Title: Counterhegemonic and polyphonic cultural resistance
Location: Cherai, Vypin Island, India
Artist: Paola Delfin (Mexico)
With: Kochi-Muziris Biennale, Kerala Lalithakala Akademi
Year: 2023
Photo Credits: Cavan Antony
“My latest work in this extra special chapter in India was in Cherai, in the spectacular state of Kerala, this “small” City surrounded with beautiful landscapes, is home to an inclusive and inspiring community that has achieved radical changes in the history of the country, changes that continue to have a strong impact through collective efforts that improve the living conditions and the rights and equity of its inhabitants.
It is here where in 1917 Sahodaran Ayyappan, social reformer, revolutionary, & poet, organized the Misra Bhojanam (Inter-Caste Dining) with which he annihilated “caste purity”, through this historic dinner, all castes dining under one roof for the first time, proclaiming “Humanity above all.”
In Cherai you breathe a spirit of resistance, dignity, unity and generosity, hard-working, beautiful people who think about their neighbors, a big fraternity, smiles, love and beauty, a land with so much talent, art & impressive flora & fauna, also huge hearts.
This is a tribute to its people and its tireless spirit, i portrayed the fisherwomen & men, the cane weavers, the teachers and artists and the beautiful work they do, and their children, who grow up with these parents as an encouraging example, a tribute to a community that even if faced with adversity protects its ideals with determination.
To you, thank you for pursuing equality & balance and for maintaining a kind spirit, for receiving me with so much love & those big smiles that are engraved in my soul, confirming in my life the purpose I chose. You all are inspiration”
Paola Delfin
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Categories: OperArt, Street art
Barbara Picci 