बिनाले ने कला और सांस्कृतिक पर्यटन की संभावनाओं का विस्तार किया है: केंद्रीय पर्यटन सचिव

कोच्चि, 31 दिसंबर: भारत में कला और सांस्कृतिक पर्यटन को कोच्चि मुजिरिस बिनाले (केएमबी) की सफलता से काफी बढ़ावा मिला है। बिनाले के तीन संस्करणों से कला एवं सांस्कृतिक पर्यटन के दायरे में विस्तार हुआ है, विषेश रूप से देश आने वाले विदेशी पर्यटकों की संख्या में भारी इजाफा हुआ है।

K L Mohana Varma:- Writer K L Mohana Varma viewing Orijit Sen's installation titled 'Go Play Ces' at Aspinwall House, Fort Kochi

पर्यटन मंत्रालय के सचिव श्री विनोद जुत्शी ने यह बात कही। शुक्रवार को केएमबी के मुख्य एस्पिनवाल हाउस स्थल के दौरे पर यहां आए श्री जुत्षी ने कहा, ‘‘पिछले संस्करण में करीब पांच लाख लोगों ने बिनाले का दौरा किया था। केएमबी जैसी प्रदर्शनियों की ओर काफी संख्या में लोग आकर्षित हुए, जो कि पर्यटन के लिए बेहतर है। यहां की अद्भुत कलाकृतियों को देखकर, मुझे यकीन है कि यह संस्करण और अधिक कला प्रेमियों को आकर्षित करेगा।’’

Vinod Zutshi viewing Yuko Mohri's installation titled 'Calls' at Aspinwall House, Fort Kochi

उन्होंने कहा, ‘‘बिनाले में देश भर से स्थानीय लोगों और आगंतुकों के अलावा, काफी संख्या में विदेशी पर्यटक भी आ रहे हैं, जिसका देश के पर्यटन क्षेत्र पर बड़ा प्रभाव पड़ता है। तिरुवनंतपुरम की सरकारी यात्रा के बाद बिनाले देखने आए जुत्षी ने कहा, ‘‘राज्य और केंद्र सरकारों को केएमबी जैसे आयोजनों को बढ़ावा देने के लिए अपने हाथ मिलाने चाहिए।’’

मलयाली लेखक श्री के.एल. मोहन वर्मा ने भी अपने दो पोते सहित अपने परिवार के साथ बिनाले का दौरा किया। श्री वर्मा दिग्गज कलाकार राजा रवि वर्मा की पांचवीं पीढ़ी के वंशज हैं।

80 वर्षीय साहित्यकार ऑडियो प्रस्तुतियों से काफी प्रभावित हुए। उन्होंने महसूस किया कि इससे कला की लोकप्रियता में एक और आयाम जुड़ गया है।

Vinod Zutshi viewing Orijit Sen's installation titled 'Go Play Ces' at Aspinwall House, Fort Kochi

उन्होंने कहा कि किसी भी व्यक्ति को बिनाले को आर्थिक मूल्य के रूप में नहीं देखना चाहिए। “वर्मा ने कहा, ‘‘भविष्य की पीढ़ियों के लिए इसने जो भारी खुशी लायी है उसका प्रभाव अमूल्य है।’’ केरल हिस्ट्री एसोसिएशन के भी अध्यक्ष श्री वर्मा ने कहा, ‘‘यह वैसी जगह है जहां युवा लोगों का मानना है कि उनके सपने साकार हो सकते हैं।“

अंतरराष्ट्रीय कला प्रदर्शनी के पिछले संस्करणों का दौरा करने वाले श्री मोहन वर्मा ने कहा कि स्कूलों को अपने छात्रों को केएमबी’16 का अनिवार्य रूप से दो दिन का दौरा कराना चाहिए।

Foreign art festival curators hail uniqueness of KMB 2016

Kochi, Dec 31: The Liverpool Biennial founder-director Lewis Biggs and Aichin Triennale curator Shihoko Iida commended the third edition of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale (KMB), noting that India’s only biennale bears an uniqueness, thanks to its geography, history, spaces and people, that makes it stand out from every other art event in the world. 

