Revisiting the past

KOCHI: For all the eloquent sculptures he has displayed all over India, Vinu V V believes that it was the critical acclaim that he got from an exhibition abroad five years ago that gave him widespread recognition in his own country. “If my work was not featured in the 2014 Shanghai Biennale, I would still not be known in my homeland,” according to the Kochi-born artist.

As part of 'Shattered and Chiseled', a Baithak organised by Sahapedia at David Hall, Fort Kochi on February 8 under its ongoing India Heritage Walk Festival (IHWF) 2019, Vinu, in conversation with poet-painter M R Renukumar, spoke about the aesthetic interventions he made for the marginalised lives in Kerala. 

Speaking at the discussion, the 44-year-old artist said many of these artistic expressions are “shattered like a claypot fallen over the rock” — an expression he borrowed from eminent writer C Ayyappan, as a guiding force behind the sculptor’s artwork.

On his part, Renukumar, whose poetry and art centres around caste in its multi-faceted form in Kerala, said that the purpose of art is to not simply rebuild what is broken by piecing them together, but by democratically imagining the shattered life anew. His works include translation of a visual biography of B.R. Ambedkar, apart from a few poetry collections. He opined that Vinu’s works, marked and reframed episodes of subaltern resistance in the history of modern Kerala as part of the intellectual as well as aesthetic journeys the artist constantly undertook.

Vinu, an alumnus of RLV College of Music and Fine Arts College in Tripunithura, rose to fame in India after his sculpture ‘Noonrest’ was selected for an exhibition at the Shanghai Biennale 2014. The installation showcased a tree trunk, onto which several sickles were firmly stuck. It was later chosen to be put on permanent display in the Chinese metropolis.

According to the artist, whose work currently showcased at the latest edition of Kochi- Muziris Biennale, this sight was quite common in his childhood during the lunch breaks the labourers, including his parents, taken from their work in paddy-fields. In this respect, the installation is a gesture towards the myriad possibilities of dialogue, discussion and camaraderie that the brief resting times offered them.
The second edition of IHWF, organised in collaboration with UNESCO, features a number of interesting events in Kochi, including heritage walks in Fort Kochi, Mattancherry and Ernakulam.

Vaibhav Chauhan, Festival Director (IHWF) and Secretary, Sahapedia, said: “We want to democratise access to local history and culture. The IHWF is that opportunity to discover the hidden gems linked to the history of a place, town or city.”

“The IHWF the programme addresses knowledge of local architectural heritage, sustainable tourism, with a special focus on gender-related issues and accessibility in cultural heritage facilitating more inclusive and better outreach. The festival is expected to involve, engage and sensitize more people, in particular, the youth, about their cultural heritage,” said Junhi Han, Head and Programme Specialist for Culture, UNESCO New Delhi office. 

The IHWF, which received the prestigious PATA Gold Award 2018 for its maiden edition organised last year, is a one-of-its-kind month-long festival covering 37 cities, with nearly 100 heritage walks and outreach events.