THIRUVANANTHAPURAM : Sculptor Kanayi Kunhiraman has come out against the tourism department decision to refurbish the Conch sculpture he made in Veli. The decision to place a helicopter next to the famed Sagarakanyaka statue in Shanghumugam has also invited severe criticism from Kanayi as well as many artists across the state.
Kanayi told TNIE that the unilateral decision of the department to work on the statues without even consulting him goes to show the disrespect and disregard faced by artists and art in the state. “The sculpture in Veli and the landscaping around it were done by me. It was a place with stagnant water when I visited the place back in 1986 and started working on the statue.
The work in Veli is a result of our tireless work. The people in Veli are aware of my contributions to the project. It was those people who called me up and asked me if I was aware of the changes being made. The authorities unfortunately don’t have the art sense that the people have. Perhaps if this work was installed outside this state or country, it would have received more respect and regard,” said Kanayi.
He also addressed the placement of helicopter near Sagarakanyaka. “What is the connection of the helicopter and the statue? The statue was made with the idea of a mermaid unable to live in the sea and facing difficulties in land also because of polluting factors. The landscaping around it is supposed to convey the idea,” said Kanayi.
E H Pushkin, Venu Kotheril and Tensing Joseph are a few of the artists who have come out against the move strongly via social media posts. It was Venu who first brought the issue to limelight after a phone conversation with Kanayi whom he had called up after hearing about the incidents. In his first social media post regarding the incident, Venu had said that Kanayi himself was not aware of the move to do patchwork on his sculpture in Veli.
“The state of such art works and disregard for their artistic value is painful to watch,” said Venu. An official with the planning division of tourism department said only painting will be done on the statue. “We meant no disrespect by the move and the only aim is to make the statue suit the development works that were done here by painting it. Nothing about the statue will be changed. As of now the company overseeing the works in Veli has refused to do the maintenance work as it doesn’t fall under the initial contract. We are in talks with others to complete the work and the refurbishment will be done,” said the official.
E H Pushkin told TNIE that the decision makers are not concerned or aware of the art. “Only an artist has the right to paint a sculpture and that’s the case anywhere in the world. It’s a negative culture we see in art field here. In many other states across the country, art receives more respect,” he said.
Expert committee sought
These artists are also demanding an expert committee to protect art forms and take decisions concerning the sculptures and other art forms. Kanayi Kunhiraman said if such a panel is set up, it should be independent of Lalitha Kala Academy and it should cater to old and contemporary art works. According to Tensing, a panel which has artists as members is the best way to go.
“When we were doing the art work on the walls- Arteria- in Palayam, the then collector Biju Prabhakar was constantly in touch with artists. He took inputs from artists rather than bureaucrats and it shows in the quality of the work,” he said. He also criticised the decision to place a helicopter near Sagarakanyaka statue. “Each sculpture of Kanayi has its own space. The sculpture was made with that space in mind and by invading it, they are taking the essence away from the art work,” he said.