Why Fort Kochi and Mattancherry became the venue for Kochi-Muziris Biennale? – Atulya Yatra

Chinese fishing nets, century-old spice warehouses, ancient prayer centers and colonial bungalows on the cobbled streets of Fort Kochi and Mattancherry all speak of a bygone era.

However, from December 12 to April 10 next year, these streets, warehouses and old villas will be transformed into stunning art galleries with installations by more than 90 artists from around the world as part of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale.

But why an art festival here in this dilapidated old commercial center on the edge of a modern metro city?

As a space for art

Bose Krishnamachari | Photo Credit: ASWIN VN

Co-Founder of Kochi-Muziris Biennale, Bose Krishnamachari says when the idea for India’s first Biennale came up a decade ago, Kochi was the obvious choice of venue. He says, “Location plays an important role when you design a festival like Biennale and Fort Kochi and Mattancheri are not only an ideal location for creative projects, but also sociologically the multiculturalism gives us a lot of confidence.

A tourist walks past a building with graffiti art painted for the Kochi-Muziris Biennale 2018 at Fort Kochi | Photo Credit: THULASI KAKKAT

Singaporean artist Shubigi Rao, who is curating this edition of the biennale, echoes Bose’s view, but says the Fort Kochi and Mattancherry warehouses will also be artistically challenging. She says, “It’s hard for artists who are used to working in a white Cuban or museum-like space. However, for those who prefer to work by responding to the environment, these platforms are beautiful.

History associated with the Muziris

Built in 1568, the Paradesi Temple is located in the Jew Town area of ​​Mattancherry and is a symbol of the cosmic history of the region. Photo Credit: ASWIN VN

The history of this land at the mouth of Cochin Harbor goes beyond the colonial era. It is believed that this port was formed naturally after the Periyar River flooded in 1341 AD. While this disaster created the conditions for a new trade center in Cochin, it is also believed to have destroyed the mythical port city of Mujiris, which was about 30 kilometers north of present-day Kochi.

Chinese Fishing Nets (Chinawalas), the iconic cantilevered nets brought to Kochi by the Portuguese in the 15th century, are an indelible signature of Kochi | Photo Credit: H VIBHU

Later, in 1503, the Portuguese built Fort Emmanuel, hence the name Fort Kochi. But later it was captured by the Dutch in 1663 and the British in 1790. Born and brought up in Fort Kochi, writer and art curator Tanya Abraham feels that her home town has a special place in Kerala’s history. “It is a place that has brought many cultures from abroad. We have other areas in Kerala where we have traders. But Fort Kochi is unique because so many different communities have settled down and persisted through all these generations and their food cultures and religious traditions have continued,” says Tanya.

She believes that every aspect of Fort Kochi and Mattancherry is unique – from the varied architecture to the colors of the buildings, there is an untold enigma in the air due to the diverse communities that have lived here since time immemorial.

Challenging the Western myth

Shubigi Rao Photo Credit: ASWIN VN

Shubigi says that the presence of Kochi and Mujiris also broke the notion that cosmopolitanism was a product of colonialism and colonial trade. “There is this idea that Europe and the United States are the masters of globalization, and they brought cosmopolitan ideas through very nefarious means like colonialism and also through trade. But, cosmopolitanism existed before colonialism. The port of Muziris traded far behind Mesopotamia and Babylon,” he said. She says, the Malabar coast has always looked outward to the world and never inward.

So, this time she wants to dispel this misconception by bringing together ideas from colonial and, especially, pre-colonial times, to show that a dialogue has always existed between places like Kochi and regions around the world. “For example, the works of Vivan Sundaram that I have chosen are works he did decades ago when he went to Latin America, and if I talk about the discourse between South America and South Asia, I want to remind people that I am not doing something new. There is a legacy and a history here and this is an example of that. Only.