Magical present: whorled explorations

Friday, 19 December 2014

'Sea power', a beautiful art by Hew Locke at the Kochi - Muziris Biennale 2014

Wow, what a beautiful creation!

This art, named as 'Seapower', is created by the British artist Hew Locke at the Kochi - Muziris Biennale, currently taking place at Fort Kochi in Ernakulam, Kerala, India.

Vasco da Gama, his fleet and the explorations by him into the then-unknown places in the world are known to all of us. His arrival in India initiated a series of events in this part of the world that marked the beginning of globalization with trade and developments and also initiated many serious problems peppered by greed and cruelty that led to wars, invasion and subsequent colonization.

Vasco da Gama, died in Kochi in 1524 while on his third visit to India. His body was initially buried St. Francis CSI Church, Kochi. His mortal remains were taken back to Portugal later on.

The quest of the unknown, eagerness to know what lies far away in the horizon, and the journey into the vastness of the endless ocean by this man is always a topic of interest not only to history enthusiasts but also to artists as well. What better place than Fort Kochi to create a remarkable portrait as a tribute to this great explorer!

An awesome creation! Hats off to the artist 😊

Beautifully crafted with black beads and cord on the walls in one of the rooms in Aspinwall House, a centuries-old monument, this is a visual treat to the visitors and is simply magnificent! No wonder visitors spend quality time here immersed in the beauty of this wonderful portrait.

Kochi - Muziris Biennale 2014 is a wonderful event!

The first ever Biennale in India took place at Fort Kochi in 2012. It was a huge success. The current event is already a success with scores of people from all over the world visiting.

Aspinwall house is one of the main venues of this historic event. This is the view of this heritage building from the seaside.

Muziris is mentioned in many historical records and is thought to be in the vicinity of the present-day Kodungalloor, near Kochi. The popular version of the history says this ancient port disappeared during a flood in the river Periyar and then the new port, Kochi emerged.

Let this biennale bring it out from its mythical state to such immortal artistic forms that would never disappear. However, memories blossomed here will remain alive forever!