KOCHI: Artists, poets, designers, photographers, and even artistic cartographers are making individual forays into the diminutive market town of Mattancherry to unravel its spatiotemporal, historical and cultural persona in an exhibition that is set to get under way for two months from August 12 at Uru Art Harbour located in an old warehouse in the locality.
The maiden show at Uru is curated by artist Riyas Komu and features 13 contemporary artists —each ploughing a lone furrow into one particular facet of the identity of the place, the combined mix thus showcasing the quaint town with narrow alleys in a multidimensional narrative.
Poet Anitha Thampi, for instance, is penning the profile poetry of five people from the town, to start with. “It is just a beginning. Over the next one year or so, there will be such profile poems on at least 35 to 40 people. Ditto with other projects too,” says Abhayan Varghese, associated with the space.
Poet-filmmaker Anwar Ali is writing fresh lyrics to the tunes composed by legendary yesteryear singer Mehboob. Two veterans from Mehboob’s time are slated to perform the songs on the inaugural day of the exhibition.
Route Cochin, an online journal run by two enthusiastic youngsters, will showcase the tale of a Dutch bread called Breudher, with strong links to the Mattancherry Jews.
The Urban Design Collective, based in Chennai, will carry out research over the past 150 years of Mattancherry, another ongoing project.
Artists Sosa Joseph and Zakkir Hussain will make paintings, while artist P.S. Jalaja has already begun making wall graffiti – portraits – of Mattancherry’s people. K.R. Sunil and Ramu Aravindan will capture the life of the town in still photographs, while T.R. Upendranath, as is his wont, will make photo montages. Vipin Dhanurdharan will make a video installation on the waters that abut the island town.
“While much has been written and made of Mattancherry, its glorious past and unreliable present, little has been said of the actual people who inhabit the land. In every instance, they fade into the dark abyss of silence and temporal narratives used to extend specific agendas. But these explorations remain strictly within the ‘gaze of the tourist’ and fail to account for the spirit of Mattancherry built over centuries through trade, cultural exchanges, and ideas of coexistence that lie beyond the facilities of mere cosmopolitanism and multiculturalism,” said a concept note on the show.
A host of programmes, including film screenings and cultural shows, will be organised as part of the exhibition.
