The citizenship law over which protests have erupted across the country has cast a shadow on the Serendipity Arts Festival with an exhibition featuring artworks related to the new-enacted legislation as well as the National Register of Citizens (NRC) “temporarily sealed” on Wednesday, 18 December.
While the Serendipity Arts Foundation that organises the annual multi-disciplinary festival cited “technical glitch” as the reason, Shetty said he felt “troubled and pained at the situation we have come to,” and added that he stood by “each piece of work in the show”.
One of the videos is that of ‘Miyah poets’ of Assam which talks of violence and discrimination and the alleged threat of statelessness due to the country’s changing socio-political climate.
The second one invited viewers to write on wall-sized canvases with ink created out of carbon in the air and featured some anti-CAB/NRC scribbles three days into the festival.
The third video, which was supposed to showcase sensor fitted goggles for the blind, carried the caption, “Due to the ongoing protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act in the Northeast, we could not procure the goggles for the blind in time for this show.”
“Art spaces should be allowed to function freely and openly and must allow for free speech,” Shetty added.
The foundation was not available for comment when asked whether and when the works will be made available for viewing again.
Band members Sumant Balakrishnan, Anirban Ghosh, Shiva Pathak and Nirmala Ravindera, were arrested under section 295-A of the Indian Penal Code, following a complaint by Venkat Krishna Kunduru, said a senior police official.
All four were released on bail bonds of Rs 20,000 each, the police officer added.
The Serendipity Arts Festival will continue till 22 December.
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