Mumbai Diary: Friday Dossier

Pic/Atul Kamble

Park that power nap

The benches at Five Gardens, Dadar, double up as beds for two men on Thursday morning

A brush with Indian art

A new title brings together a first-of-its-kind exploration of Indian art made since 1900. Titled Moving focus, India: New perspectives on modern and contemporary art, the multi-author, two-part volume is edited by Mortimer Chatterjee, director, Chatterjee & Lal. It features five nominations of artworks by 54 artists, writers, curators and historians each. "They've picked artworks that meant something to them, and written 100 words about each. These are works made since 1900, by artists living in India or identifying as part of its diaspora," Chatterjee told this diarist, adding, "What's interesting was that the nominated picks reflect the best of Indian art, but also unknown names; there are elements of design and film, too."

Booked for the shore life

Pic Courtesy/Sarang Naik

When we walk along the beach, we seldom think of the inter-tidal space and the creatures that thrive in it, although they're right there. When journalist, editor and writer Sejal Mehta came across Marine Life of Mumbai, which documents the marine life of the city, she was delighted at discovering the "superpowers" these species possess. It inspired Mehta to author Superpowers on the Shore (Penguin Viking), a title that sheds light on the kaleidoscopic inter-tidal zone and its superhero residents - solar-powered slugs, escape artist octopuses, venomous jellies, harpooning conus sea snails, to name a few. With the help of illustrations by Jessica Luis, Mehta has weaved in fictional elements - say hello to the narrator, a friendly hermit crab - to make it a fun read. "The editor, Manasi Subramaniam, steered the book gently towards a wider audience. Readers love a superhero story. I've tried to make people see that these superpowers aren't even fictional; they're right in front of us," Mehta added.

Mahim's got a Belgian touch

Dzia has started working on the mural in Mahim's art district

In a bid to commemorate the strong bilateral ties between the Kingdom of Belgium and India, and to celebrate India's 75th year of independence, the Belgian Consulate has invited Dzia, a Belgian street artist, to create a new mural at Mahim's art district. Dzia is an Antwerp-based artist whose art primarily depicts wild animals, with foxes and birds featuring as common themes. Before Mumbai, Dzia has painted across various locations in China, Norway and Spain. Commenting on his visit to the city, the artist said, "This is my first time in Mumbai, and I'm really enjoying it. It's a bit of a culture shock, but in a good way. The people are friendly, and the food is spicy, but I like it very much. I'm overwhelmed and happy to be here. I'm calling this artwork the Birds of India. It will have different coloured species of birds interacting with each other. For me, it symbolises the different cultures of India that understand each other despite their diversity." The mural will be unveiled on March 31 by the Consul General of Belgium, Pierre-Emmanuel Brusselmans, and dignitaries from the Maharashtra government.

Once upon a time

Stories - challenging, happy and inspiring - have kept us company in the past two years. Aryah Inspires is a Gurugram-based organisation which has put together a carnival celebrating the spirit of storytelling. Starting today, the three-day Story Partner Carnival will feature storytelling sessions, workshops and playback theatre, by 23 artists from all across India, including Janaki Sabesh, Meghaa Gupta and Vikram Sridhar. "All the funds will be used to work on stories for the underprivileged - to curate sessions for them, and up-skill their teachers. We also want to raise awareness about stories that are for all age groups, including adults, and appeal to all communities. The carnival also aims to make the art form sustainable by ensuring every artiste is paid. We've maintained a pay-as-you-can model," founder Dr Shivani Kanodia (in pic) told this diarist. To tune in to the stories, head to @aryahinspires.

Let's brew a few vintage tunes

You can never go wrong with music and beers, especially if there's vinyl involved. The folks at India Record Co, Great State Aleworks and Woodside Inn, Bandra, have joined hands to host an edition of Vinyl Jukebox at the suburban restaurant today. We've learnt that diners and music-lovers can skim through a curated collection of records and request their favourite tunes, while sipping on some beers that will be available at the restaurant only for the evening. "We take both music and beer very seriously. With this vinyl evening, we are getting to showcase our love for both," shared Pankil Shah, director and co-founder, Neighbourhood Hospitality Pvt Ltd-Woodside Inn.