गुरू की वापसी (रिटर्न ऑफ द गुरू) रजा फाउंडेशन द्वारा शास्‍त्रीय संगीत और नृत्‍य में गुरू उत्‍सव का आयोजन

शिक्षक की भूमिका को उजागर करने के लिए 2 दिन का समारोह 17 जनवरी से दिल्‍ली में

नयी दिल्‍ली, 13 जनवरी : देश के चार जाने.माने कलाकार दिल्‍ली में आयोजित नृत्‍य और संगीत के दो दिवसीय समारोह में अपनी कला का रंग बिखेरेंगे। 17 जनवरी से शुरू हो रहे इस समारोह का आयोजन रजा फाउंडेशन ने किया है।

 ' महिमा ' नाम से आयोजित होने वाला यह समारोह आधुनिक भारतीय चित्रकार सैयद हैदर रजा की स्‍मृति में आयोजित किया जा रहा है जिसमें भारत के मनमोहक अदाकारों की परम्‍पराओं में गुरू की मौजूदगी, उसका अर्थ और उसकी प्रासंगिकता को उजागर करने का प्रयास किया गया है।

रजा फाउंडेशन के प्रमुख अशोक वाजपेयी ने बताया, "चारों कलाकार शिक्षक की भूमिका में, वैयक्तिक परिकल्‍पना के संस्‍थापक और शास्‍त्रीय संगीत और शास्‍त्रीय नृत्‍य में प्रवर्तक  के रूप में गुरू की उपस्थिति खोजेंगे"।

'महिमा.गुरू की वापसीष' (रिटर्न ऑफ द गुरू) समारोह की शुरूआत ग्रैमी पुरस्‍कार के लिए नामजद इमदाद खान घराना के सितार वादक उस्‍ताद शुजात खान त्रिवेणी कला संगम में करेंगे। उस्‍ताद शुजात खान सितार के तार कुछ इस तरह छेड़ेंगे जिससे उनके पिता और गुरू मशहूर सितार वादक उस्‍ताद विलायत खान की स्‍मृतियां उभर जाएंगी।

प्रसिद्ध सितारवादक ने कहा, "उन्‍हें इस समारोह में सितार बजाने का इंतजार है जिसमें हमारे जीवन में हमारे गुरू की भूमिका को उजागर करने और उसे गौरवान्वित करने का अवसर मिलेगा। हम जो कुछ भी अपने गुरूओं से सीखते हैं जितनी बार हम अपने वाद्य यंत्र उठाते हैं वह हमारी कला में शामिल होता जाता है।"

उसी दिन कपिला वेणू कूडीयट्टम नृत्‍य प्रस्‍तुत करेंगी। कपिला ने केरल का यह परम्‍परागत नृत्‍य अपने पिता के गुरू मशहूर नर्तक अमानुर्र माधव चकयार से युवावस्‍था में सीखा। सा‍थ ही उन्‍होंने अपने शुरूआती वर्ष उषा नांगियार के साथ बिताए जो चकयार की शागिर्द थीं। उनके पिता कूडीयट्टम नर्तक जी वेणू ने बाद में उन्‍हें अमानुर्र माधव चकयार ने अपने संरक्षण में ले लिया।

कपिला ने कहा, "मैं इसे ईश्‍वर का वरदान मानती हूं कि शुरूआती वर्षों में मुझे अपने गुरूजी से सीखने को मिला और बाद में मेरे पिता मेरे उस्‍ताद बने। मुझे इस समारोह का बेसब्री से इंतजार है, जिसमें गुरू की भूमिका को उजागर किया जाएगा।" 

समारोह का दूसरा दिन जयपुर.अतरौली घराना की अश्विनी भीड़े के खयाल वादन से होगा। संगीत के क्षेत्र में कबीर के भजनों की गायकी के लिए मशहूर मुम्‍बई की इस गायिका ने नारायणराव दातार और अपनी मां माणिक भीड़े से प्रशिक्षण लिया। पंडित रत्‍नाकर पाई 2009 में अपनी मृत्‍यु तक उनके गुरू रहे। 

