Kochi Art, Culture, Literature, Kochi-Muziris Biennale

[vjkrishn]

‘Heritage Arts’ brings history into limelight

Missing ‘Heritage Arts’ at Mattanchery means missing the best antique collection in South India. Nineteen years ago, when N B Majnoo started a small shop sprawled over an area of 300 sq feet in Mattanchery, little did he know that one day it would become one of the most sought after antique shops in South India. “I used to be a tourist guide then and would take tourists to historical destinations in Mattanchery. This kindled an interest in antique and that was how I ended up in this profession,” he said.
For him, this antique shop was just a source of livelihood which later turned into passion.

What excites him most, is the status garnered by his antique shop in due course of time. “People do not see it as a shop but look at it as a museum. I am proud of the fact many guides here, introduce my shop to others as a museum,” he said. Tourists rarely miss this shop owing to it close proximity to the historical Dutch palace. Most of the antique date back to 200 to 300 years. A temple door (Gopura Vathil) procured from Tamil Nadu by Majnoo can tell a story of 350 years. The bronze horse rider which is about 250 years old, is yet another major attraction.

Though the Archeological Survey of India (ASI) has put a strict tab on exports of antique outside the country, Majnoo said that the market is not severely affected. “Previously, it was exports which constituted 90 per cent of the antique market. However, now 50 per cent of the market has been taken over by the Indian presence,” he said.

Pune, Delhi and Mumbai are the three places in India where a growing demand for antique can be witnessed. “Pune outnumbers the other two,” he said.
In addition, the liking for small antique pieces has now given way for large pieces, he said. “About eight truck loads of antique were taken away to renovate the airport in Mumbai. Three of them were from my shop. Many business tycoons had approached me for a 107-year-old snake boat. However, I did not sell it as it would have been a huge loss to Kochi tourism,” he said.

[Malayaali]

Sax and the man

'Note'worthy Joseph D'Cruz plays a tune on the clarinet

Joseph D'Cruz is a teacher who belongs to the old school of teaching. This music master is probably the only person in Kochi who teaches the saxophone. The piano, organ, guitar, clarinet, keyboard, mouth-organ etc are just some of the other instruments he teaches.

Classroom is the rather spartan first floor of his rented house. Patchwork sheets cover a keyboard and a digital piano. A few music books, a couple of pictures of Jesus and a few knick-knacks arranged neatly on a table are the other equipment in the tidy room.

Experienced

The septuagenarian reveals interesting aspects of teaching and learning music. He has been teaching in Kochi since 1975. He started with Cochin Arts and Communications (CAC) before moving to Dubai in 1992. He taught at a music school there, till he returned in 2000.

The masters who taught him, in the 50s, were Italian priests of the Sacred Heart School and College near Jolarpettai. He started with the clarinet and then moved on to the saxophone. The other instruments? “It is not too difficult if you know the notes and where to find them on the instrument,” he says in impeccable English. Learning the guitar and the keyboard is popular, he says, but the saxophone has few takers. In fact, he has just one student who learns the saxophone.

The saxophone, or for that matter all reed instruments, requires effort and hard work. “Initially the sound which emanates from the instrument is just a squeak. Needless to say it requires a lot of practice,” Joseph sir says. All that blowing a wind/reed instrument requires can put off anybody who is not committed to the instrument. He doffs his hat (imaginary) to Kadri Gopalnath. “Quite an effort!”

Jazz

As the conversation veers to jazz music and the five kinds of saxophones (soparano, alto, tenor, baritone and bass) he offers to show his saxophone (an alto). He gets his saxophone, tenderly holds it and asks, “Want me to play something?” He strikes a pose and warns, “Be prepared for a few decibels of sound.” Sound? No, music yes. And then the clarinet. The years disappear when Joseph sir starts playing. The piano will have to wait, as he has injured his wrist and it needs rest. Then there is an accordion, but broken, somewhere.

Committed teacher

Teaching is something close to his heart. “I turned down offers to perform or join a band because I'd rather teach.” The Trinity College of Music had awarded him with a certificate for Proficiency in Teaching (music). Most of the students he taught and sent for the exams cleared them. He, however, does not do that anymore. At 74 , teaching young kids would be an effort, but not for Joseph sir. As long as he is able to ‘communicate and make the child understand the abstract concept'. Therefore he has set Standard 3 – 4 as the suitable time for kids to start. And for the saxophone? “Be bigger than the instrument,” he says with a soft laugh. He conducts classes from home.