“KMB 2016 is not a replication of any other biennial or art festival happening around the world,” said Biggs, who is visiting Kochi to see the exhibition. “This is my first experience and I am happy that more people are joining in because this edition has included performing arts with the visual art works,” said the celebrated curator, who helmed the Liverpool Biennial for a decade till 2011.

He highlighted the importance of the KMB ‘16 theme, ‘Forming in the pupil of an eye’. “We curators always try innovative titles to attract the art crowd. India has a very strong culture and heritage that add advantage to the festival. Moreover, Fort Kochi is geographically beautiful, as well,” he added.

The second week of KMB has seen a steady stream of international art festival curators.

Tokyo-based curator Shihoko Iida talked about the historical relevance of KMB in rebuilding a consciousness among the local people of the multiple cultural influences on this ancient town and it evolution into a vibrant place.

“A lot of changes and mobility has happened since the 15th and 16th centuries. People tend to forget what has happened in the past, but KMB will function as a reminder to the past and build the future,” said Iida.

Impressed by the venues that blend the vibrancy and beauty of heritage and nature, Iida sensed, as a curator, the importance of venues selected at KMB ‘16. “All the venues are important heritage sites, with nuances of the colonial era, reminding viewers about the geography and history of Kochi,” she observed. 

“Also, the tropical and eco-friendly surroundings provide a very dynamic and organic atmosphere. I have become a great fan of KMB and am already looking forward to the next edition,” she said.

A ringside view to Kerala as historical trade hub

Display of state’s tangible, intangible heritage at KMB collateral exhibition

 Kochi, Dec 30: Amidst the stellar artworks at Kochi-Muziris Biennale 2016, there is a rare showcase of the story behind Muziris as an ancient seaport in Kerala, with established trade roots with 33 countries around the world dating over 2000 BC.

 ‘Muziris- A Citadel of Spices’, a collateral exhibition at the ongoing Biennale, attempts to provide a ringside view to the heritage, trade, culture and history of the ancient port and Kerala in general.

KMB '16 collateral exhibition, 'Muziris- A Citadel of Spices',
at Mattancherry's TKM Warehouse gives a glimpse into the trading
 history of the ancient port.

 The display, divided into 10 subdivided segments beginning from 9th century AD and ending in early 18th century AD, is being organised in collaboration with Kerala Tourism’s Muziris Project Ltd and is set to run till March 29, 2017, when the Biennale ends.

 “We see this exhibition as a promotional activity for tourists and locals to gain understanding about the Muziris region and to tell them about the history of Kerala. Over 2,500 years ago Muziris was seen as an urban centre, as an ancient emporium of trade with 33 countries in the world,” says Dr Midhun C Sekhar, of the Muziris Heritage Project, who has curated the showcase with Shine K S.

 Situated inside an old warehouse surrounded by the backwaters of the Arabian Sea in Mattancherry area of west Kochi, the exhibition displays a selection of various artefacts dug up during a series of excavations at Pattanam village in North Paravoor.

KMB '16 collateral exhibition, 'Muziris- A Citadel of Spices', at Mattancherry's TKM Warehouse gives a glimpse into the trading history of the ancient port.

 “Nearly three lakh objects were found in the excavations and these include semi-precious stones, beads, Chera-era copper alloy and lead coins, tobacco pipes, glass and terracotta objects and storage jars, which are displayed here,” says Dr Sekhar.

 Historical studies and excavations reveal that Muziris was situated in the present day region of Kodungalloor and Paravoor. The port town was a hub for spice trade with Phoenicians, Persians, Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, Arabs and Chinese. As many as 31 countries in Europe, Asia and the Far East, including Afghanistan, Burma, China, Denmark, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Malaysia, Mozambique, Netherlands, Oman, Portugal and Spain, had spice trade with ancient Kerala. 