समारोह का समापन मशहूर ओडिसी नृत्‍यांगना माधवी मुदगल के नृत्‍य से होगा जो अपने गुरू केलूचरण महापात्र को केन्‍द्र में रखकर नृत्‍य प्रस्‍तुत करेंगी।

माधवी ने कहा, " मैं उनकी नृत्‍यकला को प्रस्‍तुत करूंगी जो मैंने कई वर्ष पूर्व उनसे सीखी थी। यह विशेष कार्य है और विभिन्‍न टुकड़ों का समावेश है। हम केवल उस घेरे का विस्‍तार कर रहे हैं जो कुछ भी हमने उनसे सीखा है।"

रजा फाउंडेशन के कार्यकारी ट्रस्‍टी अशोक वाजपेयी ने बताया कि यह कार्यक्रम पिछले वर्ष मित्रों की निजी पहल पर पहली बार आयोजित किया गया था। इसके बाद यह दिल्‍ली में इसने इस तरह के वार्षिक मंच का रूप लिया है। 

 वाजपेयी ने कहा "इस  कार्यक्रम के केन्‍द्र में गुरू रहेंगे जिनकी भूमिका आज कमजोर हो गई है हांलाकि गुरू के सम्‍मान का ढोंग बहुत हो रहा है। रजा फाउंडेशन ने इस प्रयास को वार्षिक कार्यक्रम बनाने का फैसला किया है। हमने युवा शागिर्दों को केन्‍द्र में रखकर  'उत्‍तराधिकार ' कार्यक्रम आयोजित किया जिसकी पिछले वर्ष जाने.माने गुरूओं ने सिफारिश की थी। दोनों ही कार्यक्रम अब हर वर्ष आयोजित होंगे।

‘KMB cannot be duplicated in any other part of the country’: Madhya Pradesh Tourism Secretary

Kochi, Jan 11: For Mr. Hari Ranjan Rao, Tourism Secretary, Madhya Pradesh, the strength and popularity of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale (KMB) owes much to its setting in the unique cultural environment and geographical contours of the host city.

Mr. Rao led a team of high-profile officials from MP Tourism that visited Aspinwall House, the main venue of the Biennale, Tuesday evening. He said the 108-day event had emerged as a major attraction for both art aficionados and laypersons alike.

“Kochi has its own charm and unique cultural ethos. We cannot duplicate the Biennale in any other part of India. Moreover, getting artists from across the globe to contribute and showcasing their works in one place is a great achievement,” said Mr. Rao, who said the Biennale is today one of the state’s major tourist and cultural attractions.

Describing KMB as a magical space that freed visitors from their worries and gave them the freedom to think creatively, he said, “Art appreciation is only possible if you are away from all routine stuffs. This space has the power to free visitors from all other thoughts.”

Ms. Tanvi Sundriyal, Additional Managing Director, MP Tourism, said she was especially impressed by the lively atmosphere and opportunity to indulge in debate.

“This place reminds me of my college where we used to discuss poems and arts and debate over and over. The Biennale is a space which energises anybody and everybody,” she said.

Mr V.T. Balram, MLA, also visited the KMB main venue on Tuesday.  “India’s only Biennale is a cultural pathway to popularise Kochi to the foreign countries,” he said.

“Art appreciation is a unique quality and the Biennale attracts visitors because it offers them an opportunity to indulge their interest in art. The Biennale is a big boost to the cultural sector of India in general and Kerala, specifically,” Mr. Balram noted.

सामूहिक कला का प्रदर्शनी का उद्घाटन

पटना, १० जनवरी ; आज कला संस्कृति एवं युवा विभाग, बिहार एवं बिहार ललित कला अकादमी, पटना के संयुक्त सौजन्य से कला मंगल के अंतर्गत छपाकला एवं छायाकला  की सामूहिक कला प्रदर्शनी का उद्घाटन बहुद्देशीय सांस्कृतिक परिसर , पटना में हुआ। 15 जनवरी तक चलने वाली इस प्रदर्शनी का उद्घाटन अकादमी के अध्यक्ष आनंदी प्रसाद बादल ने किया। प्रदर्शनी में सुनील कुमार, रवि राज, गोविन्द जी, विक्की कुमार वर्मा, छाया, रंजीत कुमार, शम्भू प्रकाश, आदित्य सुमन, कौटिल्य निशान्त, शैली कुमारी एवम किरण कुमारी की कृतियाँ प्रदर्शित की गई है।

