In normal times artist Bhagyanath C. would like to be out, interact with people and exhibit his paintings and drawings in exhibitions. But with art shows and exhibitions cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he had spent much of the recent months confined to his home in Ernakulam.
Now, artists like Bhagyanath are back in the thick of things.
Thanks to the upcoming ‘Lokame Tharavadu’, a vibrant display of contemporary art organised by the Kochi Biennale Foundation in Alappuzha and Ernakulam.
The 78-day-exhibition funded by the State government will begin on March 15 across six venues including five in Alappuzha.
It will feature artworks of 267 Malayali artists from India and abroad, making it one of the largest art exhibitions ever to involve Malayali artists on a global scale. Organisers say the art exhibition will help the port town of Alappuzha regain its lost glory and be branded a heritage city.
In Alappuzha, the exhibition will be held across five venues: Kerala State Coir Corporation, New Model Society Building, Port Museum, William Goodcare and Sons Pvt. Ltd., and the Alleppey Company, which all received a major facelift, thus making the gala a blend of art, culture, and heritage. Besides, the exhibition will take place at Durbar Hall Art Gallery, Ernakulam.
Among the creative works on display will be thought-provoking paintings, sculptures, video art, performance, installations, and much more. K.M. Madhusudhanan, a filmmaker and artist, who spent his childhood and teenage life in Alappuzha before moving out seeking new pastures, says he is so excited to be part of the show.
He has created a replica of the Lighthouse with its beam projected to walls showing two videos related to the death of Adivasi youth Madhu and Varghese, Kerala’s first ‘encounter’ victim.
The exhibition is curated by renowned artist and curator Bose Krishnamachari.
