Portuguese consulate to celebrate its national day

PANAJI: In a bid to celebrate Indo-Portuguese ties and culture, the Portuguese consulate will organize an art exhibition at the consul general's residence. Themed 'Balcao', the exhibition will be organized to commemorate Portugal's National Day or Dia de Portugal, de Camões e das Comunidades Portuguesas', the consulate said.
"The best way to promote relationships between Portugal and India is to promote culture, promote art.Culture exists without borders," consul general Rui Carvalho Baceira said at a press conference.
The art exhibition will feature 30 paintings from 18 artists expressed through oil paint, water colours and acrylic paints. Three sculptures and one video installation will also feature in the exhibition. Some of the artists whose work will be featured include Aadhi Vishal, Diptej Vernekar, Francis D'Souza, Harshada Kerkar, John Pereira, Kalidas Mhamal, Kedar Dhondu, Ramdas Gadekar, Shilpa Naik, Subodh Kerkar, Vitesh Naik etc. The exhibition has been curated by Subodh Kerkar.
"We want to promote and highlight the influence of Portuguese culture and art on Goan life," Baceira said.
A balcao is unique characteristic of Indo-Portuguese architecture, especially houses in Goa. This balcony of sorts became a place for the residents and guests to gather, talk and watch the world go by.
With this metaphor in mind, the consulate has decided to title the exhibition 'Balcao', providing people a chance to come together and watch how traditional Indian architecture and Portuguese architectural language came together to become a symbol of modernity and liberation, Baceira said.
The exhibition will be inaugurated on June 10 and will be open to the public from June 11 to June 14, from 5pm to 7pm. The Portuguese consulate celebrates its national day every year and invites noted dignitaries and luminaries across fields to join in the celebrations.