 Sangam literature describes Roman ships coming to Muziris laden with gold to be exchanged for pepper, referred to as black gold. According to the first century annals of Pliny the Elder and the author of Periplus of the Erythrean Sea, Muziris could be reached in 14 days’ time from the Red Sea ports on the Egyptian coast, depending on the monsoon winds. In the year 1341, Muziris dropped off the map due to flood and earthquake. 

KMB '16 collateral exhibition, 'Muziris- A Citadel of Spices', at Mattancherry's TKM Warehouse gives a glimpse into the trading history of the ancient port.

There are numerous palaces, temples, churches and synagogues located in the Muziris region and among the them are the Cherraman Juma Masjid, the first structural mosque in the country; the Kottakavu Church, said to be the first church in India; the Paravur Jewish synagogue - the second largest synagogue in India; and a 2000-year-old Shiva temple that features stunning murals.

 Details and descriptions of all the important landmarks and monuments are shown in the Biennale exhibition.

 The collateral show also displays objects unearthed in the excavations at Kottappuram Fort at  Methala village in Thrissur district. The fort built by the Portuguese in 1523 was captured and destroyed by the Dutch in 1663 to be used as an outhouse to guard their trade ships.

 “We have unearthed a large number of porcelain items from the area. Chinese embassy officials had visited us and were amazed to find the very same porcelain found in China. This indicates that Kottappuram had strong trade relations with China in the 9^th-10th centuries.”

 Twenty-three types of Chinese coins, beads and kaolin smoke pipes, brought by the Dutch to Kottappuram, have also been found. “We have many varieties of these smoke pipes made between 1700 and 1780. Dutch were said to be the first to use tobacco pipes and the ones we found here even bear the mark of the manufacturer and the year they were made,” says Dr. Sekhar. 

 Among the exhibits is a replica of a burial urn that stands encircled within a golden thread.

“In the megalithic age, it was part of the south Indian culture to bury certain possessions of the dead, a practice that stemmed from their belief that there is life after death. We have used a golden thread to represent what the ancient people believed was a golden period of life after death. This is just an artistic representation,” says the project officer.

 In the exhibition there are also details of 28 museums of the Muziris Heritage Project. These include the Paliyam palace, a three-storied building built by the Dutch in the 1700s, representing a blend of Kerala-European architecture, and the Paliyam Nalukettu, a typical Malayali traditional house built entirely from wood with a basement storage area.

 “We have a hop on hop off boat service for visitors to go to all the museums we have set up. The entire journey spans six hours. We have in and around the area fishing activities, lot of interior backwaters and different types of agriculture such as plantation of coconut, areca and nutmeg, which provides visitors a glimpse of the wonderful culture of Kerala. Our aim is to promote a relaxed tourism experience combining heritage and backwater cruises,” Dr Shekhar points out. 

KMB 2016: Kids given a space at Aspinwall to produce art

Storytelling session for children on December 30

Kochi, December 29: With his tongue sticking out, five-year-old Josh Robin curls his tiny fingers around the crayon concentrating on making a straight line on paper. He then peeps at his six-year-old brother Theo’s drawing and evaluates his sketch.

Children participating at ABC workshop in Aspinwall House,Fortkochi.

Hundreds of enthusiastic kids like Josh and Theo are creating their own little world at Aspinwall House, the main venue of the third edition of the Kochi Muziris Biennale (KMB).

The initiative is part of Art By Children (ABC), an innovative art education and creative learning outreach initiative by the Kochi Biennale Foundation aimed at introducing art to school children in a fun way.  The ABC team is also organising a storytelling programme for children at 3:30 pm on Friday, December 30, at Aspinwall.

Children participating at ABC workshop in Aspinwall House,Fortkochi.

“It is lot of fun for children to explore art in their own way. They are free to sketch anything. The effort is give them a feel for this international event,” said Manu Jose, who heads the ABC programme.

