At a time when land, water, and even air have a rate tag on them, ‘Triennale (not for sale),’ an exhibition of paintings by Abhilash Thiruvoth, is a thorough look into the shocking realities of life.
The exhibition has got nothing to do with the biennale. Through the title, the artist wants only to point out that he was holding an exhibition after three years and that his next will be after three years.
Around 20 paintings on display at Kozhikode Town Hall discuss topics pertaining to today’s society. A series of paintings are on the sale of water in different parts of the world. ‘Stolen souls’ is on the plight of the common man caught up in a landslide when the wealthy and the influential have found higher altitudes where they will not be touched by the disaster, realistically as well as figuratively.
‘Peace at Gun Point’ is an attempt to point out the irony of the situation in Israel and Palestine where food packets and bombs look alike. ‘Devil’s Advocate’ is a tribute to the victims of atrocities, who are forced to live in the media glare for a larger part of their lives while the culprits walk scot-free.
‘Floating Buddha’ is a tribute to the people in Kudankulam.
Another work is on the Kerala society, which is often taken for a ride by false promises and advertisements.
Abhilash is supposedly the first person from the art world to protest against the murder of RMP leader T.P. Chandrasekharan. His painting made in front of the mortuary where Chandrasekharan’s body was kept, expressed his sorrow and anger over the incident. ‘Conspiracy’ is his tribute to the man he had admired as a leader. The most different among the exhibits is the one titled ‘Plavu Mavu’ that brings up the nostalgia the two trees — jackfruit tree and mango tree — are associated with. The artist points out that jackfruit is probably the only unadulterated fruit available in Kerala.
The exhibition was inaugurated by Minister for Panchayats M.K. Muneer by making a sketch on a canvas on Friday, and will conclude on Monday.
Aabha Anoop