Festivals as Playgrounds – A Children’s Art Exhibition

Introduction

This exhibition reiterates MOG’s commitment to bringing Goa’s stories to you by reflecting on this land’s shared histories, interfaith practices, and evolving traditions. With 4 shows, 90+ artists, and 100+ artworks, this exhibition will present the many known and unknown festivals of Goa, centering on the people and communities that bring them to life.

Festivals are the stories communities tell about themselves. Viewed anthropologically, festivals are more than celebrations—they are how communities express their values, adapt to change, and reaffirm belonging.

Goa’s festivals, shaped by the various religious regimes and regional history, do not offer a single culture but a mosaic of many. They remind us that coexistence is not just about tolerance, but about participation and continuity. Through these collective expressions, we see how Goans understand their environment, their faiths, and each other, making festivals one of the most complete reflections of Goan life itself.

French Sociologist, Emile Durkheim, sees feasts and festivals as an ‘effervescence’, the intensity of which cements the solidarity of a group, a representation of the invisible relationships between man and the laws of nature, a veritable institution whereby the bonds between the members of a society are maintained, regenerated, and reproduced.

Through photographs, collaborative installations, multimedia artworks, and a children’s art show, Festivals of Goa becomes both a mirror and a map: reflecting on the many ways through which the people of Goa negotiate modernity, memory, and identity.

Background

Established in 2015, MOG has been a platform for artistic expression and innovation, working with over 500 artists from around the world and hosting more than 600 exhibitions and events. Every year, the museum brings together approximately 70,000 visitors, including tourists and over 12,000 students from Goan schools, providing a unique opportunity for people to engage with Goa’s history and culture through art.

By building a dialogue between art, history, and community, MOG seeks to promote a deeper understanding and appreciation of Goa’s complex cultural heritage.

The ‘Festivals of Goa’ exhibition is a significant milestone in the museum’s journey, marking its 10th anniversary celebrations.

About the exhibition

The Festivals as Playgrounds exhibition, envisioned and curated by the Children’s Art Studio of the Museum of Goa, is an exploration of creativity, community, and celebration through the eyes of children. This show provides a platform for young artists to express themselves freely and to share what they see and experience at various festivals.

By bringing their work into a museum setting, the exhibition marks an important step towards recognising children’s creativity as a legitimate artistic skill and cultural contribution. It reflects the Museum of Goa’s ongoing commitment to nurturing young talent, encouraging imagination, and creating spaces where art becomes a natural extension of play, learning, and belonging.

The exhibition features 12 paintings created during a residency program at the Children’s Art Studio (CAS), where selected young artists aged between 4 to 9 were mentored to develop their own creative responses to festivals. As part of this initiative, CAS also hosted residency sessions led by external mentors, including a clay workshop by Nataliia Marynenko and a stop-motion animation workshop by Nitin Donde, resulting in a range of artworks by different groups of children. In addition, CAS conducted workshops across various institutions, culminating in collaborative art installations that reflect how children experience community through festivals.

In this world, magic is normal, and the absurd and the impossible are best friends skipping hand in hand. Children see this world with a clarity many of us have forgotten. For them, festivals are spaces where rules can be twisted, broken, or reinvented altogether. Children, with eyes unclouded by what we call reality, remind us that imagination is not an escape from the world; it is the way we first learn to see it.

Residency Artists

Abeer Tyagi | Aiden Daniel Pacheco | Aleksandra Jessica Lobo | Annika Sagar | Atulya Roy | Azurro Patrao | Calliope D’Souza | Christoph Homem | Dari Sharova | Gul Pritam Bijlani | Havana Sofia de Gouveia Pinto | Hosh | Ilai Desouza | Kai Milo Gokhale Chandani | Kai DeNazareth | Leo Sidorov | Nayantara Maya Fernandes | Rajvi Rohan Madgaonkar | Ria Maria Lobo | Shivya Kaushik | Yohaan | Zephyr Patrao |

Participating Institutions

Bookworm Library, Aldona | Bookworm Library, Saligao | Children’s Art Studio, Pilerne | Govt. Primary School, Pilerne | Govt. Primary School, Saligao | Ish Kripa Sadan, Siolim | St. Mary’s Convent High School, Mapusa | The Learning Centre (TLC), Moira |

Mentored by

Nataliia Marynenko |  Nitin Donde | P S Soorya | Sharada Kerkar | Tincy Paulose |

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