Kochi Art, Culture, Literature, Kochi-Muziris Biennale

[psanthosh]

Permanent venue for arts events in Kochi planned


Prominent theatre personalities like film actor and director Revathy and playwright Kavalam Narayana Panicker have pledged support for the project

The city will soon have a permanent venue for staging different cultural art forms.

The support received from the public and cultural activists in staging the annual Onam celebrations, Lavanyam, this year prompted the district administration to develop a permanent platform to stage cultural programmes.

The open air theatre, which is under construction at Durbar Hall Grounds, proposes to stage programmes regularly on weekends.

The theatre will have a generator and a modern light and sound system along with other facilities.

Architects with expertise in setting open air theatre have been roped in for the project. Prominent theatre personalities like film actor and director Revathy and playwright Kavalam Narayana Panicker have pledged support for the project.

The district administration will also organise painting exhibitions and film festivals at the venue. During Onam this year, a drama fest was staged at Durbar Hall Grounds while other cultural programmes were held at Marine Drive. The Celebrating Kerala Happiness Festival was held at Patahdippalam outside the city limits on an experimental basis.

Cultural evening

Modern painting, instrumental music, and cultural evening were held at the Madhavan Nair Foundation. The District Collector P.I. Sheikh Pareed said that proper scheduling of Onam celebrations organised by municipalities would help attract people to these small towns as well.

http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/...cle3853576.ece

[mohammedirshad06]

Arts to be hubbed at Aspinwall House



Kochi's landmark iconic bldg- the Aspinwall House will now be identified as hub of arts. The 1.6 lakh sqft property shall be used as primary venue of Kochi Muziris Biennial 2012. MOU in this regard has been signed between Travancore Royal Family, the owners of Aspinwall House and Kochi Muziris Biennial Foundation.

A total space of 2.6 Lakh sqft built up space have been able to procure for conduct of India's first international biennial.

Other important venues will be



1. Kochi Durbar Hall- Ernakulam



2. The Cochin Club- The Lawns- Fort Kochi



3. Pepper House- Calvatty



4. David Hall- Kochi



5. Old Mattancherry Wharf House- Mattancherry


Restoration works are underway in all the places, to match with its rustic and artistic looks.

[mohammedirshad06]

Kochi turns into a global canvas

This December, the contemporary art world will move into the city for a three-month sojourn beginning ‘12/12/12’, the day the maiden Kochi-Muziris Biennale (KMB) opens.

India’s first biennale is billed to be a watershed in the port city’s evolution — from being a crucible of ancient cultures into an international hub of contemporary art.

With just about two months to go for the event, Kochi’s hallowed spaces are waking up from their slumber to mix vestiges of a culturally-rich past with stark modern realities.

It will be a déjà vu moment when Fort Kochi’s historical Pepper House and several warehouses of Mattancherry that stocked goods in Kerala’s ancient spice trade open their doors to works of art from around the globe.

The birth

The biennale was mooted by eminent artists Riyas Komu and Bose Krishnamachari in 2010 at the instance of then Minister of Culture M. A. Baby. After a few rounds of talks, the government threw its weight behind the event and contributed Rs. five crore.

At Rs 3.5 crore, the ramshackle Durbar Hall building, the main exhibition space of the debut venture, was transformed into a more upmarket venue with climate control and lighting conforming to international gallery standards.

Initially, the Kochi-Muziris Biennale Foundation was hamstrung by a controversy over its use of public fund. The biennale team, however, bounced back to put things in perspective and sent its detractors to ignominy with a strong case for the art show.

Over the last two months scores of international and national artists trooped down to the city to do groundwork for their project at the event. Over 80 artists from 35 countries will take part in the non-commercial event occurring at spaces across the city.

“The biennale is a multi-discipline festival of contemporary art, and it is city-wide, so the artists participating are not restricted to the large enclosed venues,” says Michelangelo Bendandi, KMB communications director.

“For example Ariel Hassan's piece will include projections and distribution of a text via stands at multiple locations. Another artist’s proposal [is to have the show] is on a boat and yet another’s is an interactive piece in a public ground. Murals, street art, sound pieces and projections will be located in public places around the city, not just at biennale venues.”

