The second day of the Serendipity Arts Festival 2024 unfolded with an extraordinary mix of performances, workshops, and installations that spotlighted the intersection of art, space, and community. Visitors engaged with projects that pushed creative boundaries, offering transformative encounters across dance, storytelling, and culinary exploration.
The day began at The Food Lab in the Old GMC Complex, the workshop Cultures of Transformation, led by fermentation expert Eleni Michael, delved into the ancient art of fermentation. Eleni invited participants to rediscover microbes as integral to culinary traditions and ecological systems, offering practical insights into reducing waste while unlocking flavours and nutrition. This multi-sensory session left attendees inspired to experiment with fermentation as a tool for regeneration and sustainability.
Dance enthusiasts were treated to Folios of Time, curated by Jayachandran Palazhy and presented at The Theatre in the Old GMC Complex. This contemporary somatic exploration addressed pressing global challenges through the lens of empathy and inclusion. Featuring choreographers R. Sai Venkata Gangadhar, Pallavi Verma, and the duo Gayatri Shetty and Ronita Mookerji, the performances celebrated the resilience of the human spirit, nurtured under the guidance of mentors Damiano Ottavio Bigi, Alessandra Paoletti, and digital artist Kunihiko Matsuo, and is supported by Fabbrica Europa and Italian Institute of Culture (Mumbai) and CROSS Project.
As the day progressed, audiences headed to Caranzalem Beach to experience Littoral States of Being, a project conceptualised by Preethi Athreya as part of The Labour and Leisure Chronicles. Bamboo poles form an enchanting forest and masked performers weave through the surreal setting, making this work a poetic reflection on the meeting of the five elements—earth, water, wind, fire, and sky. Artists Siva Murugan and Agung Gunawan mesmerised onlookers with their seamless integration of movement, time, and space.
“There has been a lot of local participation in my curation of the Serendipity Arts Festival, and I am looking forward to meeting more people, finding out what they think, and making connections that spark off my imagination, too. The sheer size of this festival makes it the ideal place for these connections to be nurtured,” said Preethi Athreya.
The day also featured The Bells by 5ANGRYMen, a high-energy performance that left audiences at The Arena at Nagalli Hills Ground in awe. This theatrical experience combined live art, performance, acrobatics and the resonant ringing of bells. The performance is supported by the Centre for Australia-India Relations and the Australian Consulate-General in Mumbai.
Day 2 of the festival celebrated the essence of collaboration and experimentation, further cementing the Serendipity Arts Festival as a space for boundary-pushing creativity. With projects supported by several international partners, the 2024 edition continues to foster artistic exchange and dialogue.
