THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A big white box resting right inside the Kairali theatre, at the venue of the International Documentary and Short Film Festival Kerala, has been raising curiosity among the onlookers. Painted white on the outside and coal black on the inside, this box has been put up by the Kochi Biennale Foundation, which is organising the Kochi-Muziris Biennale, the largest public art event in the country. The big white box is a small space for the screening of the package ‘Inbox’, a collection of a dozen films on artists, directed by artists or on the art movement in general. The package was inaugurated by Culture Minister K C Joseph on Monday. The films in the package have been hand-picked to give the film-buffs an insight into the process of making art, a greater understanding of the artist’s mind and also to enable them to understand the stories of monumental works. Inbox includes two films on what goes behind the scene at the Biennale in Venice, possibly the best known exhibition of contemporary art worldwide. ‘’Five films directed by Susan Sollins will be the highlight of the package. The other films to watch out for include ‘The Subconscious Art of Fraffiti Removal’, which was screened at several prestigious venues across the world and ‘The Grand Tradition of Photo Journalism’, which uncovers the secrets behind the images of internationally known British photo journalist Don McCullin,’’ said Bonny Thomas, trustee of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale Foundation. The Art 21 series focuses on contemporary artists including a close-up on the Chinese artist Cai Guo-Qiang and explores the artistic world of Krzystof Wodiczko, whose ‘Interrogative Design’ combined art and technology to highlight marginal social communities. Also in the package is the experimental film ‘El Gringo’ directed by Francis Alys, where viewers experience the discomfort of being an outsider when the camera is confronted by a pack of snarling dogs. The director’s complex and elusive works, in video, painting, performance, documentary film and photography have been exhibited in many international institutions and biennales across the globe.‘’We are looking for spaces that will protect and project the autonomy of the artist. Just as we are collaborating with the short film festival, we would also like to be part of the International Film Festival of Kerala as well,’’ said Bonny Thomas. The films, picked up by Bose Krishnamachari and Riyas Komu, artistic director and director of the biennale respectively, will be screened one after the other, inside the white box. If you are lucky, you will get to see the films of your choice.
Comments
0 comment