Government support

Enamoured of the rich dividends of the art carnival, Mayor Tony Chammany is going the whole hog to extend the corporation’s support.

“We would like to offer our halls for the conduct of biennale-related programmes. A decision on this would be taken following discussions at the council and with the people,” he says.

Last month, the corporation supported a contemporary mural camp in the build-up to the biennale by offering its Pallath Raman Hall and the adjacent open-air theatre in Fort Kochi.

“We are in constant touch with the KMB team as Kochi needs such an event to ascertain its rightful place on the world tourism and art map. The corporation is resolute on doing everything within its powers to ensure that its halls and public grounds are made available for the event,” says K.J. Sohan, chairman of the corporation’s town planning standing committee.

Dominic Presentation, MLA, intends to organise a meeting of the biennale team with the Chief Minister and the Minister of Culture so that the event receives all possible support from the government.

“Knowing the kind of people visiting the art show over three months, this is sure to give a fillip to the tourism sector,” says Mr. Presentation.

But the government doesn’t intend to be generous with money anymore. Culture secretary Sajan Peter says while the government wouldn’t loosen its purse any further for the biennale, it will support the event by offering its infrastructure. “They have asked for more venues. Besides Durbar Hall, other venues will also be made available free of cost,” he says.

For the biennale organisers, the event is a game-changer for Kochi. The artists on bloke comprise a judicious mix of Indian and international, but the focus has been on creating a contemporary visual art idiom and initiating Kochi’s dialogue with modern art.

Apart from cementing people-to-people ties and bonding, it will trigger all-round economic growth in tourism and hospitality industries. Local artists stand to benefit from international exposure, they say.

Door to history

Biennale is a reminder of history. It connects modern art to the 600-old heritage of Kochi and further to its mythical past enriched by the ancient port of Muziris that disappeared in the 14th century.

“The history of the old port and the Muziris Heritage Project, basically a conservation project, will add value to KMB,” says conservation architect Benny Kuriakose, the force behind the heritage project. Understandably, Muziris area — Kodungallur and Paravur — will be sites for the display of sculptures during the biennale.

[Malayaali]

Kochi gets Biennale city tag

Giving the official nod to the Kochi-Muziris Biennale 2012, the international exhibition of contemporary art, the corporation declared Kochi as the Biennale city on Saturday. The local body also sought support of individuals and private entities to make the event a mega hit.

Expressing willingness to provide various venues owned by the corporation for the mega event, Mayor Tony Chammany said Kochi was ready to welcome international artists arriving for the Biennale.

"The event's venues such as Fort Kochi, Mattancherry, Kochi city, Kodungallur and Paravoor are getting ready to host the exhibition," he said.

The mayor hoped that biennale would help attracting tourists. "All doubts regarding the event, which will provide a new face for the city, will be cleared before it begins," said Chammany.

To oversee the preparations, cultural affairs minister K C Joseph and department secretary Sajan Peter would visit the venues on October 28, he said.

Ajit Patil, secretary of the corporation, said Biennale would help promote the profile of the city as a cultural landscape and act as a catalyst of change.

Riyas Komu, one of the organisers of the Biennale, said permanent structures would be installed at various venues. He added that any contribution to the Kochi Biennale Foundation was open to scrutiny and accounting, and would be used only for a common cause.

As many as 80 artists from 35 countries were expected to participate in the event, which would attract 80 lakh domestic and 8.5 lakh foreign tourists in the inaugural year.

"The Biennale, which is held for the first time in India, would place the country firmly on the global map," said Komu.

Bose Krishnamachari, president of the Foundation, hailed the declaration as a major development, and said that it would make a big difference to the event.

Deputy mayor B Bhadra was also present at the press conference.

[mohammedirshad06]

The Art is going to be pepped up at Historic Pepper House

Pepper House in Kalavathy, Fort Kochi may not have any particular reason to catch a tourist’s eye.

But it is a landmark in Indian history and a favourite place for many historians. For, it is here that the roots of colonisation grew on Indian soil.

Situated on Kalavathy Road between Fort Kochi and Bazaar Road, Pepper House, which only recently got its name, was the grand godown of spices in Kochi during colonisation since 1503.

After they anchored in Kochi in 1500, the Portuguese built a fort named Immanuel in West Kochi (hence Fort Kochi).

