Sunaparanta Goa Centre for the Arts, the Corona Quilt Project and The Panjim Church recently unveiled
their community project `Let Love Bloom’, at the steps of the church. The installation comprises
handsewn quilts adorning the walls along the steps.
This project marks the culmination of a Goa-wide community campaign that began in June 2021,
inviting people to share their stories of love over this past year, in the form of a 15”X15” square cloth.
It was conceived as a way to connect individuals from different backgrounds and ages, with the aim
to archive the collective memories of this unprecedented time. We collected over 3000 expressions
and watched this movement transform into one of Goa’s most memorable and largest collaborative
projects.
As we reflect upon this past year, the installation of large scale quilts provides a space to think about
what our world and communities will be like, as we march forward, and opens the possibility for love,
hope and renewal.
Sunaparanta has always been a visionary leader and an ardent supporter of socially engaged projects.
Community outreach has been integral to our work over the last 12 years and has been fundamental
to the development of our vibrant pedagogical and cultural programmes.
Our association with Panjim Church is special. Known to Goans as a symbol of grace and strength, it
is a marker of our resilience and a reminder of our rich heritage. `Let Love Bloom’ celebrates the
bringing together of people and invites us to imagine a hopeful and a better tomorrow.
The installation is free and open to all, and is a project of the people. It will be on view until 31 January,
2022.
“The installation at Panjim Church is a living testament of the potential of
art to promote social inclusion through participatory projects and
community initiatives. It is a reminder that everyone has the right to
experience the arts, develop their creativity, express their unique
identity, and engage in our shared humanity.
One of the organisations participating remarked on the feeling of coming
together like a big family during these dreary times and how we are all
connected by the thread of love that is sewn in the form of a quilt. This
reflects the essence of our initiative and the invaluable role of public art
in building community”.
Isheta D Salgaocar
Patron, Sunaparanta Goa Centre for the Arts
“Known as the ‘Crown of Panaji’, the Panjim Church dates back to 1541.
The chapel that stood here was originally intended for sailors who would
frequent it as a mark of thanks for their safe home-coming. As part of our
partnership with Sunaparanta Goa Centre for the Arts and the Corona
Quilt Project, we are proud to present to the people of Goa, this ‘Praça de
Flores’ (Flowers Square) as a symbol of hope even in these dark times”.
Fr. Reagan Fernandes
Assistant to the Parish Priest, Immaculate Conception Church, Panjim
“The wall of flowers at Panjim Church provides an intersection
between past, present and future, between disciplines, and between
ideas. It is believed that flowers contain the meaning of love. The
symbolic language of flowers has been recognised for centuries,
world over. The quilt captures the dichotomy between light and
darkness; upheaval and peace. It draws continuities and solidarities
between human and nature, artificial and natural, then and now. The
concepts chosen embody our current reality and consequences of the
pandemic. It’s truly humbling to have the opportunity to work on the
individual stories that connect and collectively empower
communities.”
Dia Mehhta Bhupal
Contemporary Artist & Creative Director, Corona Quilt Project
“This movement has connected people of different ages and from different cities – echoing the belief
that we have all endured this crisis together, no matter our age, gender, occupation or nationality.
The presentations are meant to help us move forward, heal and be reborn.”
Neha Modi
Project Director, Corona Quilt Project
About The Corona Quilt Project
Founded by Dia Mehhta Bhupal and Neha Modi, the Corona Quilt
Project is a collaborative art initiative inspired by the quilting traditions
that exists across the world. Activated during the first lockdown in
2020, this project provided people a non-verbal and creative platform
to express their thoughts.
Since its launch, it has attracted submissions of over 12000 squares
from individuals from India and beyond. These entries were stitched
together and transformed into vibrant installations, animating various
sites such as the Jindal Mansion, Worli Promenade, Haji Ali Sea Face in
Mumbai, Zydus Cadila in Ahmedabad, and the Panjim Church in Goa.
