SR December-15 issue pdf

ART ||||| BIENNALE
mostly wry commentary on
socio-political issues, was
inspired from the biennale
– an art reaction that
proved that the biennale is
not just a platform but a
movement that inspires.
CREATIVITY AS A
COMMUNITY
The second biennale
recorded a whopping 5 lakh
visitors. With workshops,
residencies and exhibitions
round the year and with
Kochi as a recurring muse,
KMB has rebranded the
city. The locals have started renting out
their properties as creative studios and
old warehouses have been renovated
into art galleries. While residents such
as Isaac Alexandar have come up with
art residencies, the number of homestays
that are letting rooms for a long term is
also on the rise. There are several
galleries, bookshops and performance
spaces being added to the city’s
topography, including OED
Contemporary Art Gallery, Springr Café
& Studio, Café Papaya and the latest Uru
Cultural Harbour. And what is
interesting is how these spaces have
helped widen the bandwidth of art,
incorporating literature, music and
films.
MUZIRIS, THE STARTING POINT
Muziris, the ancient port, which was the
starting point of the biennale, is believed
to have been washed away in the
great flood of 1341. The story of
Muziris began in 3000 BC when
Babylonians, Assyrians and
Egyptians came to the Malabar
Coast in search of spices. After them
came the Arabs and the Phoenicians.
Archaeologists have unearthed
Amphora pottery shards, Roman
Top to bottom: The opening
ceremony of the biennale in
2014; Artist T Venkanna's
'Panch Mahabhuta' from
2012; Wangechi Mutu's
'Dutty Water' from 2014
124 ||||| DECEMBER 2016