~ Festivals of Goa, offers a unique way to experience Goa’s culture, evolving identity and abundant diversity, according to the museum’s Director Sharada Kerkar.
Over 100 artists are showcasing more than a hundred of their works during Festivals of Goa, an exhibition honouring Goan culture, community and heritage, which is being held at the Museum of Goa (MOG), Pilerne, from November 9 to January 18, 2026, as part of the museum’s tenth anniversary programming.
With four simultaneous shows curated under the broad theme Festivals of Goa, the exhibition reflects on this land’s shared histories, interfaith practices and evolving traditions. Through a series of photographs, collaborative installations, multimedia artworks and a children’s art show, Festivals of Goa has become both, a mirror and a map; reflecting the many ways through which the people of Goa negotiate modernity, memory and identity.
“To celebrate the ten-year milestone, we want to turn our gaze towards Goa’s arts and introduce visitors to Goa through its festivals,” said Sharada Kerkar, MOG’s Director. “Through this exhibition, we aim to widen and expose visitors to the various festivals that Goa has, both macro and micro festivals that we sometimes fail to recognise. This exhibition introduces visitors to more than 30 different festivals of Goa. It has been imagined not just as a repository of festivals, but as a way to experience the state’s culture, evolving identity and abundant diversity.”
The exhibition showcases works by noted Goa-based artists including Ramdas Gadekar, Viraj Naik, Chaitali Morajkar, Harshada Kerkar, Siddesh Chari, Sonia Rodrigues Sabharwal, Verodina Ferrao De Sousa, Asavari Gurav, Daniel D’Souza, Nalini Elvino de Sousa and others.
“The function of art is to break dualities — the walls of us and others. In the Republic of Art, there are no divisions,” said Subodh Kerkar, artist and founder of the Museum of Goa, speaking about the institution’s ten-year journey. “India is home to 1.4 billion people, yet only a small fraction are connected to contemporary art. It became essential to democratise it, to make art for all. That’s why the Museum of Goa was born.”
Each section of the Festivals of Goa exhibition sheds light on a specific aspect of the festivities across the state. Where We Gather entails three collaborative community projects featuring a Narakasur, a crochet Christmas tree and a giant Matoli, which reflects on how community-based art practices have the power to unite, celebrate and transform societies. Festivals as Playgrounds, a children’s art exhibition envisioned and curated by the museum’s Children’s Art Studio, explores creativity, community and celebration through the eyes of children. The third section, Side by Side, curated by the Museum of Goa, explores artistic responses to known and unknown festivals of Goa and seeks to understand what they reveal about Goan society. The Seen/Unseen photo exhibition, curated by Prashant Panjiar, Indrajit Khambe and Sharada Kerkar, is a visual exploration of what lay beneath the spectacle — the labour, anticipation and devotion that made a celebration possible. As a precursor to this immersive art experience, well-known Goan singer Sonia Shirsat and popular local band Roz Angon performed a special concert during the well-attended preview night of the landmark exhibition.
“Ten years ago, a dream took root here between the hill and the sea — not with certainty, but with conviction,” said Nilankur Das, Collaborations and Engagements Lead for Museum of Goa, reflecting on the atmosphere at the preview night. “The vision was never to build a museum of silence, but a museum of voices. A space where the pulse of Goa, its histories, contradictions and celebrations could speak freely. What began as an experiment has become a living organism, a place where artists, thinkers, students and wanderers all cross paths.”
Established in 2015, MOG has served as a platform for artistic expression and innovation, working with over 500 artists from around the world and hosting more than 600 exhibitions and events. Every year, the museum brings together around 70,000 visitors, including tourists and over 12,000 students from Goan schools, providing a unique opportunity for people to engage with Goa’s history and culture through art.
Festivals of Goa, which is being held at the Museum of Goa (MOG), Pilerne is available for viewing from November 9 to January 18, 2026, as part of the museum’s tenth anniversary programming
