South Asian Literature and Art Returns In-Person Next Month

South Asian Literature and Art (SALA) Festival has unveiled its program for the in-person SALA 2022.

The festival will kick off on October 29-30th, at 11 am at Montalvo Arts Center, 15400 Montalvo Road, Saratoga CA.

Found in 2019, and after two years of virtual events, Art Forum SF is back with a bang to present the in-person SALA 2022. For this year the vision is bold; the theme is “Humanity,” to examine how the world has categorized each other into boxes, a community of different colors, classes, and castes.

SALA aims to examine and celebrate different points of view but also recognize that, ultimately, humanity triumphs. Montalvo Arts Center and Art Forum SF present the festival in partnership with Stanford Center for South Asia and UC Berkeley Institute for South Asian Studies, according to a press release.

This year’s rich program includes:

South Asian Contemporary Art Walk:

• Featuring South Asian artist & director of the South Asian Creative Collective in NY, Jaishri Abichandani
• Highlight contemporary artists Sara Ahamad, Ranu Mukherjee, and Annu Matthew.
• Interact with the collectors and art institute founders Dr. Shireen and Afzal Ahmad; both pioneers have committed their collection toward a significant cause.

South Asian Contemporary Writers Row:

• Including eminent authors like Vikram Chandra, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Ayad Akhtar, Booker prize-winning book translator Daisy Rockwell and upcoming authors like Alka Joshi.
• Poetry and Anthology: live readings followed by discussions with reputed academics and litterateurs.
• Musicians TM Krishna and Thenmozhi Soundararajan to feature hard-hitting topics like caste.

South Asian Epicurean Highlights – New theme

• Presenting food scientists’ take on South Asian cuisine by prominent author Nik Sharma
• Food historian Chitrita Banerji will examine how food has shaped the South Asian world.
• Sonia Chopra, Editor of Bon Appetit and Conde Nast, will be featured alongside cookbook author Madhushree Gosh.
• Panel on the South Asian restaurant industry and the new-age South Asian cuisine wave.

The program also include a special event featuring eminent actress Swara Bhaskar from India.

Highlights of other activities:

• Poetry Reading curated by Shikha Malaviya featuring Amit Majmudar, Monica Korde, Monica Mody, Urvashi Bahuguna, Preeti Vangani, and Sarah Mohammad
• Art Exhibition features local artists Tanya Momi, Chandrika Marla, and sculptor Priyanka Rama.
• Marketplace includes Garima Shoes, Pragati Sharma stole, The Peacock Avenue, food trucks, Bhangra and dance groups, hands-on activities like Henna and Rangoli, and much more!

Art Forum is a not-for-profit that strives to define and promote all art forms emerging from South Asia. Art Forum endeavors to present the visual, the literary, and the performing arts in their various versions, thus enabling a broader reach for South Asian voices.