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.
At a Baithak organised by Sahapedia, as part of the ongoing India Heritage Walk Festival (IHWF) 2019, Vinu, in conversation with poet-painter M R Renukumar, spoke about the aesthetic interventions his works offered with regard to the marginalised Dalit lives in Kerala. Titled ‘Shattered and Chiseled’, the baithak, an informal multi-disciplinary platform focusing on themes of heritage, was organised on February 08 at David Hall, Fort Kochi.
Speaking at the discussion, among the many parallel events planned alongside IHWF, Vinu, 44, said Dalit expressions “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 centers 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 is also the editor of the volume ‘Don’t Want Caste: Malayalam Stories by Dalit Writers’.
Renukumar 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, this sight was quite common in his childhood during the lunch breaks the labourers, including his parents, took 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 artist, who uses a lot of everyday objects in his work, is currently being showcased at the Kochi-Muziris Biennale 2018, which is running from December 12, 2018 to March 29, 2019.
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.
All bookings for the festival are powered by Odigos, a product by the Bird Group, is an online marketplace that connects tourists to certified guides in India. Odigos app provides a seamless way for travellers and locals alike to understand and explore the iconic sites of our country.
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. The February 02-28 festival is being supported by NMDC, a state-run mineral producer and explorer. The events’ bookings are facilitated by Odigos, an app that makes travel and discovery easier in India.
Vaibhav Chauhan, Festival Director (IHWF) and Secretary, Sahapedia, said: “We want to democratise access to local history and culture. One might be living in the same neighbourhood for years, but there is a big chance that an important landmark, tucked away in a back alley, has been missed and forgotten. The IHWF is that opportunity to discover the hidden gems linked to the history of a place, town or city.”
Junhi Han, Head and Programme Specialist for Culture, UNESCO New Delhi office, said, “The IHWF 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.”
N. Baijendra Kumar, CMD, NMDC, said: “Initiatives like IHWF involve local communities which is integral for promoting India’s heritage. NMDC has been working in the remotest tribal areas of Bastar and Bailadila Hills for the past 60 years and also has closely promoted tribal culture, and other forms of Indian heritage. We are supporting Sahapedia in its efforts to increase civil society participation in understanding our nation’s heritage.”
Dr. Ankur Bhatia, Executive Director, Bird Group, said: “The Bird Group is always looking towards the future, and an important part of the future is understanding and cherishing the past. This association with Sahapedia brings us a step closer to achieving our vision of making Indian arts and culture inclusive and interactive. Odigos app by Bird Group, that aims to streamline guided travel tour experiences of travellers, will play the role of a tech enabler for Sahapedia’s IHWF bookings and support the guides community”.
Details about the walks, registration and other programmes of IHWF 2019 are available on
https://www.odigosguides.com/India-heritage-walk-festival