The kids are seated in the shade of some trees at the main Aspinwall venue, and are provided paper and colours to express their creativity. The programme has seen a continual flow of children who through the day to hang out there and make sketches.

“We thought of setting up an ‘art canopy’ here to attract kids and engage them in art work. I was surprised to see that the space was jam-packed with kids within a couple of minutes,” added Manu, who said that they will be provided with different medium, such as clay, in the coming days.

Children participating at ABC workshop in Cabral Yard,Fortkochi.

ABC also hosted a free three-day workshop, with art and story-telling programmes, for 12-13 year old students at Cabral Yard, which is one of the 12 KMB venues.

Orijit Sen transports Biennale visitors to a lost, forgotten past

Renowned graphic artist recreates three historic places from across the country at KMB 2016

Kochi, Dec 28: A discerning sense of place – the little things that make a space special, and unique – is key to Orijit Sen’s practice. India’s best known graphic artist brings this nose for detail to the third edition of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale (KMB) with the ‘Go Playces’ exhibit.

Visitors playing with jigsaw puzzle as a part of Orijit Sen's art work titled 'Go Play Ces' at Aspinwall House, main venue of KMB 2016

Histories and myths are as much markers of identity and belonging as geographies and maps, but “we tend not to see them as such”, according to Sen, who has mapped in minute detail three places where life and lore are deeply intertwined: Mapusa market in Goa, the Grand Trunk (GT) Road in Punjab and Hyderabad’s Old City. 

Playing off familiar archetypes of the Bazaar, the Highway, and the Old City, the interactive exhibit serves as a repository of memory and experience. It takes visitors on adventures of their own making while asking them to ponder what it means to claim or be claimed by a place.

“Do we have to be ‘from’ somewhere to belong to it? For instance, can one claim to be from ‘the Punjab’ without saying which side of the border one’s home is or is the claim of place rooted in what Punjab used to be prior to Partition? Similarly, the ‘Hyderabadi’ identity has been acquired by different communities, subsuming identities that are no longer valid,” Sen said.

Referencing his work on GT Road – the ancient trade passageway from Inner Asia to India and further East, Sen noted the effect of arbitrary lines and forced displacement on identity.

“After the forming of rigid geographical boundaries, the GT Road, which facilitated centuries of cultural infusions and movement, is now a shell of its past. There was a Muslim community who would sport unique variants of the turban in various shades and patterns unlike the plain-coloured ones we see now in Punjab. After Partition, we lost these artisans. These are the unnoticed tragedies and histories lost due to state interference,” he said.

Located along a stretch of the Highway, Malerkotla – the only Muslim-majority town today in Punjab, India – attests to what was lost, Sen explained. During Partition, the town’s Hindus and Sikhs guarded the Muslim community during Partition.

“A little-known piece of history, but it is precisely these small, overlooked details that I wanted to bring into my art, which seeks to reflect the energies and events around us,” Sen said.

That is why, in his mapping of Mapusa market, a graphical representation of the evolution of the historical Bazaar – “The heart of Goa” – against an encroaching supermarket and mall culture, Sen illustrates real people – hawkers, curio shop owners and small time vendors, among others – interacting with fictional characters in simple, yet insightful, dialogues.

“The market is a microcosm of Goa and the mapping project is a sort of documentation since the Municipal Corporation is planning to replace Mapusa market with multi-storied buildings. If that plan is implemented, a self-sustaining network in Mapusa will be eliminated forever. We have already lost a lot due to forced displacements in the name of development,” he said.

Sen’s love for Hyderabad owes to its “rich, bountiful heart” that houses many cultures and pluralities. “The spirit of acceptance built into the city is evident in its streets. The sheer mix of culture, colour and faith during the annual festivals: Bonalu, Sankranti, Muharram, Ganesh Chathurthi, Eid-ul-fitr, is mind blowing,” he said.