The godown was built as part of the fort. The building has two godowns, one overlooking the waterfront and the other facing the street.

The structures with clay tiled roofs are separated by a courtyard. The stream near Pepper House was the main channel that connected the Arabian Sea with Kochi’s inner streams.

Hence Portuguese ships used to anchor near Pepper House, where Indian farmers came to trade spices.

The channel was used by the British to make an entry in 1773. Pepper House witnessed a significant landmark in Indian history in 1947 when it became one of the few places in the country to lower the British flag.

Pepper House was recently renovated as part of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale (KMB) project. “We wanted it to be a venue of the project as it has witnessed all the important moments in colonial history,” said Bonny Thomas, research coordinator of KMB.

[Malayaali]

Biennale will open the world to Kochi, says Madhavan

Kochi Muziris Biennale will be the great opening to the world of art.

“For the harbour city which once opened its doors to the myriad world of trade, this Biennale will now open the world to Kochi,” is how writer N.S. Madhavan sees this mega event taking place here on December 12.

Madhavan, who held a heritage walk in Fort Kochi across David Hall, Aspinwall and Pepper House, recounted that a similar event, though on a smaller scale, was held in 1965 by Fertilizers and Chemicals Travancore (FACT), styled as an all-India art exhibition.

“That exhibition threw up great artists like Paris Vishwanathan to the world; and (young) Aravindan, much before he became a renowned director, was the art curator, while Adoor Gopalakrishnan the film curator.”

Way back in the 90s, similar events on a smaller scale were held in New Delhi every three years. But, this event in December will be a different platform with all eyes from the world watching.

And this should also give Kochi and the state, known for the culture of openness, ‘a new honour,’ making it a centre of the art world.

It was in the 90s that Venice held a Biennale. Madhavan remembers walking around with artists across the streets there. “The Kochi event excites me. The buzz is missing because it is the first one,” he says.

About the controversy on whether Kochi should host such a mega event, Madhavan says controversies are natural in a democracy.

When the Vallarpadam terminal was set up, a campaign came up against relaxing the shipping rules. “You are welcome to say how the door should be, but you cannot block the view,” he adds.

[mohammedirshad06]

Biennial to Tech the Art for Kochi


IIT Mumbai students at Kochi-Muziris Biennale 2012 education programme’s first session.

What has technology got to do with art? Well, some students from IIT Mumbai, who came down to Kochi for the first session of Kochi-Muziris Biennale’s 2012 education programme, plan to take up a research to identify ways of useful collaboration between technology and art.

Sajal Nagwanshi, a first-year master’s student of IIT, Mumbai, considers this a very different experience — having come down and visited the several heritage sites in Kochi for an educational programme. “If artists use paint to highlight a particular subject, we’ll be making use of technology here,” adds Sajal.

The outcome of the project would result in the creation of works for a student exhibition as part of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale 2012.

The students will return here two weeks before the Kochi-Muziris Biennale opens (12.12.12) to start work on their projects for exhibition during the three-month-long programme.

Another student, Harshika Amin from the Center for Environmental Planning and Technology(CEPT) University, had been to Kochi, but never got an opportunity to visit the heritage sites.

She says, “It was an exciting experience to interact with the artistes who are working for the Biennale. Most of the heritage sites are not open to the public, but we got an opportunity to see Kochi and Muziris sites.”

The four students of CEPT plan to come up with a collaborative work for display during the opening, which will be a work related to Kochi.

The purpose of visiting these Kochi and Muziris sites is to help the students understand how the region was a global hub even long before the emergence of Kochi as a city.

The cosmopolitan heritage of Kochi is the conceptual framework behind the first Biennale, so it is important to connect both the artistic and educational programmes with that legacy.

Prof. Nikam of J.J. Institute of Applied Art, Mumbai, says, “Biennales are there all over the world, but this is for the first time that upcoming artists are given a chance to display their works. It is surely a golden opportunity in a student’s career.