Chatting with Joseph sir is going back and forth, the old days and the now. Is his approach to teaching different from that of his teachers? “Not every much. Only that the fundamental nomenclature for music has changed. For Western Classical music (vocal) lessons still use ‘do-re-mi-so-fa-li-ti-do' but for instruments and others it is ‘c-d-e-f-g-a-b-c'.” Rather than teaching particular songs he teaches the old school way, concentrating on Western classical musical notation of teaching. He is, he confesses, classically oriented. Bach, Mozart, Beethoven among others figure prominently in his syllabus, which he designs to suit his individual students. That is not to say that if a student asks to be taught a song he refuses. He indulges once in a way because when ‘they play a song, they feel they have a sense of achievement'.

His being classically-oriented doesn't come in the way of being tolerant of current musical trends. “If youngsters are enjoying some kind of music, then it should be appreciated,” he says.

[vjkrishn]

Originally Posted by Malayaali

‘Confluence’ at David Hall Art Gallery

‘Confluence' has 10 artists showing 47 works at David Hall, Fort Kochi. They express their fears and doubts about a future where both humanness and water are scarce.

[vjkrishn]

41st Award presentation & State Exhibition 2012 will be held at Durbar Hall Ground, Ernakulam from 4-18 March 2012.Kerala Lalithakala Akademy,Ernakulam is organising the same.

Sri Siddique, Film Director inaugurated the State Exhibition

[Malayaali]

Theatre scene on revival

Theatre scene in Kerala, which had been stagnant in the last two decades, is witnessing a slow and steady revival, thanks to some dedicated activists as well as organizations.

Lokadharmi, Mulanthruruthy based theatre lab; Dhanush, the amateur theatre group from Tripunithura; Mazhavillu, the children's drama troupe and cultural organizations like Changampuzha Samskarika Vedi and JTPac who promote the medium and artistes through collaborations play a major role in revival activities.

"There has been a renewed interest in theatre in the city. Places like Changampuzha park has become a hot bed for experimental theatre where even amateur groups without much financial backing can perform to an enlightened audience," observed G Ajayan, a young theatre activist in Kochi, who will be showcasing his latest production on the occasion of the World Theatre Day at Town Hall on March 27.

The culture of theatre has also been nourished by the city's cosmopolitan nature.

"Malayalis and non-Malayalis, who have studied outside the state and are presently in the city are enthusiastic to be a part of theatre, either by being a part of the production or by watching it," noted Chandradasan, art director of Lokadharmi Theatre.

The Francescos, an Italian family settled in Kochi, makes it a point to see the latest theatre productions performed in Kochi, no matter what the language.

Meanwhile, Kavalam Narayana Panicker, an active voice of Kerala theatre in the country and abroad believes that there has been a definite improvement in the theatre scene in the state.

"The international attention that Malayalam theatre garnered has made it an honourable profession, if not a highly remunerative one. Thus youngsters these days are interested to be part of indigenous theatre," said Panicker, whose troupe is currently in Odisha, planning a performance on March 27, World Theatre Day.

"A good script works wonders, may it be theatre or film, what we in the theatre fraternity needs to work is not to lose our identity of being a Malayali in this highly corporatized space we all share," noted the veteran playwright.

[Malayaali]

Children's Park library set for digital makeover

To augment the entertainment options for tiny tots in the city, the district administration has decided to add more facilities at the Children's Park. District collector P I Sheik Pareeth said the library in the park would be computerized and more books added to its collection.

According to the plan, the district administration along with the District Council for Child Welfare (DCCW) will undertake the job of making it an e-library. "We are in discussion with Granthasala Sangham on how to implement the scheme and what other facilities should be introduced," Pareeth said.

It's the Granthasala Sangham that gives approval for libraries. The project to revive the library will cost around Rs 2 lakh. It will be completed in one month's time. "We plan to revive the library, which in the park that wasn't functioning due to poor maintenance. We will add 1,000 more books. Once computerization and launch of the e-library is launched, kids will find visiting the place a rewarding experience," said K J Tomy, additional development commissioner, DCCW. The collector also said a mini planetarium and a computer-simulated game would be introduced in the park.