प्रदर्शनी के उद्घाटन अवसर पर कैटलॉग का विमोचन भी किया गया 

 

Padmini Chettur composes new language of the body in ‘Varnam’

Three-hour dance composition resists rigidity to tradition, form and intent in classical dance

Kochi, Jan 10: The title of Padmini Chettur’s choreographic performance ‘Varnam’ references the taxing central piece in the Bharatnatyam repertoire. The varnam, considered a measure of the dancer’s ability in – and fidelity to – the form, literally means ‘letter’. Chettur reinterprets this to compose a language of the body.

Padmini Chettur's performance 'Varnam' at KMB2016 in 

 David Hall,Fort Kochi

“I have tried to transpose a physical vocabulary into the traditional Bharatanatyam lexicon. The body is an anatomical instrument in Varnam with the individual jathis (voice-movements), reconstructed. While there are many elements to the performance, it is really a work of bodies in spaces and of things that happen to bodies, between bodies and the space,” Chettur said.

If the conventional intent of the varnam is to convey the beauty, grandeur and soulfulness of worship in love, Chettur’s composition – which premiered during the ‘Opening Week’ of the ongoing third edition of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale (KMB) – loses none of the profundity in its explorations of eroticism, longing, loss and romantic love.

In a critique of the rigidity of classical Indian dance conventions, the new iteration explores the suffering and strength of the heroine who is abandoned by her lover. Using slow, deliberate movements, the performers mimic the sense of distance and longing while departing from the narrative of chaste victimhood.

Padmini Chettur's performance 'Varnam' at KMB2016 in  David Hall,Fort Kochi

The three-hour performance installation saw the Chennai-based Malayalee artist and her group of five dancers seated on chairs in David Hall with no restriction on audience movement. The week-long series followed a unique style, using specially created gestures and steps, popular songs as well as narration from texts by a number of contemporary writers that were in sync with the performance’s theme and tone.

Varnam has since been reconfigured into several 22-minute performances and displayed as a three-channel (16:9) video projection at David Hall for the duration of the Biennale. Despite the limits imposed by the format, Chettur said the video was sensitive to the multi-dimensional nature of the performance – a mixture of sound, energy and image.

“I present a radically altered take on the Mohamana Varnam, one of the form’s most iconic pieces, and added text. There are also sounds, visuals and the movement of the dancers in their own spaces,” said Chettur, who pointed out that the invocation of the dance form’s pièce-de-résistance and the upturning of its meaning is intended as an act of resistance.

No less structured or rigorous than the classical form, Chettur’s interpretation rejects the mythos and seductive aspects of Indian classical dance traditions in favour of a taut radical vision for what contemporary dance of India should be and look like.

“I don't work with narratives anymore. In the last few years, I have been specifically interested in working in spaces such the Biennale: really taking the practice outside tradition and form to work with the walls and emptiness and deal with the idea of projecting energies,” said Chettur whose previous piece ‘Wall Dancing’ was created to be viewed in museums and galleries.

“It was a real challenge for me to bring the piece to the Biennale, to remove the formality from a very formal work, but it was eventually my choice and strategy to do it. In a way, this is exactly the platform to challenge the notions of putting live bodies into a space that is traditionally reserved for objects and images,” she said.

Jonathan Owen presents acts of ‘elegant vandalism’ at KMB 2016

Artist practices production by removal through carved-into marble sculptures, erasures in photos

Kochi, Jan 09: A woman with no name sits perched on a pedestal in Pepper House to be gawked at. In another time, she was a marble beauty. Where once there was a face, she now wears a ball and chain. She remains, however, a work of art.

For Jonathan Owen, his sculpture – part of an ongoing series of works called ‘Untitled’ – is a look at how women are made prisoners of the beauty myth. But beyond this allusion, his removal of the facial features is intended to be a “rejuvenation” and “reactivation” of the work.

