Having directed "Mayyankalam", a film hailed as a statement against the tyrannies of globalisation, Vinod Krishna firmly believes that art is a political act. His conviction about art's duty in society was evident when he came up with the concept of Poetry Installation a year ago, translating two powerful Malayalam poems into an audio-visual experience.
This monsoon, the journalist-writer based in Kochi and his crew are back with a second edition of the art form which blends multiple sensual experiences.
Poetry Installation season 2 which opened at Durbar Hall Art Gallery in Kochi features four poets, three of them from Kerala and one from Tibet.
The poems—Tenzin Tsundue's “When it rains in Dharamshala”, Rafeeq Ahmed's “Desabhakthiye kurich chila varikal”, Cini mathew John's "Chathurangapalakayile aaravangal" and Ajeesh Dasan's “Savappetty march”—find common ground in their theme—the helplessness of the common man strangulated in the dirty games of the powerful.
Enter the gallery, you see Buddha in his familiar meditating posture but with a red boxing glove punching him right on his head. The installation, based on Tsundue's poem, which is predominantly about the Tibetans' longing for their lost home, also features boxing gloves raining around Buddha. The work turns complete as the poem is played in the backdrop in a familiar voice—that of actor-director Joy Mathew.
In the next room, Rafeeq Ahmed's poem takes the shape of a man lying on a bed of rifles pierced through his body, and with a vulture waiting on his head. The installation interprets the poem—one of the best written in Malayalam about the meaninglessness of man-made boundaries and the fight to safeguard them—in the best possible way.
Cini Mathew's poem is represented as two headless figures—a man and a woman—standing on a chessboard, both nude. The man has a huge key in the area of his male part and the woman, a lock.
A huge iron-box hangs in the next room with Ajeesh Dasan's poem playing in the backdrop. Walk around the work, and you are sure to encounter a surprise which is a brilliant and powerful expression of creativity.
The star factor of the event is the man who handled the sounds. Award winning sound designer Ranganaath Ravee has spent his time and energy for the second edition of the event too. Ranganath, a true connoisseur of art and poetry, told Onmanorama that he doesn't mind skipping a few films to work for such a project.
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Poetry Installation
Crew members behind Poetry Installation season 2 with the artwork based on Tenzin Tsundue's poem, "When it rains in Dharamshala" at Durabar hall Art gallery, Kochi. Photo courtesy: Facebook/Poetry Installation
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Poetry Installation
Actor-filmmaker Joy Mathew hands over a book to Tenzin Tsundue during the inauguration of Poetry Installation season 2. Photo courtesy: Facebook/Poetry Installation
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Poetry Installation
Installation based on Cini mathew John's poem "Chathurangapalakayile aaravangal"displayed at Durabar hall Art gallery, Kochi. Photo courtesy: Facebook/Poetry Installation
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Poetry Installation
Crew members behind Poetry Installation season 2 with the artwork based on Tenzin Tsundue's poem, "When it rains in Dharamshala" at Durabar hall Art gallery, Kochi. Photo courtesy: Facebook/Poetry Installation
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Poetry Installation
A woman watches the installation based on Rafeeq Ahmed's poem "Desabhakthiye kurich chila varikal" displayed at Durabar hall Art gallery, Kochi. Photo courtesy: Facebook/Poetry Installation
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Poetry Installation
Installation based on Rafeeq Ahmed's poem "Desabhakthiye kurich chila varikal" displayed at Durbar Hall Art Gallery, Kochi. Photo courtesy: Facebook/Poetry Installation
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Poetry Installation
(From left) Actor-filmamker Joy Mathew, sound designer Ranganaath Ravee, Poetry Installation director Vinod Krishna and poet Tenzin Tsundue share some thoughts during the inauguration of Poetry Installation - season 2. Photo courtesy: Facebook/Poetry Installation
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His brilliance is audible in all the four installations. The subtle sounds played in the backdrop of the recitations add much to the experience of enjoying the works. The song by a street singer, the burning of a pyre, chanting in a Buddhist shrine, which belonged to his random collection of audio clips, that are part of the installations give soul to the works.
The ideas conceptualised by Vinod were materialised by art director Sharone Philip. Of the selection of the poems, Vinod says, “each poem featured in the event is marked for the politics it talks about.”
“Even as speaking about the need for people to love each other, these poems attempt to shed away the masks of a fake nationalism which is being celebrated,” Vinod says referring to the recent trends in Indian politics.
Apart from Tsundue's poem, the rest are recited by the poets themselves. P. Raveendranath, GS Vinayan and R Sameerudheen are the project designers.
The crew hopes to take the works to other venues and come back with a more vibrant third edition.
Actors Sajitha Madathil, Anumol, Muthumani, Vinay Fort, music composer Bijibal and writer PF Mathews were among those who came to enjoy the works.
The event is on till Wednesday 7 pm.
