Interviews by Mallika Chandra. Photographs by Naomi Shah.
PARAG TANDEL
Vitamin Sea
Do you think that the festival provides visitors with an opportunity to engage meaningfully with the Koli fishing community and the issues that they face at large?
The festival at Sassoon Docks acts as a site-specific artistic intervention. I create socially engaged art and it’s how you mould people’s minds that is important. The city does not know much about the Kolis, I don’t think urban dwellers are concerned about our ongoing issues; they are busy earning their livelihoods and pursuing their ambitions. This festival is an attempt to redirect attention towards the issues plaguing the community.
What was your relationship with Sassoon Docks like in your growing-up years? And did showcasing your work here bring back any memories?
My mother was…