The third edition of the Kochi Muziris Biennale will recreate the historic tradition of pichwai paintings to suit the tastes of urban art connoisseurs.
The exhibition titled, "Pichwai Tradition and Beyond" by Pooja Singhal, at the 108-day-long biennale will showcase contemporary interpretations of the art form in a "nascent new avatar."
Pichwai paintings, which have their origin in Rajasthan's Nathdwara region, have conventionally been majestic and luxuriously detailed hand-painted textile works of art that narrate tales from the life of Krishna where he is portrayed in different moods, body postures and attires.
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They were traditionally hung behind the idol of Shrinathji, an incarnation of Krishna, worshipped by the Vaishnavite sub-sect of the Pushtimargis that houses the shrine.
"Over the last century, intricately painted Pichwai paintings that left the shrine have taken on a new role as wall art and are much sought after by the cognoscenti for their effervescent aesthetics, inciting a fresh demand among collectors," organisers said.
While the old religious practises continue, the art form is undergoing a "renaissance" with Singhal contemporising it in order to create a more accessible market for contemporary cultural consumers as well as offer a platform for the artisans flourish.
"Recognising the need to create a platform to support and sustain the few remaining supremely skilled painters who learnt the rapidly declining tradition from a long line of past masters," the organisers said.
According to Pramod Kumar KG, who has curated the exhibition, traditional arts need to be re-interpreted and contextualised constantly, for them to have resonance and relevance to contemporary audiences.
"Singhal's 'Pichwai Tradition and Beyond' has brought to the public eye, artworks that have been reworked with layered historical inferences in newer scales, formats and themes.
"These artworks thus have moved away from their purely religious connotations to representations of aesthetic modes, seasons, forms, colours and secular iconographies that every layperson can see and appreciate," says Kumar.
The project has inculcated a fresh group of artists in the
time-honored genre to breathe a new life into the art form by combining older traditional techniques and contemporary application and ingenuity.
Touted to be the largest festival of its kind in South Asia, the Biennale this year has been titled, "Forming in the pupil of an eye" and will be curated by eminent artist Sudarshan Shetty.
The main exhibition, scheduled to be held from December 12, 2016 to March 29, 2017, will be supported by ancillary programme of talks, seminars, the Students Biennale, the Art By Children exhibition, workshops, film screenings and music sessions.
It will also feature works by visual artists, poets, musicians and performance professionals from across India and abroad including France, Russia, Turkey, Germany, Poland Slovenia, Australia, Mexico, USA, Japan, Argentina, Pakistan, Spain, Hungary among others. The biennale will be held across heritage properties, public spaces, and galleries. While the primary setting in Fort Kochi will be Aspinwall House, other venues will include Pepper House, David Hall, and Durbar Hall, in Fort Kochi and Ernakulam.
