Art in its different parts

Artistes of different hues will come together at the event

So, tell me something about yourself?" Isn't this one of the toughest, most uncomfortable questions you can be asked? Yet, we often find ourselves at the receiving end of it - during job interviews, on dates and at social gatherings. It forces us to pick a label for ourselves and spend the rest of our lives sticking to it. It makes us wonder, "Who really am I?"

Krishan Jagota is an illusionist, magician and a full-time employee in a design agency. That apart, he has headed the Indian contingent at the Delhi Commonwealth Games in 2010, been a yoga instructor for the prisoners of Tihar Jail, and worked in Berlin as part of a student exchange programme. Naturally, he found himself to be a victim of an identity crisis.

It was then that he founded Fluid, a city-based community that helps people break free from societal shackles and embrace their innate tendency to experiment. It stems from the philosophy of the lives of hunter-gatherers, who sat around a fire to tell stories. Back then, everyone did everything. That is, until evolution took place and someone was assigned the role of a woodcutter, another person became a hunter and another, a cook. Eventually, these became our professions, or if you look at it another way, our limitations.

Danish Husain

Keeping this in mind, Jagota thought of the debut edition of Eunoia, an event where artists from different walks of life celebrate creative fusion. A Greek word that means "beautiful thinking", Eunoia is a platform for cross-collaborative networking featuring 30 artistes, including actor and storyteller Danish Husain, and musician Rajeev Raja. The idea is to offer art not to impress anybody, but for people to take something back with them. A singer may get inspired by a piece of visual art, and a painter may consider learning a musical instrument for the very first time.

Rajeev Raja

"I noticed that there is a lot of untapped talent in Mumbai, but sadly, the creative sector is being put in a box. Maybe a colourful box, but a box nonetheless," Jagota tells us. He adds "There are certain things that people say to artistes. 'Oh, you paint beautifully. I can't even draw a straight line.' Or, 'You dance so well. I have two left feet.' 'You have an amazing voice. I wish I could sing like that.' But these are all excuses. How can we give ourselves these labels without even trying other things?"

ON: August 10, 6 pm
AT: Ecole Intuit Lab, 88, Old Prabhadevi Road, Prabhadevi.
CALL: 8700728643

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