[mohammedirshad06]

Kochi in Art festive mood

All gearing up for India's first Art Biennale starting from 12/12/12

Kochi's famous Bastion Bungalow (the last remains of Stormsburg Fort) will be converted into a Museum. Currently its the residence of Ernakulam Sub-Collector. Kerala Museums will be incharge in redesigning and developing Bastion Bungalow into suitable Museum

[mohammedirshad06]

Kochi Muziris Biennale 2012

The historic Fort Kochi, is geared up in artistic expressions for hoisting India's first and largest international Art Biennale 2012. Almost all heritage sites are now redeveloped and walls getting adorned with artistic taste.







The famous historic sites like Aspinwall House which play itself as the key host with 1.6 lakh sqft art gallery and Pepper House are getting renovated to match with glitz and glamour of an international art event

[thanseem]

Originally Posted by mohammedirshad06

Kochi Muziris Biennale 2012

The historic Fort Kochi, is geared up in artistic expressions for hoisting India's first and largest international Art Biennale 2012. Almost all heritage sites are now redeveloped and walls getting adorned with artistic taste.

wat they r doing? do they think graffitis give more historic look???

[mohammedirshad06]

Originally Posted by thanseem

wat they r doing? do they think graffitis give more historic look???

Its art man, not history... The sites which were completely covered in creepers, rust and leaky walls have been completely redeveloped and decorated with art... Anyway, it gives more artful feeling than its previous horrible condition....

[mohammedirshad06]

The Hindu brings in another cultural extravangance for enthrilling Kochinites

After successfully hoisting Hindu Metroplus Theatre Festival in Kochi for more than 2 years, The Hindu brings in another in-house prestigious event for Kochinites.

Friday Review The November Fest 2012

which promises 3 days of unmatched musical experience for music lovers of Kerala. Kochi is the only city from Kerala to host The Hindu's branded festivals along with other Southern Metro cities....

[mohammedirshad06]

Kochi hosted the largest Thiruvathira Gathering in the city

To be notified in Limca Book of Records

300 Ladies, from girls to old age, performed the ritualist dance- Thiruvathirakali in Changampuzha Park in traditional manner, encircling in 4 rows around the traditional lamp.

Thiruvathirakali is a traditional dance, performed by Nair/Kshatriya/Nampoothiri ladies in honour of Lord Shiva, to longevity of marital status.

[mohammedirshad06]

[The Adventurer]

the biennale thing is turning out to be much bigger than i expected......
Fort kochi graffitti looks pretty hip.the biennale official facebook page has put up some intersting pictures on what's currently up and what to expect.
Could've been nice to see somebody post those pictures here(giving credit of course).
M.i.a is also expected to perform.

Looking at the scale of events and that its supposed to repeat every 2 years, i gotta feeling it deserves a thread for itself.i'm expecting an explosion of news on muziris and biennale sometime in december.

[mohammedirshad06]

Fort Kochi turns itself into Fort Graffiti



CC:- Vishnu Rajan with full rights to Routecochin.com. The above image is published by FB group

[mohammedirshad06]

Its an Artevolution in Kochi

Brightly coloured art graffiti catches your eye as you walk down the old Calvathy Street in Fort Kochi. This striking curiosity on the history-plastered high walls of Draavidia Art Gallery makes one wonder about the people behind the work. Images of life on this narrow street, busy with spice trade, and rich with the remains of an Arabian past form part of this gigantic work. Enquire around about the makers of this unusual art work and you are led to a group of young artists who call themselves, Backyard Civilisation.

By the distinctive work one knows that unconventionality is their byword. “We are open to all kinds of art and ideas. As far as we are concerned, art is public property and that’s why we are painting the street building. This graffiti works like an open gallery. People come to see this round-the-clock,” says young poet and group member, Latheesh Mohan who has published two poetry collections, Chevikal and Chembarathikal. One of his poems, Pala Upamakalil Manjukalam is part of the MG University MA Malayalam syllabus.

The heterogeneous group of 25 visual, language, sound and culinary artistes believes in a public face of the art process.

They are currently working, in their respective mediums, on three spaces (old warehouses) down the heritage rich Calvathy-Bazaar Road—Bamboo House, Draavidia Art Gallery and the old Kashi Gallery. All these spaces have been renamed Draavidia Gallery 1, 2, 3.

The wall art called, Calvathy Street Project, is led by 24-year-old Shanto Antony from Thrissur. He says, “We have been living here for the past three months and have been observing the lives of the people around us. We took their photos and have painted them.” So there is the Umma who happily interacts with the young group, Khalid the ghazal singer who runs a shop opposite the gallery, the goats that graze around, the birds that perch on the wall… all form a part of the art.

