Mumbai Light Festival is back with its third Satellite edition!

Titled IMMERSE, it will showcase two audiovisual acts that bring together diverse artists, genres and influences to craft uniquely immersive experiences.

The first audiovisual act titled Once upon a time... depicts the reimagining of a Gond folktale through the art of Padma Shri-awardee Durgabai Vyam, one of the leading names in the Pardhan Gond tradition of tribal art. Brought to life by ace animator Vishwesh Menon and set to the hypnotic tunes of Bana, a three-string fiddle played by Pardhan Gonds, this act is an attempt at pushing the boundaries when it comes to representing our vast wealth of traditional lore and art forms.

About the Artists:

Durgabai Vyam is one of the leading names in the Pardhan Gond tradition of tribal art. Known for their distinctive ability to tell a story, her paintings are rooted in folklore and mythology drawn primarily from her birthplace of Burbaspur in Madhya Pradesh. Durgabai’s talent was identified by her brother-in-law and legendary Gond artist Jangarh Singh Shyam who not only encouraged her but also advised her to explore contemporary forms and modes of expression. In 2008, she and two other Gond artists, Ram Singh Urveti and Bhajju Shyam, were presented the Bologna Ragazzi Award in Italy for their illustrations in the book ‘The Night Life of Trees’ published by Tara Books. In 2022, Durgabai was conferred with Padma Shri, India's fourth highest civilian award.

Vishwesh Menon is a self-taught musician, character designer, animator, animation producer and director with over 15 years of experience in the Animation Industry. He is Co-founder at Botvideos.tv, a boutique animation studio based in Mumbai and lead trainer at Kamp Mograph, a motion design training course for professional graphic designers looking to upskill.

About Mumbai Light Festival (MLF) and MLF Satellite:

Mumbai Light Festival (MLF) has been envisioned as a one-of-its-kind celebration of lights that becomes a fixture in Mumbai’s cultural calendar. A platform for artists from India and abroad who are doing path breaking work with light as a medium, MLF’s goal is to establish itself as a public arts festival that is global in ambition, scale and execution. The first edition of MLF is scheduled for Q1 2023.

MLF Satellites are teaser events that are meant to provide a glimpse of that magical space that lies at the intersection of art and technology. Starting September 2022, MLF Satellite will be hosting standalone installations and experiences by artists who are pushing boundaries when it comes to light as a medium. The idea is to give people a taste of the possibilities of light as a medium for art and build excitement for the main event.

In September, the first edition of MLF Satellite featured ROW, an award-winning audio-visual installation by the celebrated new-media collective TUNDRA.

In October, the second edition of MLF Satellite featured TETRAPODS, a light installation made up of thirty tetrapod-like structures that light up to evoke various shapes, patterns and moods. Installed on Girgaon Chowpatty as a Diwali gift to the city of Mumbai, it was a collaboration between international and Indian artists.