Focus on celebrating cultural and religious heritage
PANAJI
An art exhibition featuring the work of over 60 Goan artists, mostly revolving around the life and legacy of St Francis Xavier, is currently on display, coinciding with the decennial exposition of the relics of the sixteenth century Spanish saint at Old Goa.
Styled “Footprints of Hope”, the exhibition is housed in the restored 17th-century Convent of St John of God and was opened by Cardinal Felipe Neri Ferrao on Sunday last.
The artists who have their works on display at the exhibit, are all Goans or Goa based and are both Catholic and Hindu, prompting Ferrao to say that the sacred and secular art by people of different faiths presents religious tolerance and harmony in Goa.
The exhibition is an official part of the 45-day Exposition during which the relics of St Francis Xavier are kept for veneration by the public at the nearby Se Cathedral.
“The main idea behind this Exhibition is to send out the message that Goa must pursue communal harmony,” Ferrao had said at the inaugural while stressing that it commemorates the great man of God (St Francis Xavier) who left an indelible footprint of hope in Goa and Asia almost 500 years ago.
“Today, the Church is interested in present-day arts and artists," Ferrao said, adding that the collection of modern and contemporary art at the Vatican Museums bears testimony.
Ferrao also announced that spaces in the edifice where the exhibition is being held -- Convent of St John of God -- will have a place for local artists to showcase their work even as he praised the participating artists by saying the Church needed their art and expertise to simply make the world a better place.
The exhibition will ensure that no one will ever doubt that Francis Xavier is an intrinsic element of Goa's cultural, social and political identity, Ferrao said.
The statement gains significance in the backdrop of the recent controversy over former Goa RSS chief Subhash Velingkar's public demand for a “DNA test” of the relics of St Francis Xavier to establish they really belonged to him.
According to Fr Henry Falcao, who is convenor of the Exposition Committee and has also curated the art exhibition, it is aimed at preserving and celebrating Goa’s cultural and religious heritage besides the collective identity.
Apart from works of art drawing inspiration from the history and life of St Francis Xavier, the exhibition also has display work that is secular which depict Goa's rural life and communities which the Jesuit Missionary used to mingle with.
Yolanda de Sousa, Viraj Naik, Sagar Naik Mule, Kalidas Satardekar, Mohit Naik, Clarice Vaz and Govind Silimkhan are among the well known artists participating.
