Affable artist Paris Viswanadhan a.k.a Velu Viswanadhan, settled in Paris for over four decades, is not known to mince his words.
That is, when he chooses to open up, he prefers to have a no-holds-barred dialogue.
The other day, the artist was at the Nanappa Art Gallery on Karikkamuri Crossroad to inaugurate an exhibition of paintings done at an art camp there in memory of the late playwright C.N. Sreekantan Nair and artists C.N. Karunakaran and M.V. Devan who passed away recently.
Viswanadhan, who figured in the maiden Kochi-Muziris Biennale in 2012, mulled over the All India Writers’ Conference steered by thinker M. Govindan, C.N. Sreekantan Nair, administrator M.K.K. Nair and M.V. Devan in Aluva in 1965, saying it was instrumental in heralding a new art sensibility of sorts that was rooted in tradition but possessing a broad-minded worldly vision.
To a query on the biennale, he said there was no point being judgmental about a world-class event. “Everyone knew that the biennale had a fixed, permanent opening date, but at the instigation of some ‘ kulam kuthikal ’ [those who work against their clan], the IFFK opening, which generally happens in early December, was also placed on the same date…. It is tough to do anything creative in Kerala, as there are vested interests all around,” he said, hinting at attempts to stymie the biennale from some quarters.
The biennale was a continuation of the movements that Kerala witnessed a few decades ago, he said, adding there was a need to understand and study the lost port of Muziris from a socio-historical and archaeological perspective.
Much ado about nothing
While rechristening or rebranding of flagship projects are not new, debate over renaming the Cochin International Airport Limited seems unending.
After a brief lull, a call by the Ernakulam District Congress Committee to rename CIAL after K. Karunakaran has once again set tongues wagging. The DCC, while observing the 4th death anniversary of the late Congress leader, decided to forward a request in the regard to the Chief Minister.
Top CIAL officials, meanwhile, warn that the step is likely to do harm than good.
While acknowledging the role played by Karunakaran in seeing the country’s first airport to be constructed on a PPP basis become a reality, they also point out the demand from a community to name it after a spiritual leader.
“There is much ado over nothing. The name CIAL has grown to become a brand name itself in the global circuit and upon renaming it, we will have to go for another rebranding exercise,” they say.
