What happens when the worlds of art, fashion and music collide? You get a full-blown extravaganza of a multi-sensory experience. This was the dialogue that echoed at the second edition of Anant Samagam by Aalekh Foundation recently in the Capital. The evening brought together different art forms of Rajasthan, West Bengal and Assam under one roof, showcasing works of artists, designers and musicians.
The evening opened with a walkthrough of the art exhibition featuring works of different artists from the aforementioned states.
Rennie Joyy, founder of Aalekh Foundation, called it a “confluence of culture,” which is visible through an early trade route (the Silk Route between the East and the West), and, according to her, a common connecting thread between all three states is storytelling. “The music of all these states does a lot of storytelling, like Sattriya from Assam, Baul from West Bengal and Manganiyar from Rajasthan, which are all forms of dance and music showing storytelling. I think there is a lot of story to tell about how they’ve influenced each other,” added Rennie.
The evening then unfolded into a showcase of fashion with designers Pallavi Jaipur (Rajasthan), Jahnabi Phookan (Assam), Sonam Dubal (Fusion of Assam and Rajasthan) and Bappaditya Biswas (West Bengal) showcasing their collections on the runway.
Finally, a musical performance combining the stories of all three states tied the evening together as the audience slipped into a trance of rhythms.
