In the sleepy village of Moira, classical structures and traditional silhouettes dominate the visual and geographical landscape. One sharp shift from this conventional narrative is the Cube Gallery. Conceptualised and designed by Sonny Singh, an architect and design thinker from Los Angeles, Cube Gallery is perhaps Goa’s only avant-garde art space.
Sharp and structural in its thematic design, Cube Gallery is one of the few art spaces in Goa that focuses on contemporary arts. Drawing inspiration from the shape of a cube, which in gallery language is the dominant design perspective for galleries and other exhibition spaces, the Cube Gallery is conceptualised as a grid of cubes.
The main cube space serves as the gallery area, which regularly hosts exhibitions by both resident and other atypical artists from all over. Adjoining it is a public space that then tapers into semi-private spaces which serve as the residency space for artists. The residency spaces have an open layout, with an attached kitchenette and loft spaces that allow the artists ample room to work. The fact that the residency spaces look out onto the 400-year-old Moira Church or green pastures till as far as your eyes can see, adds to charm. A
s far as the gallery space is concerned, technical considerations override the aesthetic detailing here at the Cube Gallery. The colours of the walls are changed for each show, in order to thematically resonate the works of art being exhibited. With efficient sound, lighting which includes a tract gallery lighting system that can be reconfigured in any shape feature throughout and temperature control which is indispensable to protect archival papers, expensive paintings and other documents, the gallery easily is one of the more modernist art spaces in Goa.
With great attention to sophistication and novelty, the Cube Gallery juggles juggles art, animation, sculpture, ceramics, and design — through the works of artists of both international repute as well as emerging artists from India. Alongside there is also an in-house cafe and store where Sonny's wife, and fashion designer Caroline Paez stocks up some of her stunning clothes from her label Saltylulla.
