To be able to emerge as a creative hub of the world, Kerala needs a department of design, according to experts at the Kochi Design Week that ended here on Saturday.
Such a set-up can enable the Government to focus on the State’s strengths in the field of design and resolve pertinent deficiencies, a panel comprising an academic, an artist, a media person and a Government servant said.
Creative hub
Pradyumna Vyas, former director of the National Institute of Design, said Kerala’s strengths in the area of IT and digital competencies, tourism, heritage and culture made it a strong contender for being the creative hub of the world.
Bose Krishnamachari, president of the Kochi Muziris Biennale, spoke on the varied strengths of Kerala in the field of culture — ranging from its folk arts to native costumes.
He mentioned the Thrissur Pooram as a grand amalgamation of colour, sound and music and also reflected on the annual International Film Fetsival of Kerala (IFFK) in Thiruvananthapuram.
Design Biennale
With the Kochi Design Biennale opening on December 12, 2021, Kerala would have the contemporary arts biennale and design biennale in alternate years, he said.
Mridula Sharma, Editor-in-Charge of Livingetc, hoped Kerala would not lose out on its discerning sense to distinguish between the right and the wrong. “There is talent in the system. It just needs to be culled out, packaged and presented to the world,” she pointed out.
Dinesh Bhaskar, additional private secretary to the Kerala Chief Minister, assured that the iconic Chinese fishing nets of Fort Kochi would be left undisturbed by the proposed Water Metro project.