Jonathan Owen's with his installation 'Untitled' at KMB 2016
 in Pepper House,Fort Kochi.

The Scottish artist is showcasing his brand of “elegant vandalism” at Kochi-Muziris Biennale (KMB) 2016. Vandalism since his artistic interventions involve carving into existing artworks – the marble bust above was bid for at an auction – and takes away their names and histories.

In so doing, he inserts himself into their stories. This act of production by removal and reshaping is a “nerve-wracking” process, Owen said.

““I do think about the work and time put into the sculptures by their creators. Some of the works are centuries old and I reflect on this before working to recreate them. Though the figures are disjointed, I like to think I have transformed them into intriguing puzzles from the biographical objects they were meant to be,” Owen said.

The transformation of existing objects and images through his “two-dimensional carving” method allows Owen to showcase both the systematic nature of his artistic process as well as his take on the intent of the sculpture’s original artist. The dimension of time is thus built-in to the artwork – hence his referring to them as “three-dimensional”.

 “I leave behind traces of what had been. While the details of the torso such as the cross were kept intact, the head was made barely distinguishable. The figure was thus de-humanised and transformed into an unsolvable puzzle,” Owen said.

Similarly, Owen builds an alternate history with his ‘Eraser Drawing’ series – a collection of which line the walls of the enclosure that houses the marble bust described above. Taking an eraser and rubbing out figures and layers from original photographs and film stills, he leaves ghostly reminders of what was once there while presenting additional possibilities.

“Unlike the sculptures, I don’t add anything to the surface of the image. Making the decision on which feature or figure to remove or retain is mostly intuitive. It would be a breeze to do this with photo-editing software, but leaving some residue of this imperfect intervention is important too,” Owen said.

कला मंगल की अगली कड़ी " छायाकार-सह-छापाकला के युवा कलाकारों के कलाकृतियों की समूह प्रदर्शनी

पटना ७ जनवरी : कला मंगल श्रृंखला के अंतर्गत छायाकार-सह-छापाकला के युवा कलाकारों के कलाकृतियों की समूह प्रदर्शनी  दिनांक 10.01.2017 से 15.01.2017 तक पटना के बिहार ललित कला अकादमी की कला दीर्घा  में आयोजित होने जा रही है।  प्रदर्शनी में सुनील कुमार, रवि राज, गोविन्द जी, विक्की कुमार वर्मा, छाया, रंजीत कुमार, शम्भू प्रकाश, आदित्य सुमन, कौटिल्य निशान्त, शैली कुमारी एवम किरण कुमारी की कृतियाँ प्रदर्शित की जाएगी।   

     

Fine arts students find new perspectives, avenues for artistic expression

Nearly 50 students from MSU Baroda are taking in the artworks and ambience of KMB 2016

Kochi, Jan 07: For a group of nearly 50 fine arts students from Baroda, the out-of-state field trip to the ongoing third edition of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale (KMB) has proven to be an eye-opening experience.

Taking in the artworks and soaking in the “authentic feel” at India’s only Biennale, the students from Maharaja Sayajirao University (MSU) Baroda – many of whom were on their first visit here – found both diversity of perspective and avenues for experimentation in their individual artistic expression.

Kochi-Muziris Biennale founder Bose Krishnamachari with the fine arts students from MSU Baroda at Aspinwall House on Saturday 

“It has changed my existing notions and views of what art could be. The way the Biennale has been curated shows how intricately engaged the artworks are with the exhibition space. The visual quality on display has given me so much pleasure,” said Pujashree Burman, a Master of Visual Arts student, who especially enjoyed the works of Desmond Lazaro and Liu Wei.

KMB co-founder Bose Krishnamachari invited the group to take a walk through the venues and spaces and explore the multiplicity of styles, forms and viewpoints as intended by this edition’s curator Sudarshan Shetty.

“Sudarshan didn’t intend for there to be one direction or way of looking at the Biennale. There are multiple perspectives and diverse ways of looking at art. It is especially important for art students to be exposed to this understanding since they are tomorrow’s artists. I’m certain their experience here will be enlightening,” Krishnamachari said.

