Odisha Biennale, a week long festival consisting of workshops and performances, is brought together by artists from all over the world to the temple city of Bhubaneshwar. One of the most distinguished acts of the festival was the “visual music” performed by Mahesh Vinayakram and Akito Sengoku which consisted of a fusion of Carnatic music and Visualization.
“Play and search for the scope of your body movement”, a Contemporary Dance Workshop” by Vacant Seat was conducted, which let people hear the voices of their bodies and witness the beginning of the dance.
“You are not alone” is the “Lost Alien’s” message which Osamu Adachi aimed to spread among the people of Bhubaneswar. He visited different sites in the city, wearing a mascot designed by him to reach out to the crowd.
“Vacant Seat”, a centre stage performance by Yuki Kamimura and Kae Kubo from VONNOS had an intelligent approach of depicting the space that defines the absence of time. Yuki Kamimura and Kae Kubo finished their education in Japan University of art, and a contemporary dance course in the theatre department of the same university. They formed a company in 2014. They value the drawing of the delicate parts of the spirit through dancing, and they believe in the assembly of detailed choreography to create scenes. They focus on hidden emotions and appearances, searching for a way to create a kind of dance that can express the imperfections of daily life.
“Nidravathvam”, a magnetic one-woman act performed by the Adishakti Laboratory for Theatre Art Research left the audience spellbound. The piece revolved around Kumbhakarna and Laxmana, and how both were connected by boons that dramatically altered their cycles of sleep and wakefulness. Performer, Nimmy Raphel, seamlessly transitioned between the roles of Kumhakarna, Laxmana and narrator.
Regarding the aim of organising the Odisha Biennale, Masako Ono, a Japanese Odissi Dancer and founder of Masako Ono Performing Arts explains, “Through live performances, workshops, exhibitions and interactive sessions, Odisha Biennale aims to build a variety of cross-cultural discourses in the fields of dance, art, music, photography, film, design and fashion in an international context with special attention to creating a sustainable environment by amalgamating social causes with the reaches of cultural and artistic efforts.
We have decided to organise the Biennale in the land of Odisha, which is rich, diverse and artistic. In this edition, we are very happy to have beautiful museums like Kala Bhoomi as our venue, where you can see the depth and richness of Odia culture. Dancers, film artists, designers, craft artisans, visual artists, singers, actors, installation artists, architects, professors, fashion stylists, meditation instructors, performers, 3D mapping artists and photographers participated in the event.”
Odisha Biennale benefits the city, as well as the state. Vishal K. Dev, IAS, Commissioner-cum-Secretary, Odisha Tourism which has sponsored the programme, says: “Odisha Tourism’s tagline is “India’s best kept secret” and through such festivals we invite artists from India and abroad to discover the art and culture of Odisha. They further interact with people of Odisha, showcase their art work, or create art work together with artists of Odisha and become ambassadors of the state. Through such illustrious artists from India and abroad merge into the art and culture of Odisha, interacting with the people of Odisha, the universal amalgamation happens in Odisha.”
Taruka is a sports and travel writer. She is a former Asian Games Player and a British Council GREAT Scholar.
You can read her travelogues here and find her on Twitter.
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