Archana Asthana
When you first walked into the space reserved for SALA 2024 on the Stanford campus last weekend, you were immediately surrounded by an array of art on display…on the lawn, in the meeting space, and in a separate gallery. It was a visually stirring environment, and the excitement was palpable as authors chatted with readers, old friends caught up and others made new friends while being entertained by live performances during the break.
Art Forum SF in collaboration with Stanford Center for South Asia showcased a plethora of events, themed “Plurality in Community” spanning not only art and literature, but also cinema, poetry, mindfulness, food and the environment at its fifth presentation of South Asian Literature and Art Festival (SALA). Speakers, writers, poets, musicians, filmmakers, chefs, novelists and other creative beings of stature assembled to provide a collection of panels, workshops, keynotes, lectures and talks with riveting Q and A sessions following.
Salima Hashmi was a big draw as she discussed Pakistani art in the past and current context, highlighting how the women played a role being vocal behind their shroud, and whose silent rebellion via art was deafening, to protest the mistreatment of their tribe. A lot of the creative works revealed that times of turmoil bring the artists together in this form of protest, sometimes using creativity in a very unique way.
There was room for plenty of laughs as well with some very “tongue in cheek” commentary, and a session dedicated to finding humor in art, sometimes in self-deprecating ways and being able to laugh at oneself.
The Sri Lankan panel was the most refreshing, as several attendees commented on not having read these authors before, but got a copy of their signed books as their next read, to discover the island which was not just about conflict, cricket and cooking, but so much more.
A session combining a real life police officer (Manjari Jaruhar from Bihar) with a writer who skirts danger with law and order in his writing (Vikram Chandra) highlighted the synergies between the real and fictional world.
Another interesting inclusion was a panel with ground-breaking epicurean artists who are redefining Indian cuisine as never before, giving Indians a modern “foodie” vocabulary and bridge between “ghar ka khana” (home cooked food) and fine dining; balancing tradition with a modern palate.
The ecological preservation of green spaces in India reemphasized that “given time, everything can heal”; however, an interactive session over a lecture would have been more engaging. The healing concept was extended to the mind, in a session with mental health experts sharing their own stories, encouraging acceptance and seeking solutions for the emotions and feelings that consume one beyond a point of control.
Standing room only-crowds were found when keynote speakers, filmmaker Imtiaz Ali, and multifaceted Dr. Shashi Tharoor took the stage, enthralled and engaged the audience with their insights, experiences and ideas about their craft.
Attendees came away awed, amused, inspired, curious and buoyed by the presenters. We expect SALA, with Kiran Malhotra, the primary curator, and her team to return next year to continue to satiate the inquiring minds.
PC: Art Forum SF
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