Kolleri's aim with this sculpture was to deliberate upon the passage of time, in context to a place such as Kochi. Over the centuries Kochi has been home or trading outpost to a number of international and local peoples. From the kings of Kerala to Jewish immigrants who set up home and temple just a few kilometres away from the sculpture site, to the Dutch who controlled the ports till the British took over, Kochi has seen numerous communities come and go, and leave behind remnants through food, architecture and habits. Like Kochi, the sculpture seeks to be a reminder of time, as well as the distillation of itself through the natural processes of erosion.
An additional aspect of the sculpture is the use of laterite and other natural materials in its construction. A rock-type found extensively in south and south-west India, laterite is iron-rich and red in colour. Known to be long-lasting under extreme weathering conditions, it was the stone of choice for house building in southern India. Even today states along the southern coast of India are dotted with red laterite buildings. Kolleri's use of the rock is not only a nod to the area's history but also an ecologically conscious decision as the production and use of laterite is less energy consuming and construction that uses laterite could avoid concrete, bricks and mortar to a large extent; thus offering possible ecologically sound solutions to its audience, while simultaneously inculcating a sense of pride in existing laterite structures which are recently losing out to apartment complexes, etc.
The Kochi Biennale is viewed by a very large local audience who, according to organisers and local bloggers, found the piece intriguing and thought provoking. The ecological concerns the piece brought up were considered in many local publications in both Malayalam (the vernacular language spoken in Kerala) and English, thus making it's impact felt.
Originally a shipyard, the Cabral yard was a space taken over by nature due to years of disuse. The Kochi Biennale Foundation commissioned Kolleri, an artist from Kerala itself, to restructure the space into a cultural hub through his practice. Kolleri fulfilled this tall order by creating multiple structures to resemble a small amphitheatre, along with a central sculpture. The sculpture is meant to show the decay of time. The space around it is now in use for workshops etc at the biennale, thus hitting the required mark.
All copyright belongs to Shanghai Academy of Fine Arts, Shanghai University.