The students – from a number of disciplines within the Faculty of Fine Arts – said the authenticity of the Biennale set it apart from other art events and art spaces in the country.

Kochi-Muziris Biennale founder Bose Krishnamachari with the fine arts students from MSU Baroda at Aspinwall House on Saturday 

“The Biennale feels uncontrived and not commercial – unlike the rest of the industry. How raw and real the sites are and how this rawness interacts with the works: this has been a very different experience from the other art fairs and gallery spaces I have visited so far,” said Ragini Chawla, a third year BVA student from the painting department.

BVA students Aadya Swaroop Naik and Stuti Bhavsar said the Biennale did not exhibit “art for art’s sake” and felt like a more “refreshing, immersive experience compared to manicured, spic and span galleries”.

“It’s not just one kind of art on display here. There are exhibits in video art, visual art, sound art… you are exposed to a variety of art forms and styles. As an art student, it was important to come see what I could do and the options available to me,” said Kopal Seth.

‘Art Walk’ takes KMB 2016 visitors on guided tour of works, processes

Tour delved into thinking behind six distinct artworks being house at TKM Warehouse

Kochi, Jan 07: The interplay of narrative between six distinctive artworks set the tone for a guided walkthrough of TKM Warehouse in Mattancherry – one of the 12 venues for the ongoing third edition of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale (KMB).  

The quiet space houses the works of KMB 2016 participating artists Alicja Kwade, Endri Dani, Aki Sasamoto, Alex Seton and T.V. Santhosh. The ‘Art Walk’, conducted by trained interpreters, took an enthusiastic crowd through the insights and background behind the individual pieces.

KMB 2016 participating artist Alex Seton offered insights into his art practice and marble sculpture 'Refuge' during the 'Art Walk' held at TKM Warehouse in Mattancherry on Friday 

The tour on Friday evening culminated in a talk by Seton on the intent and inspiration of his marble sculpture ‘Refuge’. Depicting an emergency blanket draped around a hollow space in the shape of a quivering figure, Seton said the work is rooted in the international refugee crisis – in particular the treacherous journey undertaken by ‘boat people’ in search of safer shores.

“The term refugee has a negative connotation today and it should not because asylum seekers, migration and displacement have been constants throughout human history. We could all have been refugees but for circumstance,” he said.

Noting that his practice plays off of contemporary global issues mostly within an Australian context, the Sydney-based artist said he had been inspired by the real-world relevance of works exhibited at the Biennale.

KMB 2016 participating artist Alex Seton offered insights into his art practice and marble sculpture 'Refuge' during the 'Art Walk' held at TKM Warehouse in Mattancherry on Friday 

“I’m thinking of co-opting some of the narratives I have been able to witness into my art practice. Given the multiplicity of perspectives at the Biennale, the scope for evolution of the artworks over its duration is tremendous,” Seton said.

The other works on display at TKM Warehouse are Kwade’s exhibit ‘Out of Ousia’, the ‘CM 182 2016’ portraits by Dani, Sasamoto’s performance-based installation ‘Random Memo Random’ and two works, ‘The Protagonist and Folklore of Justice’ and ‘History Lab’ by Santhosh.

“It is wonderful to have the opportunity to not only experience world-class, incredibly relevant works at the Biennale, but also the chance to understand the thinking and logic behind them,” said KMB co-founder Bose Krishnamachari.

‘Triumph of Labour’at Students’ Biennale

Students from TN interpret iconic Marina beach statue at Kochi

Kochi,Jan 05: Inspired by the iconic ‘Triumph of Labour’ statue at Chennai’s Marina beach, a group of art students from Tamil Nadu are exhibiting a series of installations here under the same name,as part of the Students’ Biennale that runs parallel to the ongoing Kochi-Muziris Biennale 2016.

Art works on display as part of Students Biennale at Anubhuti Gallery, Mattanchery

Motivated by the first May Day rally in India held at the Marina beach, sculptor Debi Prasad Roy Chowdhury,  who headed the then Madras School of Arts and Crafts crafted in 1959 the iconic bronze statue depicting the working class’ toil. He used the watchman of the college and his students to model for the monumental piece of work that depicts four men labouring to move a rock.

