rob Hilken—are currently in Chiang Mai, Thailand, creating murals as part of an international sister event to the Hit the North Street Art Festival, one of the largest graffiti festivals in Ireland.

The new festival in Chiang Mai features live painting, workshops, and musical performances, all designed to celebrate creativity, foster cultural exchange, and explore themes like climate change, cultural identity, and connection through public art.

Zippy, who also serves as co-organiser of Hit the North, painted a mural of a swan in Bangkok before heading to Chiang Mai. The swan, inspired by the Hongsa Swan from Thai folklore, symbolises peace and purity. In Chiang Mai, her mural features centipedes—symbols of unity and protection in northern Thai mythology—alongside native flowers and human hands, reinforcing themes of resilience and connection.

Emic’s mural delves into identity and strength, developed in collaboration with Thai artists. Rob Hilken continues his “Spaghetti” series—looping abstract visuals inspired by motion and human interaction—on the walls of Chiang Mai.

The collaboration is part of a pilot exchange supported by the British Council’s Connections Through Culture grant. Adam Turkington, founder of Hit the North, is also in Thailand to give talks on the impact of street art festivals and their role in building creative communities.

Zippy said reconnecting with Thai artist Sanchi, who previously painted in Belfast, helped bring the initiative to life. “He’s really brought people together and made the whole exchange possible,” she said.

Since its founding in 2013, Hit the North has transformed Belfast with over 750 murals, shifting public perception of the city’s mural tradition from political to artistic. The evolution of the city’s street art culture now serves as inspiration for Chiang Mai, which is already rich in history, art, and folklore.

Zippy hopes the murals in Chiang Mai ignite long-term growth in the local street art movement. “What I love about street art is that it’s accessible—it belongs to everyone,” she said. “It’s amazing to think we might help spark something similar here in Chiang Mai.”

Health

Sudarshan Patnaik Creates Mesmerizing Sand Art at Puri Beach for International Day of Yoga 2025

allycaralgoa

Puri, Odisha | June 21, 2025 – On the serene shores of Puri Beach, the world-renowned sand artist Sudarshan Patnaik marked the International Day of Yoga 2025 with an awe-inspiring piece of sand art that drew crowds and international attention. The artwork, which seamlessly blended elements of yoga postures, the sun, and the globe, stood as a symbol of peace, health, and unity—core principles that define yoga’s global appeal.

Created with incredible precision and spiritual depth, Patnaik’s sand sculpture depicted a meditative figure seated in a lotus pose, set against the rising sun—representing enlightenment and the universal energy that yoga seeks to connect us with. The message “Yoga for Harmony and Peace” was etched alongside the artwork, capturing the essence of this year’s global celebration.

Sudarshan Patnaik, who has previously represented India in numerous international sand art festivals, has been a cultural ambassador for both the art form and for social awareness through creative expression. On this special day, his creation served not just as a tribute to yoga, but also as a reminder of the power of art in inspiring mindfulness, health, and global solidarity.

Hundreds of locals, tourists, and yoga enthusiasts gathered around the installation throughout the day, many joining yoga sessions on the beach, encouraged by the spiritual ambiance and the symbolic power of the art. Social media platforms were flooded with images and videos of the sculpture, with the hashtag #InternationalDayofYoga2025 trending across India.

Patnaik shared his thoughts with the media, saying, “Yoga is India’s priceless gift to the world, and through my sand art, I wish to spread its timeless message of peace and well-being.”

This artistic celebration on Puri’s golden sands beautifully captured the spirit of Yoga Day 2025—reminding the world once again of the deep-rooted connection between culture, creativity, and wellness.