20 December,2014 09:22 AM IST | | Soma Das
From January 14 to 18, Panaji will host The Story of Light (SOL) Festival, a science-meets-art festival that will showcase projects by 45 artists and scientists from 14 countries, in the form of performances, installations, live projections and workshops, to instruct in an interactive way
For those who feel that science is difficult to understand, The Story of Light (SOL) festival aims to illuminate such folk about its many wonders and bring about a paradigm shift. SOL will blend arts and science through light to instruct in an interactive manner.
As part of the festival, 45 artists and scientists from across the world will create interactive installations with light and colour, conduct photography workshops and hold performances on the street to explore the facets of light.
The Archibio Project by artists Andrej Boleslavský and Maria Judova (Czech Republic) uses video-mapping to unfold the beauty of microscopic worlds enlarged to a giant size
Participants from Australia, Brazil, Czech Republic, Italy, Japan, The Netherlands, Portugal, the UK, and the US, will be at the festival, which is not-for-profit and free for all. To raise part of the funds involved, the festival committee had earlier launched a crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo. This is the first edition, and it is being organised in partnership with the Corporation of the City of Panaji. It has been conceptualised under the aegis of The International Year of Light and Light-based Technologies, 2015 (IYL 2015), a project of the United Nations that aims to raise awareness about light science, its applications and importance to humankind.
Antariksha Sanchar is a performance that enquires into the universe that we never experience from the outside
Goan light
SOL will transform the two km stretch along the Mandovi River and its nearby locations (from Miramar Beach to the Promenade and Panjim Church) into an educational space. There will be a children's area, a screenings tent and a concert stage as well.
Antariksha Sanchar is a performance that enquires into the universe that we never experience from the outside
The event has been in the pipeline for a year. After an initial call for proposals for light-inspired projects, which were sent to scientists, artists and educators in July, 45 projects were selected out of 130 proposals. From December 15, the process of execution begun and the focus is on keeping the local context in mind.
Goa-based artist Subodh Kerkar's installation: Many Colours, One World, aims to make you question the reality and definition of colour
Speaking about the event, festival director Jaya Ramchandani says, "Science is beautiful and can be taught through art and design. A pre-conceived notion is that science is inaccessible and exclusive. However, science is much more than that and it understands that the universe is a magical place. Through art, we can tell its truest stories which shouldn't remain hidden in textbooks."
Alejandro Borsani from Argentina will give visual proof of the existence of the sub-atomic world through his installation: The Origin of Clouds. This exhibit is a rare chance to catch a glimpse of cosmic rays.
She mentions that Goa was chosen as the venue since the organisers are based there and the authorities extended their support. "Festivals such as the Goa Fest have taken place here, indicating an atmosphere of creative energy, freedom of expression and a hub for educational events," she signs off.
