If I were to summarize, my trip was all about food, people, and art, in that order. Two days is an incredibly short time to do anything properly, but one would be amazed at the amount of food I ate.

Art and any form of it require such a deep connection to understand and have a dialogue with. It is not something you consume, it is something you connect with. It is something that talks to you and you talk right back to it. Merely passing by it, display after display, checking things off your list, and taking pictures for Instagram is one way of doing it. I just realized it was not for me. I would strongly recommend anyone planning to go for the Kochi Biennale to take two weeks off. Dedicate it to art and give yourself that kind of time to just surrender and receive from the universe.

Now I did not have that kind of time, and I saw very few of the art that was displayed there, and I do want to talk about a few things that hit me hard. Before we go on to the art, let us talk about the people. People coming in crowds to pass time, people making noises where only art should be speaking, people touching installations that should only be felt, people (Volunteers) walking over lines that clearly forbid them to. All this in the constant mayhem of the sound of selfie clicks and complaints about Kochi’s scorching heat.

Now, of the limited things that I saw, the photography exhibits of prisons from Mexico was what I most liked and admired. Of course, I did not click any pictures, my pictures would have done no justice to those pictures. It is something that you go, stand there and feel.

In this trip though, I have confirmed to myself what I always suspected. I am a culture person, my interest in travelling comes from life at a place, not the place itself. Sure, there are stunning things to see in different parts of the world, but what good are they without the history, the culture and the way of life that comes with that place. While at Fort Kochi, I was happiest when I am eating, or discovering places to eat or talking to people I have never met before. I have decided to write about a few interesting people I met, and some of the lovely food I ate, in subsequent posts.

The best thing about the entire trip remains the gorgeous sunset at the Kochi shore. I spent two hours there just standing and watching the skies change colour. I followed the golden light as the sun lit up the ocean like magic underneath. There were people, loads of people, but I felt myself slowly detaching from reality and for a while, it just felt like the sunset and me.

Though it was just two and half days, it was good to get around by myself, without the guilt of leaving my dog behind (not completely honest here). 🙂

Be back soon with the food posts! <3