The locality of Mattancherry, in Kochi, is both the muse and site for artist-curator Riyas Komu’s new show, which features the work of 13 artists.
The exhibition, beginning August 12, features the work of painters, photographers, poets, videographers and designers, as well as work from researchbased collectives. Exploring the contemporary spatial, social, historical and temporal shifts of the location by way of investigating the history of labourers and working class and internal migrations, the show is intended to provoke, says Komu, a co-founder of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale.
“If you are fortunate enough to take an early morning walk through Mattancherry, you could easily ‘travel back in time’,” says Komu. “When you walk through the narrow lanes and branches of Bazar road or Jew street, or the many churches, mosques and…