Multiple interpretations of the Labour Statue created by the students are now on display at Anubhuti Gallery,  at Mattanchery, one of the venues of the Students’ Biennale.

Art works on display as part of Students Biennale at Anubhuti Gallery, Mattanchery

“The idea behind these installations originated from an enigma,” says C P Krishnapriya , curator of Students’ Biennale.

The Madras School of Fine Arts and Crafts, which is now Tamil Nadu Government College of Fine Arts has an old museum which has been closed for decades. “Several stories and speculations were attached with this museum,” says Krishnapriya. “Thinking about the different kinds of creative expressions that could go to fill the mystery gave rise to the idea for the statues,” she says.

Seventeen students from Government College of Fine Arts, Chennaiand 18 from the Government College of Fine Arts, Kumbakonam worked for the Students’ Biennale project. “Most of the students had experience working with the handicraft sector. This experience with the cottage craft industry must have helped them relate to this project,” says Krishnapriya.

Art works on display as part of Students Biennale at Anubhuti Gallery, Mattanchery

From labourers in uniforms to sweat drops collected in bottles, the installations portray diverse creative expressions. The symbols of weaving, coconut weaving, brick making have all made this project an enriching experience.

The heritage building of the Chennai Fine Arts College is made of traditional bricks, a model of which is replicated in the art work, with students recreating the original brick mould used in building the college with rubber.

Students’ Biennale, an integral part of KMB 2016 is spread along seven venues at Bazar road and Jew town at Fort Kochi. 455 students from 55 government fine arts colleges have participated in Students’ Biennale with 15 senior fine arts students curating the exhibition.

KMB 2016 Artist Dana Awartani blends faith and math in unique fashion

Kochi, January 05: For Dana Awartani, her art practice – which includes paintings, drawings, embroideries and woodwork – doubles as both a medium for spiritual expression and a tribute to mathematical symmetry. The Saudi-Palestinian artist is exhibiting her unique style of embroidery at the ongoing third edition of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale (KMB).

She marries history with symbolism to explore spaces for the contemporary within the bounds of the traditional. Through this, Awartani hopes to trigger a revival of Islamic art forms.

Artist Dana Awartani's installation 'Love is my Law,Love is my Faith' at KMB 2016 in David Hall, Fort kochi

“First, Islamic Art is not made for the sake of art alone. It is a sacred spiritual practice that is used as a way to worship God. It teaches one ‘sabr’ (patience) and respect. As a practitioner of Islamic art, my work is a form of prayer and ‘dhikr’ (remembrance). I need to be 100 per cent focused and in a good mood to be able to do it, otherwise it doesn’t work,” Awartani said.

Her exhibit, titled ‘Love is My Law, Love is My Faith’, features a set of eight embroidered cloth panels inspired by the verses of 12^th Century Sufi poet Ibn Arabi about his experience in the holy city of Mecca. The panels, on display at David Hall, Fort Kochi, are arranged in order of decreasing size and intended as a spiritual journey towards the sublime.

Artist Dana Awartani at her  installation 'Love is my Law,Love is my Faith' at KMB 2016 in David Hall, Fort kochi

“Every number has a meaning. The numeral ‘8’ is my favourite since it is so aesthetically pleasing, whether in mathematics, numerology and geometry. The mystic Ibn Arabi said that the eight-point star is a representation of the eight angels that will bear the throne of God on the Day of Judgment. It is also seen on a higher level as representing rebirth. Even the Dome of the Rock (an ancient shrine in Jerusalem) was built on an eight-figure base,” she explained.

Awartani works within the mysticism of the Sufi tradition, which considers symbolism an essential means to approach and engage with the Eternal. She also has a deep fascination for geometry, through which she blends the art with mathematics.

“Sufi poetry and teachings are layered with evocative symbols that strive to inform and awaken different levels of intellect, being and understanding. My effort is to familiarise Islamic art to the contemporary world using the medium of mathematics,” she said.

KMB 2016 curator Sudarshan Shetty said Awartani’s deft use of traditional patterns in a contemporary form was impressive.