To make the summer vacation more colourful, the authorities have announced several vacation camps and programmes at the park. The major attraction will be a two-month-long Children's Film Festival, being organized by DCCW and the Heartlight Association, from April 4.

A children's literary festival, painting festival, magic show, environmental awareness sessions and kavi arangu will also be held as part of the vacation camp. There is also a plan to introduce a training programme in skating for children. During the film festival, short-films and documentaries filmed by children will be screened from 5.30 pm.

[mohammedirshad06]

Artistes forum to support Muziris Biennale

Following a spate of controversies over the first Biennale slated to be held later this year in Kochi, Support Forum-Biennale 2012, a group of major artistes in the state, has come out in support for the event.

"The countdown for perhaps the best thing to happen to the Kerala art scene has started. The Kochi-Muziris Biennale scheduled for December offers artists a great opportunity and we pledge our support to it," said sculptor Raghunathan K, who represents the Biennale supporters' forum, at a press conference here on Tuesday.

The forum boasts about 30 senior artistes from various disciplines. They include C N Karunakaran, Adoor Gopalakrishnan and Akkitham Vasudevan among others. The Kochi Biennale Foundation is planning to organize the event once every two years in the city.

"We do not have any doubts about the credentials of Biennale foundation members like Bose Krishnamachari and Riyaz Komu, who have overseen similar international events. Let the investigations go on. We are here to support the Biennale," Raghunathan said.

The artistes who represented the forum were of the opinion that those against the Biennale have not clearly understood the exposure such an event would give local artistes. "Biennale provides a global platform for artistes in Kerala; for the young and aspiring as well as veterans," said Leon K L.

The forum members also cited the life of Raja Ravi Varma to underline the importance of exposure and patronage for arts. "Raja Ravi Varma found patronage in Maharashtra. Similarly, full-time artistes in Kerala will get exposure and support once the Biennale takes place. The misunderstanding that certain artistes have, at this point about the foundation shouldn't overshadow the benefits such an event will bring," observed Anto George.

The support from the artistes' community has come at a crucial time when allegations of corruption and misallocation of government funds by the foundation have been rife.

[Malayaali]

'Nature Scapes' at Durbar Hall Art Gallery


cc: Manorama

[Malayaali]

Kochi to host painting exhibition by leading German artist

Eberhard Havekost has earned international acclaim and major museums feature his works.

Amidst controversies, the art show titled “Sightseeing Trip” by contemporary German painter Eberhard Havekost will begin at Durbar Hall here on Saturday.

Union Minister K.V. Thomas will inaugurate the exhibition, which is being organised by the Dresden State Art Collections, in collaboration with the Kochi Biennale Foundation and with support from the Department of Cultural Affairs.

Mr. Havekost is described as one of the most important artists of his generation. Born in Dresden in 1967, he studied painting at the renowned Dresden Art Academy. He has earned international acclaim and major museums and private collections feature his works.

“Sightseeing Trip” is his search for motifs and situations that reflect the urban lifestyle of a consumer society. “He perceives the complex structures of city life in segmented form: facades, streets, cars, shop windows, passer-by. He is particularly interested in the optical quality of the surfaces and exteriors of the urban organism,” said a hand-out on the forthcoming exhibition.

Mayor Tony Chammany will preside over the inaugural function. Senior artist and former chairman of Kerala Lalitkala Akademi C.N. Karunakaran, Tasneem Zakaria Mehta, vice-chairman of INTACH and honorary director of Dr. Bhau Daji Lad Museum, Mumbai; Hans-Gunter Loffler, Deputy Consul General, Consulate General of Germany; Syed Ibrahim, Director, Goethe-Zentrum, Thiruvananthapuram; and Mathias Wagner, curator, New Maters Museum, Dresden State Art Collections; will be guests of honour.

The city is one of the two venues where the exhibition will be held as part of the “Germany and India 2011-2012: Infinite Opportunities” – the year-long programme to mark the 60 anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two nations.

While some artists and art students have welcomed the exhibition, some other artists came up in protest against it. Those against the exhibition complained that the Kochi Biennale Foundation was denying space to local artists to hold exhibition as the prestigious Durbar Hall, owned by the Kerala Lalitkala Akademi, is being booked for extensive period as part of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale.

