Text credit: Roshan D

Seventy percent of the earth’s surface is covered with the elixir of life, which serves as a crucial lifeline to almost all the living species on the planet. March 22nd of every year is observed as World Water Day to highlight the importance of groundwater and advocate for the sustainable management of freshwater resources. While it is observed and celebrated across the world with a variety of events, this year’s statistical reports regarding the water level sources in India are nerve-racking.

As per UNESCO’s report, the nation will face an intensified water crisis by 2050. Many parts of central India are engaged in the withdrawal of 40 percent of their renewable surface water resources. With more than half of the country’s water bodies being heavily polluted, surface water along with groundwater resources have been heavily contaminated with metallic residue and improper disposal of human waste. As a country which is mainly dependent on rivers and groundwater for drinking and other domestic purposes, this will be an alarming wake-up call for the citizens of the nation.

While the world celebrates in various ways by spreading awareness about the importance of water conservation, Kochi Biennale Foundation put up a pop-up gallery showcasing artist Vipin Dhanurdharan’s Petrichor at LuLu Mall, Ernakulam. Vipin is a young artist who hails originally from Kollam, he has been living in Kochi since 2012. He had his first major breakthrough during the 2012-2013 edition of Biennale, where he presented his water installation. Petrichor is a video archive that tells the story behind this installation, beautiful memories about the canals recounted by the people of the area and the current status of the water bodies in and around the areas of Fort Kochi and Mattancherry.

As the inhabitants of the area recounted the tales about these canals, they recollected how clean and clear the canal used to be and some said that they were even able to see fish that lay in the bottom of the canal. Vipin, as a part of his art project, documented the water from various water bodies of the areas to create an awareness about how polluted and contaminated the water bodies are. Reportedly, he happened to even find faecal matter in the water that he collected.

Vipin, through this, wishes to communicate the importance of preserving water bodies and steps to eradicate it. While there isn’t an immediate solution to the issues related to the contamination of the water bodies, Vipin believes that documenting issues like this is necessary to create awareness and ultimately reach a solution.

Vipin Dhanurdharan’s Petrichor is a video work that explores the state of water bodies in Kochi. Today, on World Water Day, it opens for viewing within a pop-up gallery at LULU Mall in the city in collaboration with @kochibiennalefoundation , Come check out the work of this young Kochi artist… #kochi #kmb2018 #petrichor #vipindhanurdharan #artist #worldwaterday #kochibiennale #kochibiennalefoundation #lulugroup

A post shared by Kochi Biennale Foundation (@kochibiennalefoundation) on Mar 21, 2018 at 11:09pm PDT

Petrichor by Vipin Dhanurdharan will be showcased at LuLu Mall, Ernakulam from March 22, 2018, to April 8, 2018.

The post Vipin Dhanurdharan’s Petrichor – A Reflection On The City’s Water Bodies appeared first on FWD Life | The Premium Lifestyle Magazine |.