Serendipity Arts Festival – With its roots tracing back to Portuguese rule in Goa, the Old GMC Complex in Panjim, which once housed one of Asia’s oldest medical institutions, still carries the gravitas of the past with its long verandas and arches. In recent years, the building, built in 1800s, has evolved into a significant cultural landmark, establishing itself as one of the main venues of the annual Serendipity Arts Festival (SAF) in Goa.

The festival transforms the state into a vibrant hub that hosts exhibitions, performances and audiences from across the country and the world. In the forthcoming edition, taking place from December 12 to 21, the rooms of the heritage site will, among other things, host an exhibition reflecting the state’s oceanic histories, colonial past and the many influences that have shaped its present. Featuring works by Goan and Goan-diaspora artists and those who have been connected to the land, the showcase titled ‘Not a Shore, Neither a Ship, But the Sea Itself’, curated by Sahil Naik, probes these layered trajectories.

Smriti Rajgarhia, director, Serendipity Arts Foundation and SAF, says, “Goa’s layered history has always been integral to how we think about the festival. Each edition invites artists and curators to respond to the region’s cultural memory — from its riverine landscape and maritime histories to its music, craft and everyday life. At the same time, we foreground contemporary Goan voices, ensuring that the present realities of the state are part of the conversation.

For us, exploring Goa’s past and present is also about creating encounters where local knowledge, lived experience and artistic imagination meet. ” The project, therefore, is one among several in SAF’s tenth edition that root themselves within the state while also looking outward.

For instance, the opening day will see the musical performance ‘Clay Play’, curated by Aneesh Pradhan and Shubha Mudgal, that celebrates percussion instruments made from clay, including Goan ghumat. At Casa San Antonio, nestled in the storied neighbourhood of Fontainhas, chef Manu Chandra will curate an immersive one-hour experience evoking the atmosphere of old Goan tavernas; at Old GMC Complex, research-based exhibition “Kitem nuste asa? (What’s the fish today?)” will explore the disappearing aromas of Goan cuisine.

At The Art Park, visitors can familiarise themselves with Goan culinary traditions through tastings from five kitchens — Hindu artisans, Muslim descendants (Bijapur dynasty), Gaud Saraswat Brahmins, Indo–Luso influences and Christian descendants — in a project curated by culinary arts curator Odette Mascarenhas. Story continues below this ad Looking beyond Goa, the 250-plus events, curated by 35-plus experts from diverse disciplines, also includes highlights that delve deeper into other regions across India.

At the Directorate of Accounts building, for instance, Sudarshan Shetty has curated ‘A Breath Held Long’, a 20-25-minute video set within the shifting landscape of Mumbai. Bharatanatyam dancer Geeta Chandran has curated a folk performance that brings to Goa the festivities of Ramman from Saloor-Dungra and Dungri-Barosi villages of Uttarakhand. Rajgarhia says, “We bring projects together by encouraging dialogue across forms, allowing each to inform and challenge the other.

Our curators are chosen for the distinct perspectives and expertise that they bring, and for their commitment to expanding the cultural field. ”.