Francesca Melandri Bowled Over By Biennale, Synagogue And Ashram
Kochi: Italian writer and docu filmmaker Francesca Melandri and Ukranian writer Andrei Kurkov were pleasantly surprised at the extent of female participation in the Kochi-Muziris Biennale 2018. This is the second time she is visiting Kochi after the gap of nearly 15 years. A regular at the Venice Biennale, the Rome-based writer said that this was a differently rewarding experience. Over two days, she was captivated by the creative visions and works of the late textile artist and weaver Pritya Ravish Mehra of Delhi; Chinese conceptual artist Song Dong; Dhaka-based visual artist Marzia Farhana; painter, print-maker and installation artist Shambhavi; E B Itso of Denmark; Mexican artist Tania Candiani who works with sound, words, diagrams and machines; and Kozhikode-born self-taught textile artist Santha K V. Art mediator Afreen Shanavas proved a valuable guide. Earlier, both writers had visited the 11th century Kadavumbagam Synagogue in bustling Market road, Ernakulam, where Elias ‘Babu’ Josephai, regaled them about its rich history. He also mentioned how in the best secular tradition of India, Swami Hariprasad of Vishnu Mohan Foundation had paid for chandeliers from Mordabad and a Muslim benefactor, who wished to remain unknown, had promised to pay for replacing damaged windows. Francesca mentioned how her last novel ‘Sangue Giusto/The rightful blood,’ which is being translated into Hebrew, has just been named Book of the year by Independent booksellers. They wound up their Indian visit in connection with MBIFL ‘19 by calling on Lakshmi Dhoota, whose ‘Mahaavadhutam’ seeks to document the lives of Avadhutas. Her mother Dr. C S Ajitha, guru D Jayakumar, himself the disciple of guru Sudhir Vaidhyar of Agasthya Medical Centre, Kureekakd, and artist Radha Gomati were present. They all paid their respects at the Samadhi in the ashram.
