Nature of art

Witness a world made of trees and words at Poetree, an interactive installation at Fort Kochi
The Poetree crew
The Poetree crew

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Every installation speaks of a story. Poetree, a site-specific artwork at Ballard Bungalow, is all about celebrating a story of friendship.

A 20-year-old one to be specific, shared by a poet and an artist. Marking the first full-fledged collaboration between award- winning poet Kuzhur Wilson and artist Ambi Sudhakaran, this work showcases the transformation of Wilson’s poem My poetry asked spring its name into an interactive structure showcasing over 500 tree saplings provided by the Uttarakhand-based NGO
Green Vein.  

Labour of love

Widely considered as the first poetry blogger from Kerala, this particular work by Wilson isn’t about
conservation or global warming, but his eternal love for trees. “The literary work chosen for this installation is a rather lengthy one. It attributes human emotions to trees.

More than 100 variants—including guava trees, red sandalwood and less familiar ones like vayyankatha (Indian coffee plum)—are mentioned. The poem sees the season of Spring, articulating the physical/emotional state of these trees as it arrives,” explains the  1-year-old, who will soon publish the same as part of his upcoming anthology of poetry, Mara Kavithakal.
Under the canopy

For Ambi Sudhakaran, a Medical College employee-turned-artist who is curating Poetree, the priority is creating something in collaboration with nature. “The centrepiece is a decade-old mango tree at the Bungalow, which is adorned with printed notes bearing Wilson’s words.

The saplings provided by Green Vein are arranged
symmetrically around the tree leading up to a wall—which is painted with an image that resembles both a sacred grove (kaav) and a brain at once— evocative of the connection  between humankind and nature,” adds the artist, who has been working on the project for over a month.


Personal notes
Calling out to both art and nature lovers at once, the duo also promises the presence of famous literary
personalities like Benyamin at the venue. “Since it is an interactive installation, we will have several
noted personalities sharing their personal experiences/memories related to trees under the canopy of our installation,” shares Wilson, who won the Youth Icon Award for Literature by the Kerala State Youth Mission this year.

A collaborative project, the duo’s artwork will also feature UK-based artists Robert Morris Monroe  and  Thara along with poetess Haritha Unnithan.  Till January 6, 2017. At Art Space, Ballard Bungalow. Details: 2215854

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