“Her work stands out because it is based on the traditional methods and strategies of making objects, but is employed in a contemporary form. The nod to mathematics in her works adds to their distinctiveness,” Shetty said.

The Science of Installing Art

Providing the best audio and video experience to KMB ’16 visitors took months of preparations

Kochi, Jan 4: The rooms are ‘treated’ with carpets, coir on the walls and dark curtains, speakers are placed anywhere from the ceiling level to the floor; some sound systems, such as the ones in American sound artist Miller Puckette’s ‘Four Sound Portraits’, spread across four rooms, are small enough to fit in the palm of your hand, while the audio of Latvian artist Voldemars Johansons’s lashing ocean waves in ‘Thirst’ hits the visitors through giant subwoofers.

AES+Finstallation  Inverso Mundus at  KMB2016 in Anand Warehouse,Mattancherry. 

 The range of sights and sounds at the third edition of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale offer a novel experience for visitors, but installing the sensitive works was one that required much planning and experience on the part of the Biennale production team.

“All the projects chosen by curator Sudarshan Shetty are highly experiential. We faced the challenge of all the sites being used spaces, not specially made for displaying artworks,” said KMB co-founder Bose Krishnamachari.

 “Some of the projects have been executed by scientists and mathematicians, like Miller Puckette, where sound is sensitive and we had to create ‘home theatres’ suitable to each work.”

KMB ’16 roped in the country’s top sound engineer Vikram Joglekar as production consultant for installing the 39 video and two solely audio installations.

 Joglekar first came from Mumbai on a site visit in August to study the spaces. “We had to check out how to fit each installation depending on the space, decide on the correct sound system and figure out how to provide each artist with the best acoustic experience,” said the award-winning sound engineer.

 Artist Miller Puckette's installation 'Four Sound Portraits' at Aspinwall House,Fort Kochi

 “We had challenges with logistics, time and the resources, but the organisers and volunteers at KMB ’16 have pulled off a great experience; it feels wonderful to see visitors appreciating the works,” said Joglekar, who pointed out that Russian team AES+F’s work at the Anand Warehouse, where multiple projectors had to be synchronised together to make one work, was the most difficult to install.

 Apart from the equipment, which it provided at the second Biennale, Kochi company Metro Digital Media, is additionally providing electrical support this time. “We have designed a separate circuit to ensure that the works play seamlessly over the 108-day exhibition,” said Dins Paul, a partner at the company. “We interacted with almost every international artist in person to ensure that we could provide  equipment comparable to the ones that they are used to working with.”

 Shri N Sivasailam, Delhi-based Additional Secretary at the Department of Telecommunications, who visited the Biennale with his family, enthused that the “KMB was the best of the best in the world”. “It was our first exposure to a modern art exposition and it is amazing to see art demonstrated in so many mediums,” he noted. “The sound installations are striking; you realise that you don’t need always pictures to depict art.”

Dai Xiang uses a contemporary narrative for a Chinese classic

Kochi, Jan 02: Giving an ancient Chinese painting a contemporary transformation through photographs, Chinese artist Dai Xiang , through his work ‘The new along the river during the Qingming festival 2014’ for KMB 2016, is piquing the interest of art lovers with its detailing and magnification of history through the lens of current times.

Artist Dai Xiang at his installation ' The new Along the River during the Qingming festival 2014' in the Aspinwall House, Fort Kochi.

The 25m, panoramic photo installation comprising more than 1,000 photographs strikes a chord with 12th century Chinese painting ‘River side scene at kim ming festival’  by Zhang Zeduan. The characters and situations from the original painting of Zeduan are completely altered by Dai Xiang in his work.  Compiling 1TB data and processing almost 10,000 layers of photos, Dai Xiang’s work  took nearly three years to complete. Xiang as portrayed himself as a character in 90 photos out of the 1,000 characters featuring in his art work.

Breaking national boundaries, Xiang’s photos sketches the current realities in China through a dramatic approach and points a finger at issues bothering China. A 21st century interpretation of a painting from Song dynasity, Xiang’s work was a topic of discussion in the Chinese social media.

