KOCHI:
The salient feature of the artworks at Kochi Muziris Biennale 2016 is the way they address the issues of our time, said celebrated artist Padma Bhushan Ghulam Mohammed Sheikh who lauded the event for bringing art to people’s doorsteps.
Following a visit
“The Biennale is a kind of document, not only in sentimental terms, but also in profound terms. It has a philosophical dimension, which makes us contemplate and carry some of it home with us,” said Sheikh, a professor of painting at Maharaja Sayajirao University in Baroda.
“As far as the art scene is concerned, the Biennale has produced the finest art in the last decade. There is no comparison – both in terms of content and the way it is being organised,” he noted.
His works at the 2014 Biennale included ‘City for Sale’, and ‘Balancing Act’, a public sculpture at Vasco Da Gama Square in Fort Kochi. The internationally acclaimed artist also notes that there are a number of technical innovations at this year’s Biennale including videos which depict allegories of present time, past and allegories of living in a troubled world. He believes that people have lost hope in all discourses of life except art, as it brings hope back to life.
“The Biennale makes this statement in an unequivocal manner and I think that it is a great document,” Sheikh said. “I was moved by a number of installations for different reasons, some for the technical aspects of it. Chinese artist Liu Wei’s large sculptural installation, ‘Big Dog’ has been crafted from ox hide dog chews. This art gives us new meaning from old material.”
Similarly, Sheikh said he was impressed with the work of artist Dai Xiang, who recreated a scroll using digital technology for ‘The New along the River during the Qingming festival 2014’. “The artist has brought contemporary characters into something which happened 200 years ago, but at the same time – added to it the tensions of our times,” the artist added.