[Malayaali]

Originally Posted by Malayaali

Kochi to host painting exhibition by leading German artist

cc: Manorama

[Malayaali]

Lillette Dubey’s play in Kochi

Contemporary theatre sure has a lot of takers in Kochi. Quite a few turned up the other day when Lillette Dubey's Love on the Brink was staged.

The nearly two-hour-long play started off a bit late, but kept the audience riveted throughout.

Lillette herself was present at the venue, much to the delight of theatre lovers. We spotted a lot of new faces in the audience this time, a change from the usual crowd.

[Malayaali]

Lady Lillete’s here

Bollywood and theatre personality Lillete Dubey, who is in Kochi to enact her play Love on the Brink, is as loquacious and vivacious as ever, her witty conversation punctuated by her typical, contagious laughter. “Perhaps I was a Malayali in my last birth, that is why I talk so much,” she says.

If you thought that was a forced Kerala connection, there are several other aspects that make Kerala dear to her. Her only brother has just opened a restaurant, Lemon Tree, by the sea. “He told me it is a beautiful location and I told him, anywhere in Kerala is stunning.”

She adds that Thiruvananthapuram, which she visited during the recent international film fest, was a revelation to her. “I knew Kochi was picturesque but didn’t know that the capital was equally nice.” One of the two films in the competition section, Delhi in a Day, an English feature directed by Malayali director Prashant Nair, had Lillette playing a significant role.

While her heart and soul are in theatre, she continues to figure in many a Bollywood and cross-cultural movie. “I have done about 30 films so far and at least 15 are famous whether it is Monsoon Wedding, Kal Ho Naa Ho or Fanah,” she says, adding that her mindset while doing theatre is drastically different from when she does a film role.

“Films are mainly about business. Hindi cinema is a very visual medium and I have accepted this. And women, with a few exceptions, do not have a big role to play. Looking good is a very important aspect in films unlike in theatre. Maybe it is because of my personality, I get to play strong, dynamic, glamorous women,” she says.

She notes how Malayalam cinema is different and how someone like Mammootty gets to do all kinds of roles. “He plays the glamorous, young, ugly, old and all sorts of characters. We once did a film together and I remember what Mammootty told me then, ‘Lillete, I am a greedy man and want to do a lot of things’”

Lillete clearly shares that philosophy. “As one gets old, you feel that time is ticking away. We all have our ‘bucket list’. It is in theatre that I implement my vision and try out various things.

But in movies, I just do what Sajid wants or Mira Nair wants.” She is looking forward to the Indian release next month of The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel directed by John Madden of Shakespeare in Love. “I am doing a David Dhawan film, Sunny Deol film…” The list goes on and on.

The theatre director wants to turn film director by adapting a Girish Karnad play and Girish has apparently agreed to do the screenplay.

Oh yes, all that will take a bit of time. Meanwhile, she has a stage performance to do this evening at JTPAC auditorium.

[Malayaali]

Different strokes

DEPICTING MYTHOLOGY: Rama, Sita, Lakshman
and Hanuman.

On the top floor of Lalit Kala Akademi, a 52-year-old man is seen busy practising calligraphic stokes in a small note book, sometime attentive, sometime oblivious of the visitors scanning his 37 bright red drawings enhancing the radiance of the otherwise colourless walls they are mounted on.

The visitors can't help looking at the man who did it with immense surprise. The reasons are two. One, they narrate almost entirely, the mythological tale of Ramayana, the epic and the Shiva Purana. And two, they are told with just a single or very few ‘strokes'. To add to it is the medium – the sacred red kumkum ointment.

The creator of these works is Poosapati Parameshwar Raju, lovingly called P. P. Raju, a trained calligrapher from Aurangabad who specialises in grids and space division for design. And his creations measuring 29 x 22.5 inches done in light proof ink on archival paper (that survives over 100 years) has, sort of opened a new genre of calligraphy – the iconic calligraphy. The exhibition titled ‘Lore of Belief' curated by art historian Koeli Mukerjee Ghose is first of its kind in the realm of calligraphy.

Calligraphy, being an art of writing, is not frequently utilised to create works of art. But Raju has nurtured the passion for history, customs, and folklore and their preservation thanks to his great grandfather Appala Raju. He was a sculpture who sculpted figures of stone and metal for the temples and also specialised in fresco. He had created a new medium for sculpture and relief work with tamarind seed paste and cloth.

