The river and ocean in Lisbon lay yonder. At Champimund,designed by our own Charles Correia, Goa was on display, bringing “home” to a Lisbon whose everydayconnect with Goa is fast fading
For Pantaleao Fernandes it was a heartfelt moment as hesaid, “Semana da Cultura Indo Portuguesa has taken our culture, from our ownbackyard, and showcased across the oceans. In one’s own land, this culture issometimes taken for granted and it ceases to excite the locals. When there is acertain amount of exposure to a culture for the first time, it becomes adifferent exhilarating experience that can make people want more. This couldtrigger a different genre of visitors coming to Goa not for its beaches andcasinos, but rather for its culture. Now that is what you call an achievement.”
Sanjeev Sardessai, another artist who was literally put on apedestal over the week was all praise for the people that worked hard behindthe scenes that made the entire venture possible. “Organisations like thesehelp artists like me to cross barriers of nations to take the art of my land toother countries, and portray it to the people who we wish would come here tosee the culture, nature and heritage of Goa. Being a photographer, it is my aimto record and preserve the culture of Goa, and the arts of Goa for the futuregenerations so that the information that is passed on to them is unadulterated.We are really grateful to the Semana Organising Committee and the FomentoGroup, who have sponsored it on such a large scale. It is very rare to seesmall people like us, get an opportunity in promoting the art of Goa,” he saidhumbly.
And it is not just internationally that these artists aregaining exposure. Through this event itself, it is clear that there will begreater openings for, and aspirations from the photographers. Fernandes beamsas he signs off, saying, “Though I am introduced at gatherings as a personwhose photographs bring out culture through my pictures of zatras, feasts, andfolklore events, they have never been exhibited locally, as I am too involvedwith my research and writing. That someone else has picked up my photographsand thought them worthy to be exhibited in a faraway land has boosted myconfidence. I am thinking of organising a local exhibition of my works in thenear future.”
The third photographer, Assavri Kulkarni, remainedunavailable for comment