Atmaja Ammi, an artist-curator and participant, is against the idea of a conventional gallery or art space. “The traditional gallery set up is exclusive and keeps the process of art away from the people. Here, they can see the artist at work and realise that it is not an easy job. Actually, a gallery itself should be a piece of art,” she says.

And that’s exactly what the Draavidia Gallery 1 is now, a colourful piece of art.

Interactive art process

Atmaja adds that as expression of artists keeps changing, so does the process. She has held shows across India and says that Malayalis are very sensitive to art and will never miss an opportunity to see it; hence this public interface will generate more response.

Latheesh believes that art practices have changed after the economic boom and it should be more in the public domain.

“We have different kinds of artists working in the group, visual artists, photographers, filmmakers, painters, and the culinary artists. Actually, all of us are united by this art of cooking. We all cook,” says Latheesh, with a laugh.

The group connects warmly over food, their kitchen being headed by Shobin Francis. Shanto makes excellent beef biriyani, the group members disclose. “I look for the distinctive colour combinations in the biriyani,” says Shanto modestly. Laiju Y. from Adoor, who is currently doing his PhD in Film Studies from MG University, is the digital curator of the group. He is working on a photography collection to be exhibited soon.

His group on Flicker, ‘Life In India’, has 2,800 members and 6,000 images in different categories. Saneesh Sebastian from Kottayam is working on a script for a feature film. He is documenting the daily life of the people in Mattancherry and also the activities of the group. The group funds itself. “We work, earn and put aside part of our earnings towards our activities,” says Latheesh.

The poets in the group, led by Latheesh, plan to hold Performing Poetry sessions. “There are many budding poets in Kerala, writing in Malayalam. We call ourselves the New Age Romantics of Malayalam Poetry,” says Latheesh.

They recently held a poetry session, Occha, at Gallery 2 in Bazaar Road where poets Anvar Ali, Kuzhur Wilson, Krispin Joseph, Manoj Kuroor, M.R. Vishnu Prasad and S. Kannan read their works.

A Nigerian poet Efe Okogu too is part of the group. Sitar player Vinod Shankar, who has made Mattancherry his home for the past two years, played on the occasion.

So here is real out-of-the-box art, in a fresh coat of paint.

[mohammedirshad06]

Kochi into Art Wakda











CC:- Jose Peters and Vishnu Rajan

Courtesy to Route Cochin

[mohammedirshad06]

Kochi getting really ARTY

The Durbar Hall unveiled the Mural Elephant

The wooden Elephant painted with stories of Vishnupuranam, have the famous Kerala Mural painting- Gajendramoksham (Liberation of Elephant by Lord Vishnu) painted on its face. The elephant will be on permanent display at Kochi's celebrated Durbar Hall, the new Icon of this historical monument







Hariharan Swastik, Dileep Swastik who made the elephant and other Mural paintings.

CC:- Vishnu Rajan of Routecochin.co

[mohammedirshad06]

Infact, I feel, we were all art-illiterate.... I never couldn't appreciate this much of potential, Art has within itself to make a city to drap in colors and creative.

To be honest, Kochi Muziris Biennial is something, beyond any imagination, something the MOST BEST to happen for our city.

Within days or months, the term Muziris became so-synonymous and so popular even among outsiders, that they can start recollecting it to Kochi and art.... Yesterday I happened to see a travel agency in Abu Dhabi, putting an ad display of a conducted tour in Kochi. Its not uncommon, as we have seen many N number of ad posters of Kerala tourism in many travel agencies. But what really surprised me, that the way huge branding and focus given to the term MUZIRIS.

When enquired, they said, the promotion is to cater tourists in preparation of Biennial.... I didn't have a camera with me that time, to take the pic... But felt so proud and heart filled with joy, to see how this ancient port, whose death created our city- Kochi now makes itself back to glory.....

In this context, the focus of our administrators must be setting up an iconic structure, somewhere in Kodungallur- the site of ancient Muziris, which should be permanent venue for celebrating fine arts... Something like Opera House of Sydney, an icon that lies testimony once Kerala's biggest port and a civilization.