The digital panorama on display at Aspinwall house will give an impression of Zeduan’s painting at first, but once you look at the detailing carefully, the crisis and issues of modern China will get clearer to the eyes.

The Chinese officials with ‘chenguan’ title who are shown in conflict with street vendors, real estate entrepreneurs who force native people out of their houses, streets of sex workers, luxury cars, scenes of accidents, amidst all these, unbothered,  relaxed tourists walking with cameras in hand; likewise the panorama uses symbols that communicate with new world.

Artist Dai Xiang's  installation ' The new Along the River during the Qingming festival 2014' in the Aspinwall House, Fort Kochi.

 Xiang’s panorama has included real incidents also. The death of three university students while trying to rescue children drowning in a river in 2009 is an intriguing image. The high prices demanded by fishermen to find the corpses of the students sparked huge protests in China. The scene where the son of a police officer escapes from the tragic scene using his father’s name is also included in the panorama. Xiang’s panorama got worldwide attention for reflecting the transformation of modern China into a corporatised society.

“The representation of China, a nation which always had a conventional view, undergoing a conflict between westernisation and transformation after liberalisation is being revealed in my panorama,” said Dai Xiang. “I’ve tried to incorporate vivid perspectives to portrait an in-depth narrative,” said the artist. The ‘I’ factor is also included as the artist himself appears as an outsider and also as a part of the project throughout the panorama. “The stories, similarities and paradoxes experienced during the journey towards modern China are included in the photos,” says Dai Xiang.

Born in China’s Tianjin province, Dai Xiang’s works are based on his hometown and Beijing. It was in his college days that he had a chance to learn about the traditional Chinese paintings of Zang Zeduan, which has paved way to his KMB 2016 work.

KMB 2016 draws viewers into dynamic world of video and sound

39 out of total 97 artworks at Biennale are video installations

Kochi, January 1: “Is that what I really look like?” the visitor is bound to ask at the video installation titled ‘Dream Stop’ at Durbar Hall, a venue of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale (KMB) 2016. The work by Gary Hill, the pioneer of multimedia art, takes the visitor through multiple strolling versions of themselves.

 Artist Eva Schlegel installation 'Palaces of Memory' at Aspinwall House,Fort Kochi.

The video installations at the 108-day international art spectacle are attracting crowds for the amazing new dimension it adds to art. Out of the 97 works at the Biennale, there are 39 video installations.

Hill’s work uses 32 spy cams, concealed in a large circular aluminium frame suspended from the ceiling, to splinter gallery visitors into 32 overlapping images of themselves. Walk around its centrepiece and, on various quadrants of the gallery walls, you’ll see yourself in various angles in various sizes: upside down, right-side up, magnified, miniaturised, melting together, sliding apart. The one thing you won’t get is a straightforward shot of yourself.

“I am excited in juxtaposing aesthetics with conceptual art in the video installation,” says Hill.

Artist Kabir Mohanty features a four-hour long video titled ‘Song for an Asian land’ at Aspinwall.

“Video installations are becoming a parallel form of art. The presence of such art forms will highlight the diversity of this Biennale,” said KMB ‘16 curator Sudarshan Shetty.

 Artist Gary Hill's installation 'Dream stop' at Durbar Hall,Ernakulam.

Artist Mikhail Karikis has come up with a 10-minute long video clip documenting the life of 10 to 13-year-old boys from the militarised industrial marshland in southeast England. The artist shot the video after spending almost a year with the children.

“Apart from being different from the other art forms, these video installations have the unique capability to shed light on the unseen and unknown things,” said eminent filmmaker Adoor Gopalakrishnan, during his visit to KMB.  

Artist and environmentalist Ravi Agarwal in his work ‘Sangam Dialogue’ uses multimedia to expose the continued colonisation of nature and pose questions about ecology and society.

The playful, theatrical video installation by Taiwanese artist Wu Tien-Chan titled ‘Farewell, Spring and Autumn Pavilions’ is even attracting children.

“Art becomes more accessible and transparent when an intelligent artist uses video as a medium. Video installations improve the art consciousness of the visitor,” said noted film director Shaji N Karun during his visit.