Ahmedabad: Day-1 of the sixth edition of Abhivyakti – The City Arts Project – an initiative of UNM Foundation of the Mehta family’s Torrent Group started with a large number of art enthusiasts of all age groups and people from across the social strata enjoying the performances at two different venues.
The opening Theatre Performance “Oh! Womaniya” was presented by noted playwright and director, Saumya Joshi at the Amphitheatre in the Gujarat University campus. Khushi Langaliya gave her opening dance performance with a theme of a Classical Contemporary dance “Sangitkarini Tana Riri” at the ATIRA Campus, which is the second venue for this year’s Abhivyakti.
Known for his well-acclaimed plays “Welcome Zindagi” and “102 Not Out”, Joshi premiered his directorial suspenseful story Oh! Womaniya filled with an artistic mix of Humour, Satire and innovative form of Music, weaved into a story that revolved around the situations created by mundane questions that a woman is asked in normal life. With her impactful performance, Jigna Vyas brought to life the situations created by the answers to these questions and once again gave a spectacular drama performance with a touching message to the audience.
Khushi Langalia a professional artist with a strong background in Bharatnatyam as an actor, choreographer, and performer presented ‘Sangeetkarini Tana Riri’. A tribute to two sisters Tana and Riri, 16th Century singers from Vadnagar town in North Gujarat, known for their soulful voices and connection to Gujarati musical folklore. Descendants of Narsinh Mehta, they sang the Raag Megh-Malhar to cure Tansen’s (one of the nine gems of Emperor Akbar’s court) fever caused by his intense performance of the Raag Deepak. The dance performance by Khushi highlighted the sisters’ commitment to tradition over entertainment, and their sacrifice for Vadnagar and their determination to preserve their cultural heritage despite Akbar’s interference.
At both the Venues, a display of thought-provoking Visual Art Stories grabbed the attention of visitors. Siddharth Rathod from Ahmedabad has presented his installation “Signature of the Bird.” This unique piece showcases his experimental approach to photography. After capturing thousands of bird photos and videos, Siddharth stitched these images into a new form. Each frame is creatively composed, capturing the essence of birds flying in groups, especially bats and starlings. Siddharth believes that the birds’ flight patterns create distinctive shapes, resembling their signatures. This artwork, stitched from 25-60 photos clicked simultaneously, offers a fresh perspective on bird photography. Siddharth Rathod, is a passionate photographer with 17 years of experience, specializes in street, travel, and Indian culture.
Sneha Lakhotia a Kolkata-based visual artist has presented her installation titled “The Dreamcatcher’s Sneeze.” This open letter narrates a negative dream experienced by Body Bag, during a night duty as a dreamcatcher, burdened with filtering 60,000 thoughts daily. Despite the overwhelming task, Body Bag inadvertently reveals the dream’s hidden meaning, much like a sneeze. The piece critiques our positivity-obsessed society, suggesting it masks deeper emotional stress. The dream’s hidden meaning might offer insights into managing these underlying issues, as sneezing in a dream often symbolizes a desire for clarity and resolution. Sneha’s experimental works delve into dream, logic and storytelling, exploring social relationships and the human psyche. With a playful and participatory approach, she blends fact and fiction, often using humor and absurdity to convey her ideas.
Shilpeksh Khalorkar from Vadodara has presented his installation “Untamed Expansion” taking the viewers on a journey through his Pandemonium state of mind. His art explores personal trauma and its ripple effects on the world. By empathizing with anxious and fearful events, he aims to create a unique perspective through the interplay of decay and design. Shilpeksh believes his art can evoke emotions and thoughts, offering a deeper understanding of the human experience. His art reflects his tumultuous experiences, exploring trauma and its effects on individuals and surroundings. Shilpeksh aims to create a unique perspective on anxiety and fear through the interplay of decay and design.
The audience entry is open-to-all on ‘first come, first served’ basis. The programme schedule for the Pre-event is as follows:
| Performance Schedule for 22nd November 2024. Visual Arts Display Open from 5 pm onwards. | ||||
| Venue | Artists | Theme | Art Form | Time |
| Amphitheatre – GU Campus | Gopal Agarwal & Aakash Vanzara | Territorial | DANCE – Contemporary with Martial Arts | 07:15 pm |
| Auditorium – GU Campus | Anupa Pota | Betha Garba by Sharnam Vrund | Music | 07:15 pm |
| Manch – GU Campus | Devanshu Shah & Devang Nayak | Coming Soon | Theatre | 07:15 pm |
| ATIRA | Dr Ayswaria Warriar | Tripoothu | Dance | 07:15 pm |
| Platform ATIRA | Tarini Tripathi & Shalmali Zankar | Alokik | Kathak | 08:30 pm |
| Amphitheatre – GU Campus | Priyank Upadhyay | Shunyavatar | Theatre | 09:30 pm |
| Auditorium – GU Campus | Hiral Balsara | The Untold | Aerial Dance | 09:30 pm |
| Manch – GU Campus | Mosam & Malka | Hori ke Rasia | Music | 09:30 pm |
| ATIRA | Chetan Daiya | Welcome Bhurabhai | Theatre | 09:30 pm |