The narrow lanes smell of perfume and spice. They lure you to fall in love. In a picturesque setting, a man and woman dance to the tunes of their hearts. Within this microcosm exists the Jews, embracing a life of their own. The cinematographer’s clichéd pans and tilts are larger-than-life for Mattancherry, the sleepy old border town in Kochi. It can for sure catch a tourist’s gaze. The reality is not-so-camera-friendly-sights, less-than-appealing landscapes, tales of tears, fears, forgotten promises and lot more. It all comes alive at Uru, the newly cropped up cultural hub in town by Biennale frontman Riyas Komu.
K.R. Sunil
For the first-ever show in the space curated by Riyas, 11 artists and two collectives have come together to draw, click, paint, point and sing about Mattancherry in all its raw glory. To the right of the gravel-laid path to Uru stands a tall building, the main venue. On its wall there is a poetic graffiti like no other. On this, Anitha Thampi’s ‘Poetry of Personas’ travels through the past, present and future, and through many silent soliloquies. It is a befitting invitation to what lies inside. The walls smell of a fresh coat of paint. Hanging frames adorn three different galleries. Don’t just throw a look and pass by. Mattancherry only begins to unfold.
Ramu Aravindan
Saju Kunhan’s work of art greets you first. At first glance, it conveys nothing. With the second or third look, it unfolds, tile by tile. Seen here is Kochi in a Google Map’s view, with an artistic bend. We wait for Saju to explain. A month’s time and 2,000 screen shots have gone into its making.
Saju Kunhan
“I live in Bombay and people there speak like Kerala is a place that stays outside India. Ours is a mixed culture,” he says. The uncoloured spaces on his canvas are dotted with ships. “Conquerors and explorers from foreign lands took the sea route to arrive here,” he says, as his fingers surf through the large picture done on a treated wood surface.
From K.R.Sunil’s Mattancherry series.
He has ensured perfection in even the minutest of details for this cartographic form. Through this representation, he etched the history of the exploration and conquest Mattancherry has gone through in the past centuries. Even his selection of medium can’t be taken lightly. “The treated wood used here dates back to 300 or 400 years. It also speaks of history,” he says.
Route Cochin - Breudher - Dutch Bread.
Ramu Aravindan and K.R. Sunil have chosen photography as their medium. Ramu’s choice was landscapes, while Sunil has his focus on people. Sunil lays bare the reality of lives here. After his photo installation on Ponnani for the latest Biennale, this is his second such work on a place. His clicks are a revelation on the people of Mattancherry.
“A huge percentage of inhabitants here hardly own any land. Most of them live in rented houses or on lease. They live a precarious life every day. The homes are on the verge of collapse. We can see people hop, skip and jump to move from one point to another. They were offered flats to move in to, which they refused, since they have a fear of losing bonhomie with their existing neighbours,” he narrates. While he concentrates on spaces, it took many arrivals and departures to Mattancherry for Ramu to capture the right essence. “There is something common about old cities. The private and public spaces get mixed up. We might have seen people washing and putting their clothes out to dry on waysides. They are so cosmopolitan. There is one-on-one detailing,” he says.
Zakkir Hussain’s work ‘Man Performing an Exile in his Homeland’.
Latheesh Lakshmanan invites you to look within yourself with a reflective piece. Another participant, Upendranath T.R., from his engagement with Mattancherry since childhood, tells the story of the working class, while Jalaja P.S., unwraps a tale through a set of wall paintings. With his clicks, Vipin Dhanurdharan laments about the pitiable waterways and canals. Anvar Ali attempts to reinvent the ‘Custodians of Mehbood Tradition.’
Sosa Joseph and Zakkir Hussain communicate through paintings. With a detailed study, Urban Design Collective investigates the demography and geography of the place. Route Cochin’s tour of the taste buds is something you can’t leave behind. It’s better to walk into the two-month show in the evening, for you may get to enjoy some soothing music or talk.