His ‘Old City’ jigsaw puzzle exhibit places the iconic Charminar monument facing the sea, sitting at the crossroads of four illustrated streets that reflect the diverse spirit of Hyderabad even as the city itself prefers its IT hub label. “But like every city, it has multiple cultural layers. We just have to be willing to explore them,” Sen said.

KMB 2016: Israeli Eliyahu Bezallel recalls ‘The Saga of Muziris’

Writer Sethu’s famed Malayalam novel released in English

Kochi, Dec 27 : Memories of his hometown in Chendamangalam from where the first batch of Jews, including himself, migrated to Israel post-independence came to the fore for Eliyahu Bezallel during the book release of ‘The Saga of Muziris’, an English version of noted litterateur Sethu’s novel ‘Marupiravi’ at the ongoing Kochi Muziris Biennale-2016.

The presence of Bezallel, who is characterised in the fiction about Muziris, was a sheer coincidence adding to the enthusiasm of those gathered at Fort Kochifor the launch.

“As Kerala is my motherland, I fly down to Kochi from Israel every year and visit Chendamangalam. I always tell people about the hamlet, a unique place where Christians, Hindus, Jews, and Muslims have lived together in perfect harmony. The basic reason behind it is their philosophy of ‘give and take respect’,” said Bezallel, a noted horticulturist, who migrated to Israel in 1955.

Sudarshan Shetty releasing the book 'The Saga of Muziris' at an event in the Cabral Yard pavilion. Eminent publisher Rubin D'Cruz, KBF President Bose Krishnamachari, writer Sethu, Eliyahu Bezallel, KCHR former Director PJ Cherian, Nirmal Kanti Bhattacharjee of Niyogi Books, translator Prema Jayakumar, KBF Secretary Riyas Komu are also seen

KMB 2016 curator Sudarshan Shetty released the book and handed over the first copy to Bezallel in a function at the pavilion in Cabral Yard.

The ‘Saga of Muziris’ is a fascinating tale of the glory and decline of a major port, a hub of maritime trade in Kerala, which had mysteriously disappeared from the face of the earth during the 14th century. Historians, archaeologists and academics, from the world over, had been looking for the lost Muziris ever since.

Some interesting leads, at the archeological excavations at Pattanam, prompt Aravindan, the narrator, to pay a visit to his homeland. What follows is a magical journey, enticing Aravindan to sail into the dark annals of history. In an effort to document his findings, Aravindan unravels the evolution of the area over several thousands of years—through political turmoils, social struggles, emigrations and more—unfolding an alluring history through powerfully and indelibly etched characters.

“Writing this book was an adventure for me. Moreover, Bezallel’s presence has given the book release a dream-like feel. I have written this book essentially for the next generation to shed a light on Muziris and its culture,” said writer Sethu.

Nirmal Kanti Bhattacharjee of Niyogi Books introduced the book. The book, ‘Marupiravi’ published in 2011, has been translated into English by Prema Jayakumar. 

KMB 2016 receives around 20,000 visitors during free entry on Monday

Kochi, Dec 26: The first in a series of free entry Mondays at the ongoing third edition of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale (KMB) today saw a record one-day turnout of around 20,000 people.

Crowd at the Biennale venue Aspinwall House,Fortkochi

Winding queues of visitors, including several families with young children, at Aspinwall House stretched out into the street between 11 am and 5 pm. In order to accommodate everyone waiting to get in, the Biennale kept its doors open until after the scheduled closing time.

“The record crowd at the Biennale is a reflection of its reputation as the ‘People’s Biennale’. Besides providing a boost to art and culture, it has revitalised the state’s economy and tourism sector, which had been on a downward spiral due to demonetisation,” said Minister for Tourism Shri Kadakampally Surendran.

The scene inside the Biennale’s primary venue mirrored that at its gates with long lines at the artworks. Slovenian artist Aleš Šteger’s installation ‘Pyramid of Exiled Poets’ proved especially popular with people standing in line for almost an hour to enter the structure.

