KOCHI: A man lies on his back on a stage. He is seen drinking water from a mug, drop by drop, and then spitting it out in the form of a fountain. Some of the water falls on the floor, while most of it wets his shirt. He does this for 45 minutes and then walks away.
The performer’s message: negative energy is like the water he spits out from his mouth. Though some of the energy affects the outside world, much of it affects the person himself.
During his performance, on the other side of the stage, a painting and a sculpture is also on display. On the far side, an art video is being shown.
The art marathon, a relatively new method of bringing art to the masses, was conducted by Kala Samooha, under the aegis of the Remani Nambyar Foundation and Srishti Art Gallery, Bangalore, as part of the Kochi Muziris Biennale.
Around a hundred artists, several of them from South India and the remaining from states like Assam, and Delhi, came together to participate in the three-day programme.
“The art marathon has been
inspired by the sports marathon. So, a group of artists displayed their art works, at a single time.
We gave a 45 minute slot for at least four to five artists. It continued throughout the day,” says Lakshmi, who initiated the project, The aim is to give a better platform for artists. “At the moment, the art work is given more preference, but the artist behind the work is not,” says Lakshmi.
“However, the special feature is that artists can interact with the public and with each other.” The art marathon will be conducted every two years.