‘The World Is One Family’ art show kicks off in Kochi amidst strict covid safety protocol

By the Pothi team

The pandemic has been very tough for artists. While well-known artists may have had lesser problems surviving the impact of lockdowns and the cancellation of various art festivals, the ones working from their obscure corner have had to bear with the onslaught of this unforeseen tragedy.

With this in mind, the Kochi Biennale Foundation has put up a show called ‘Lokame Tharavadu’ (The World Is One Family). It brings about sense of hope and possibility in these bleak times. It will also be helpful for artists who are trying hard to make a living at this time.

A curated contemporary art exhibition of Malayali artists by Bose Krishnamachari, over 260 artists will be exhibiting a collection of their works. Lokame Tharavadu is conceptualised as a congregation of the best of resident and pravasi artists, in consonance with the Loka Kerala Sabha initiative of the government.

The show opened in the second week of April and will go on till June 30, 2021. It will span across six venues in Alappuzha and Ernakulam. The 70-day exhibition will display around 5,000 art pieces. However, care is being taken to ensure covid safety protocols are followed strictly. Only 75 people are allowed at a time at each venue. Also, one has to register at the Covid-19 Jagratha portal of the state government and passes are available only after uploading RT PCR Negative certificate or Covid-19 vaccination certificate.

The Kochi-Muziris Biennale website describes the show thus:

The core idea of this exhibition, the world is one family, is drawn from the verses of a Malayalam poem written by Vallathol Narayana Menon, which appeals to the universal spirit of humanity, especially at this crucial juncture where existence is marked by confinement reeling under the pressure of the global pandemic. The exhibition invokes the transformative potential of art to revive and resurrect the dejected human spirit. It is an outcome of the special interest of the government of Kerala to reach out to the artistic community in these trying times. The exhibition is conceptualised asking certain important questions about our ideas of home, surroundings and the world.