“I thought P.K. Sadanandan’s mural based on an interesting piece of mythology was wonderful. I had seen something similar when I was visiting temples in Kerala, but the scale of the work and the pains he is taking to stay true to his vision as an artist is extraordinary,” said David Cartu, an Israeli tourist.

Other big draws on the day were Lundahl & Seitl’s performance-based work, ‘Symphony of a Missing Room: The Mnemosyne Revolution’, Camille Norment’s sound installation ‘Prime’ and Wu-Tien Chang’s illusive video exhibit ‘Farewell, Spring and Autumn Pavilions’.

For families, there was fun to be had putting together graphic artist Orijit Sen’s jigsaw exhibit ‘Going PlayCes’, taking in the Art by Children exhibition, buying collectibles from the Biennale shop. The cafe at Aspinwall House was kept busy as well.

Crowd at the Biennale venue Aspinwall House,Fortkochi

 “I think it is a wonderful initiative by the Biennale to have free entry on Mondays. I would not have been able to afford to bring my whole family otherwise. It is a good idea that makes the internationally renowned art event open to more people,” said Riyadh Ali, from Kochi.

On an earlier visit to the Biennale, Ernakulam District Collector Shri K. Mohammed Y. Safirulla highlighted that the works had inspired him to think about ordinary things in different ways.

“Artists across the world are sharing their thoughts about the ordinary happenings in our daily life. Some of these works helps us to reorient ourselves and see normal things with a different perspective,” the Collector said, adding that he had been awe-struck by ‘Sea of Pain’, an installation from Chilean poet-revolutionary Raúl Zurita.

‘Each person tortured, killed represents failure of all mankind’: Raúl Zurita

Chilean poet’s ‘Sea of Pain’ KMB 2016 installation is indictment of humanity and a call for action 

Kochi, Dec 26: As Raúl Zurita wades barefoot through the knee-deep stretch of seawater that covers his installation space at Aspinwall House, it is only his steps that are uncertain. Not his intent. That much is plain from his ‘Sea of Pain’.

“I am not his father, but Galip Kurdi is my son,” reads Zurita’s poignant eulogy to the five-year-old brother of Alan Kurdi, the toddler whose prone body found set against the Mediterranean Sea in September 2015 remains the definitive image of the Syrian refugee crisis.

Visitors at Raul Zurita's installation 'Sea of Pain' in Aspiwall House,Fortkochi.

For Zurita, Galip is the victim the world overlooked – “There are no photographs of Galip Kurdi, he can’t hear, he can’t see, he can’t feel” – and representative of the other faceless forgotten in other crises and conflicts around the world. His tribute – a haunting poem composed of a series of disjointed queries that line the walls of the enclosure – is as much for them as for Galip.   

  

“Every person made to disappear, tortured, or killed represents the failure of all mankind. We don’t have great democratic values. You can’t be a democracy if you don’t care for the young, the vulnerable, minorities, the marginalised,” said the 66-year-old Chilean firebrand poet, who nevertheless doesn’t “believe that it is the responsibility of poets or artists to change this”.

“The realm of art is the realm of freedom and you can’t dictate what that realm should or should not be. For me, art is part of the world, but you can’t impose it on other people,” he said.

Raul Zurita at his installation 'Sea of Pain' in Aspiwall House,Fortkochi.

That would be akin to “fascism”: something Zurita – the first artist selected to participate in the ongoing third edition of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale – is all too familiar with. When Chile’s democratically elected government was ousted in a military coup in September 1973, Zurita was arrested, tortured and imprisoned along with nearly 1,000 people in the hold of a ship.

Compounding the traumatic experience for the then 22-year-old was the loss of his works in progress – which he would later recollect and publish as Purgatorio, the first in a seminal trilogy of poetry collections – after the military officer who confiscated the writings as suspected coded messages had them declared subversive and thrown into the Chilean Sea.