Says Koeli, “Few years ago Raju came to me with the calligraphic work he had done earlier contained in a catalogue. Seeing these an artist remarked, ‘he is a Hindu fanatic'. It made me wonder why he said that. I found Raju's religion has nothing to do with artistic leanings. It is his strong passion for history, traditional customs, rituals and folklore and his study of Vedas that has encouraged him to create these works of art. Nonetheless, it was very difficult to tell art galleries to exhibit his works as they would invariably find it ‘religious', while Raju's art traverses both traditional and contemporary terrains”.

However, the quality of Raju's work speaks for itself and leaves behind the narrow perspective of galleries. The show is now travelling to Jallandar, Amritsar, Jaipur, Kochi, Kolkata, Mumbai and Bengaluru. The Ramayana series will also be showcased at the ICCR in Delhi in June.

[Malayaali]

Originally Posted by Malayaali

Kochi to host painting exhibition by Eberhard Havekost

"Sightseeing Trip. Eberhard Havekost in India"





















More pics and Courtesy: Kochi - Muziris Biennale

[Malayaali]

[vjkrishn]

[Malayaali]

Summer Theatre Festival to be Held

The third Summer Theatre Festival by Abhinaya Thiruvananthapuram will begin in Kochi on May 8. It is being organised by Bank Employees Arts Movement Ernakulam (BEAME). The three-day festival will be held at Ernakulam Town Hall at 6.30 pm.

An independent adaptation of N N Pillai’s ‘Suddha Maddalam’ directed by P J Unnikrishnan will be staged on the first day.
Amalraj and Rajesh Varma will portray the two characters who meet at a narrow railway line, in the play.

Firoz Khan’s ‘Adrisya Nagarangal’ which is based on the novel ‘Invisible Cities’ by Italian writer Italo Calvino will be staged on the second day.
The play depicts an eternal journey through different cities and seeks to find answers to certain questions.

The characters will be portrayed by Sreenivas, Ajaya Kumar, Fawas, Jain and Abhija.
On the last day of the festival, ‘Pacha’, a play by Sujith Gopinath will be staged.
Abhija, Pratheesh and Fawas will portray the characters

[Malayaali]

Doodle art expo in Kochi

From sketches, drawings, paintings, photographs and digital art, students of Sree Institute of Creative Arts and Westford School of Management have showcased a Doodle Art Expo at Durbar Hall in Kochi.

Around 50 art pieces have been showcased at the five-day exhibition,which began on May 5.
Vinil, a teacher at Sree Institute of Creative Arts said: “This is to give a platform to students to exhibit their creativity.

“There are various degree and diploma courses on animation, painting, sculpting and so on, and 20 students have put forth their multitude of expressions through this exhibition.''

“This exhibition will be an opportunity for all the art lovers to enjoy the creative skills of the upcoming generation too.”

The Institute is celebrating its second year of existence by conducting an art exhibition for students in the city.

“This is for the first time that the Institute is holding an exhibition. It also provides an opportunity for budding artists to interact with other artists too,” added the teacher.

[Malayaali]

Many faces of tradition at Parampara

The evenings of Kochi will reverberate with the jangling of the anklets as JTPac prepares to host Parampara — Indian Classical Dance Festival from May 16 for five days.

On the first day, Madhavi Mudgal, an exponent of Odissi, will perform. The following day, integrating the sacredness of a tradition with the creativeness of a contemporary approach, danseuse Saswati Sen, foremost disciple of Pt Birju Maharaj, will perform Kathak.

A graceful dancer from Kerala, Padmashri Bharati Shivaji who is a rare combination of performer, choreographer, author and guru is sure to enthrall the audience with Kerala’s own dance form- Mohiniyattam on May 18.

A classical temple and court dance tradition of Andhra Pradesh- Vilasini Natyam, now an established solo dance-form will be performed by Padma Bhushan Swapna Sundari on the penultimate day of the festival.

The final day, May 20 will be reserved for the premier dance form — Bharatanatyam, which will be performed by Rama Vaidyanathan, one of India's leading classical dancers.

Featuring some the best dancers from India, Parampara will be a fascinating experience for the traditional dance lovers in the city.

[Malayaali]

5 world renowned dancers in Kochi


cc: Manorama