Opera of the sea: Here's your guide to the G5A art fest in the city

Shoals of fish swimming around the gentle lapping of waves and sunlight streaming through fishing nets loaded with fresh catch Wersquore not sitting by the beach these are the fishy views unfolding inside the Black Box at G5A Foundation for Contemporary Culture For the next couple of days the performance space at the Mahalaxmi warehouse is offering visitors the chance to see hear and experience the sea we all know love and conveniently ignore through the lens of residents of the Worli Koliwada Titled Stories of our Sea the immersive installation and exhibition is a part of week two of Should Art 2022 G5Arsquos ongoing cultural festivalPhotographs and paintings by Worli Koliwada youth PicsSukanya DattaNow in its third edition the festival is a celebration of art technology and sustainability with the collaborative spirit of artmaking and community at its centre For nine years now G5A cityLAB has been working with residents of the koliwada through different architectural interventions and artforward initiatives Founder and artistic director Anuradha Parikh shares that it then felt right to have the community as the voice for the second week of the threeweek festival ldquoStories of our Sea confronts the climate crisis that we are in I think it is Mumbairsquos responsibility to face itrdquo As the original inhabitants of the city and its long shoreline the Koli community she stresses must be made custodians of the conversation on climate change ldquoThe idea is to bring the Kolis to the forefront in this whole race to protect our sea and through that protect our communities toordquo she elaboratesThe installation and the exhibition are the results of art music and photography workshops with youth from the koliwada The project was codesigned by Tarun Balani and Ishan Benegal The Black Box leads us into the narrow gullies of the koliwada Large installations of fish surrounded by shoals suspend from the ceiling Crafted out of fabric the marine creatures turn into projection screens The cries of seagulls sound of waves and chatter of the neighbourhood follows us around as we soak in scenes from the koliwada mdash fisherfolk wading into the sea festive parades women haggling at the market and heaps of waste dumped around the sea Theyrsquore punctuated by narratives of the residents and the evocative tunes of a community brass band Yoursquore free to sit walk around or lie down to let the waves wash over you A long segment in the end ferries us into the sea on a boat Hypnotised we watch the city from the water It reminds us that the sea is more than just about Instagrammable sunsetsThe experience is followed by an exhibition of photographs and paintings by youth from the community They paint their symbiotic relationship with the sea and capture the respect awe fear and love they harbour for their Dariya Raja For the Kolis the threat of climate change gentrification and urbanisation looms large This artistic engagement establishes the fact that the Kolis are the true custodians of the land and the sea asserts Balani ldquoAnd their voice needs to be heard in totality Their opinion should determine the narrative and not an outside viewpoint This project aims at amplifying their voice so that the decisions may be made accordinglyrdquo he addsTill November 13 multiple 30minute slots through the dayAt G5A Laxmi Mills Estate Shakti Mills Lane Mahalaxmi WestLog on to insiderinCost Rs 250 onwardsMore at the festivalTM Krishna will join as the resident curator for week three which will focus on citizenry learning margins and neighbourhood1 Listen to historian Ramachandra Guharsquos keynote address Krishna will join him in a chat about Indiarsquos history its art and music and its dreamsOn November 17 630 pm2 Folk carnatic and electronic music blend with city soundscapes as Chennairsquos Band Cooum takes the stageOn November 18 630 pm3 Hear the ruminations of Ramon Magsaysay Awardees Bezwada Wilson and Aruna RoyOn November 18 and 19 9 pm and 630 pm4 Catch fisherfolk from Chennai and Mumbai chat about navigating life in and around the seaOn November 19 12 pm5 Tune into a performance by Krishnarsquos The Edict Project that celebrates Ashokarsquos edictsOn November 20 5 pm onwardsLog on to insiderin