Reconciling the two September events – separated by over four decades – is the ‘Sea’ as Zurita sees it: a gulf between peoples, a site of suffering, death and disappearance. Through verse and water, he asks visitors to become both audience and witness to this body of pain.

Raul Zurita at his installation 'Sea of Pain' in Aspiwall House,Fortkochi.

“Don’t you listen? Don’t you look? Don’t you hear me? Don’t you see me? Don’t you feel me? In the Sea of Pain,” Zurita asks rhetorically, making repeated calls to action. He had acted by forming the artists action group Colectivo de Acción de Arte (CADA) to protest against Augusto Pinochet’s junta. Driven to despair by its brutality, he acted again by burning his eyes with acid.

‘Sea of Pain’ is in keeping with Zurita’s history of art interventions. In 1982, the completion of the second part of his trilogy, Anteparaiso, saw 15 verses of the poem written in the New York sky. In 1993, his poem Ni pena ni misdo was printed in the sands of the Atacama Desert in Chile.

“There is nothing special about artists, but the entire gamut of humanity is captured in the act of making art. The only thing that matters is the agency behind it. Art expresses the artist’s self. For me, this is poetry. It is beautiful and painful, but the act itself is exultation,” Zurita said.

कोच्चि मुजिरिस बिनाले में आर्किटेक्चर के छात्रों ने अध्ययन और कला के बीच के संबंध के बारे में जाना

के एम ई ए काॅलेज आॅफ आर्किटेक्चर के छात्रों ने इस सप्ताह के आरंभ में बिनाले की फिल्ड टिंप में

हिस्सा लिया

कोच्चि, 26 दिसंबर: केएमईए काॅलेज आॅफ आर्किटेक्चर के बैचलर आॅफ आर्किटेक्चर के छात्रों ने काॅलेज की कक्षा से एक दिन बाहर रहकर एक नए षिक्षण अनुभव का साक्षात्कार किया। इन छात्रों ने इस सप्ताह के आरंभ में तीसरे कोच्चि मुजिरिस बिनाले (केएमबी) को देखा।

छात्रों ने इस फिल्ड ट्रिप के दौरान आर्किटेक्चर एवं कला के बीच के पारस्परिक संबंधों की संभावनाओं की तलाश की तथा इन दोनों के बीच के सबंध को समझा।

Architecture students make a visit to the Biennale to explore the links between art and their studies at Aspinwall,Fort Kochi

बैचलर आॅफ आर्किटेक्चर के छात्र जैन जाॅय ने कहा, ‘‘कहा जाता है कि वास्तुकला सभी कलाओं की जननी है। लेकिन बिनाले को देखकर मैं यह मानने लगा हूं कि कला अन्य सबसे उपर है। यहां की कलाकृतियां न केवल आकर्शक है, बल्कि जिन जगहों को कलाकृतियों में तब्दील किया गया वे भी मुख्य आकर्षण हैं।’’

छात्रों का यह समूह पवेलियन से खास तौर पर प्रभावित हुआ। इसे मलवे एवं बेकार वस्तुओं से सजाया गया था। इन वस्तुओं में लहरदार चादरें एवं स्थानीय समुदाय की पुरानी साड़ियां भी शामिल हैं। इसे फोर्ट कोच्चि में काब्राल यार्ड में आर्किटेक्ट एवं केएमबी, 2016 में भाग ले रहे कलाकार टोनी जोसेफ ने तैयार किया।

केएमईए काॅलेज की शिक्षक एवं प्रैक्टिशिंग आर्किटेक्चर मोनोलिता चटर्जी ने कहा, ‘‘फोर्ट कोच्चि के संदर्भ में, इसने निर्मित वातावरण एवं कलात्मक अभिव्यक्तियों के बीच सतत संवाद कायम किया है। फोर्ट कोच्चि विरासत से संबंधित घटक बहुत ही प्रबल कारक है क्योंकि कलाकृतियों को समायोजित करने के लिए इस निर्मित वातावरण का पूरी तरह कायाकल्प कर दिया गया है तथा कलाकारों ने अपनी कलाकृतियों को जगह का पूरक बना दिया है।’’

