Goa’s vibrant art scene is made up of many art galleries – from north to south, and from cities to villages.
Twenty kilometres from Panjim, nestled in the picturesque village of Moira, is the Rubik’s cube-like structure, called Cube Gallery. Owned by Satinder Singh (Sonny), it is a conduit between the old and new creative talents of established and new artists.
Over the past few years, it has hosted several artists and art shows.
ABOUT CUBE GALLERY
Sonny graduated in 1988 with a degree in BArch from SCI ARC (California) in 1988, and MFA (Animation) from CalArts (California), in 1998.
After 28 years on foreign shores, he decided to move back to India, and Goa was his first choice. His father was a naval officer posted in Goa, and he recalls, “Those were my best memories of childhood.”
Starting his career as an architect/builder, he felt isolated from the contemporary art and creative world, and the motivation of starting an art gallery was mainly to create a contemporary creative hub for creative people which could serve as a space to exchange ideas and also have international artists interact with local artists.
“Secretly, I did think that I could raise the aesthetic sensibility of the people living and moving to Goa,” he shares.
He wanted to combine a gallery space, workshop space and four studio lofts. All this took 4 years to build and were completed in 2012. The first exhibition to be held there was with artist Alok Johri, and curated by Apoorva Kulkarni; it set the benchmark for numerous distinctive exhibitions to date.
ACTIVITIES & MORE
The chic avant-garde interiors of the gallery are a treasure trove of art. Among other activities, there are artists’ residencies with space for artists to stay and work, as well as dance and theatre performances with groups from abroad.
In addition, the in-house clothing store, café and several closed-door events have transformed this gallery into a unique centre for creative exchanges, inviting art enthusiasts to indulge in supporting the young and growing community of Goa-based artists.
The gallery has had thematic exhibitions, keeping abreast of developing technologies, viz. Artificial Intelligence. The exhibition titled Artbolts, with robots in stainless steel sculptures and audio art, with several artists from abroad along with local artists, depicting their views on the pros and cons of AI.
Another noted show was Artcrete, made in three segments – concrete tiles, a labyrinthine installation and faceless idols from different cultures from the Sumerian Myth of the Apkallu – a legend about seven sages who created the god Enki, a legend to establish culture, giving civilization to mankind, to the pyramids of Egypt. The art work was constructed in collaboration with local carpenters, masons and painters.
“It was a fantastic obsession with creation, which took a year to reach fruition, and felt like a self-fulfilled prophecy,” explains Sonny.
Regarding sourcing out artists, Sonny says, “I follow the work of artists before approaching them for an exhibition. For curated exhibitions based on a concept, I send out the brief to a few artists and depending on their response and interest, they are included in the exhibition.”
Exhibitions are planned at least 4 months in advance, and usually last from 6 to 8 weeks. The buyers are generally from abroad and from the large cities of India.
Sonny spends his leisure time making art, taking long walks in the lovely Goan countryside, and travelling to aesthetic places in India and abroad. “Monetarily, I haven't really profited from it; it has been a labour of love,” he asserts.
Cube Gallery is located in Moira and can be contacted on+91 94228 06748
