Go on a blind date...with art!
CHENNAI: A bunch of kids playing gully cricket, and a group of sexagenarians chatting and taking a stroll, happy banter and voices of people who made it to the park are regular sightings at Nageswararao Park, Mylapore every Sunday evening. But this time, there was another peculiar group — a group of people who were blindfolded and paired up with strangers. Why? For the love of art, opined the organisers of the event Art in the Park.
After a successful first edition, the event curated by Open Sky, an art community, hosted its second event on popular demand. “The first edition was a hit and it brought together different people and new aesthetic collaborations,” said Gayathri Krishnaraj, organiser, Open Sky.
For people who are oblivious of the concept, Art in the Park is like a blind date, but with art. “Everyone is blindfolded. Then, they are paired with a stranger. They talk and get to know each other for a while and then they collaborate their arts together and perform. It can be music and poetry, theatre and sketches...anything. We believe that any two art forms can be collaborated and that’s the aim of the event,” shared Prem Sylvester, co-organiser.
He adds that the blindfolds will help in overcoming inhibitions and sharing thoughts without having the fear of being judged. “It’s about overcoming our fears of being ‘socially awkward’ and building an art community. Many who were part of the first edition are friends now,” he added.
True to that statement, Tathagat, a budding poet and a self-confessed introvert, opined that he could talk about himself and his interest easily because of the blindfold. “I am usually not a person who comes to social events. But recently, I started penning poems and my friends suggested this platform. It was a very interesting and new experience — to talk it out with a complete stranger!” he said, pointing to his ‘blind date’ Shanmuga Priya, an architecture student. “I came here to spend two hours with art amid nature, and escape monotony for a while... But, it was better than I expected. He wrote an impromptu poem and I have come out with a sketch for the same. It was an interesting collaboration,” she smiled.
Jamming and creating a collaborative performance in 20 minutes might not seem like an easy task, especially with a stranger, but Sunny, a theatre artiste and Indira, a poet seemed comfortable. “We spoke quite a lot and decide to club our thoughts and narrate a story to the audience about being a workaholic,” shared Sunny.
At the end of the session, several performances were staged — from a violin piece, accompanied by dancing to word building, from impromptu acting to poetry narration. The crowd in the park saw it all. “I was intrigued by why all these youngsters were blindfolded and sitting with each other. But the concept seems extremely interesting! I am hoping to be part of it the next time,” said Lizzy, a teacher and a regular at the park.
For details, visit: www.facebook.com/Openskyslam/