Architecture students make a visit to the Biennale to explore the links between art and their studies at Aspinwall,Fort Kochi

हरिता रांचित के लिए बिनाले सभी कला रूपों का एक सम्मिश्रण है। वह कहती है, ‘‘यहां न केवल दृश्य कलाओं को प्रदर्शित किया गया है बल्कि प्रयोगधर्मी कृतियां भी सभी पांचों इंद्रियों पर प्रभाव डालती हैं।’’ राशिद बिन अहमद के लिए बिनाले बिल्कुल अलग तरह का अनुभव साबित हुआ।

राषिद ने कहा, ‘‘कुछ कृतियां मौजूद व्यवस्था के खिलाफ विद्रोह प्रकट करती है जबकि कुछ अन्य कृतियां आत्मविश्लेशी शांति को प्रतिबिंबित करती हैं। ये पहलू बिनाले के स्थलों के माहौल को अनूठा बनाते हैं।’’

चटर्जी ने कहा, ‘‘इस यात्रा का उद्देश्य उस कला के बारे में छात्रों की समझ में सुधार करना है जिसने अब बहु स्तरीय, बहु-अनुशासनात्मक और बहु संवेदी आकार और स्वरूप ग्रहण कर लिया है।’’

Biennale is focal point of new Kerala Tourism campaign: Tourism Director

Kochi, Dec 24: In addition to its successful branding as ‘God’s Own Country’, Kerala will now also be promoted as the ‘Land of the Biennale’, Kerala Tourism Director Mr U.V. Jose said.

The new moniker reflects the priority afforded to the Kochi-Muziris Biennale (KMB) by the Government of Kerala, which allocated Rs 7.5 crore towards operational expenses for the KMB’s ongoing third edition – besides committing to finding India’s only Biennale a permanent venue.

Kerala Tourism Director Mr U.V. Jose at graphic artist Orijit Sen's exhibit 'Going Play-Ces' in Aspinwall House, Fort Kochi

“Kerala Tourism has allotted around Rs 6 crore to promote both the Biennale and the state through ad films, national and international road shows and campaigns as well as other initiatives,” Mr Jose said, following a visit to Aspinwall House, Fort Kochi, on Friday.

Noting that the theme of the new campaign would be related to art, he said the Tourism Department had sanctioned Rs 60 lakh for a film to promote Kerala as the land of the Biennale.

“For the next three months, over the duration of the Biennale, Kerala Tourism will showcase it at national trade fairs, international road shows and tourism and trade conventions. We will also roll out the ‘Live Inspired’ campaign, which is themed around the inspiration and pride of having the chance to view and experience such top class artworks here,” Mr Jose said. 

The Director said that while the state was known for such distinctive offerings as its Ayurveda therapies and houseboats, the Biennale would be added to that list of iconic Kerala products. He noted that there were already links between the Biennale and the Muziris Heritage Project with Kottapuram fort in Kodungallur being one of the 12 venues for KMB 2016.

Kerala Tourism Director Mr U.V. Jose at lithographer Subrat Behera's exhibit 'Mythological Paradigm Prophesied' in Aspinwall House, Fort Kochi

Echoing Principal Secretary (Tourism) Dr Venu’s earlier comments about the Biennale being a “stellar example” of a public-private-partnership, Mr Jose said, “Art and heritage brought together: this is a mutually beneficial relationship. The Biennale is assured of our full support.”

 “We will tell the Biennale’s story beyond its duration. Even if people don’t get the opportunity to attend the event, they will know exactly what it is. In the period between KMB editions, we will help take its story to the world,” he added

Also visiting on Friday was former Kerala State Planning Board member G. Vijayaraghavan, who observed that the Biennale’s quality had improved exponentially with each edition and that the large crowds attested to its popularity even with the demonetisation issue.