Mumbai Diary: Tuesday Dossier

Pic/Satej Shinde

A splash of cool

As the city grapples with soaring temperatures, a father and son take a dip at Juhu beach on Monday.

Turning two

In March-end 2019, the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya (CSMVS) gave Mumbai its first children's museum. They kicked off celebrations on social media with an adorable tribute of childhood pictures of the museum team along with a special virtual walkthrough of their new exhibition Entwined. On the road ahead, assistant curator Vaidehi Savnal shared, "Stepping into its third year, the keywords that will define our way forward will be agility and access. As they say, ‘change is the only constant' and the team is now adept at switching seamlessly between the virtual and real, and audiences can expect diverse forms of engagement in both spheres."

How green is my city?

Priyadarshini Park, Napeansea Road

How often do we Mumbaikars find ourselves lamenting either the lack of open spaces in the city or the poor condition of several of them? A three-month fellowship initiated by Project Mumbai in collaboration with the Ministry of Mumbai's Magic will enable citizens to contribute towards the change that they want to see in the city in order to make it more sustainable and liveable. Harita - The Green Footprint Fellowship is inviting Mumbai residents, especially students, with an interest in mapping, urban planning and data management to sign up. "We have raw data on the open public spaces in the city, which to my knowledge is about 700. Fellows will be assigned from every ward in Mumbai, where they'll assess open spaces based on different parameters. The idea is to come up with a report that grades these open spaces, which we'll take to the BMC, and implement solutions," shared Arpita Bhagat, campaign lead, Ministry of Mumbai's Magic. Interested folks can apply at ministryofmumbaismagic.com.

The abstract art universe

There is no one meaning for abstract art, and likewise for artists, there is no one ethos. Colaba gallery Akara Art's new show Memories Arrested in Space is an exploration of that idea. It brings together 13 different artists with 13 dynamic viewpoints, spanning different generations, under one roof.

Renowned sculptor Piraji Sagara's Untitled is part of the showcase

The selection includes works by stalwarts like Zarina Hashmi, Jeram Patel, Arpita Singh and Piraji Sagara. Explaining the concept, Puneet Shah (inset), founder and director, Akara Art, said, "The show captures the visual language of abstract art from the 1960's up until the 21st century and the idea was in sync with our intergenerational programming especially since all our shows this season have leaned towards form and figure." The show will be on until May 5.

Seefah will bounce back

Bandra's much-loved hangout, Seefah, was caught in a minor fire yesterday. Owners chefs Seefah Ketchaiyo and Karan Bane, who are currently in Delhi, told this diarist that none of the staff members were hurt, and there was no significant damage to the restaurant. "We are usually closed on Mondays so nobody was there. We don't know exactly what happened but there was a lot of smoke and it looked scary, but nothing was really damaged. It's all being taken care of currently," Ketchaiyo shared. The restaurant will be shut till the time they can fix the place up, she added. We hope to see them back soon.

The Next star

A major music streaming platform runs a monthly programme called Up Next, which it has now brought to India. The idea is to shine a light on rising artistes who have the potential to make it big in the future. Aditi Ramesh is a Mumbai-based musician who has been selected for it. "They have a lot of features, including video interviews. They also collate alumni for Up Next, where all the artistes' works can be collectively found in once place," Ramesh told this diarist. Our congratulations.