ATTAKKALARI INDIA BIENNIAL 2009 , Opening

On the 6th of February, as the sun set over Bangalore, Chowdiah Memorial Hall came alive with a spectacular display of colour, energy, artistry, physicality and technology as all these combined to create the Inaugural ceremony of the Attakkalari India Biennial 2009.

The city, its inhabitants, locations, day-to-day happenings and its constant transformation was the theme of this site-specific event. Marking the opening of the Attakkalari India Biennial 2009, contemporary urban life and its distant traces were brought to life, animating the entire architecture of the Chowdiah Memorial Hall.

Dancers, choreographers, composers, musicians, digital artists, light designers, architects, carnival artists and costume designers from different parts of the world - Japan, Netherlands,the UK, Belgium, Sweden, Portugal, Spain, France and India - stretched the boundaries of performance in this trans-disciplinary work. Alongside international artistes, local folk artistes added vibrant Khamsale and Dollu Kunitha performances to the event in the spirit of the moment.

On the pathway, as a part of a promenade performance, dancers and physical performers in colourful, large carnival costumes entered along with a decorated auto-rickshaw which became the connecting theme of the event and acted as a mascot. A drum orchestra from Portugal and India in costume, martial artists with colourful sticks and flags, illuminated constructions on push-carts invoking images of a city that is constantly being rebuilt followed. The enveloping sound and huge projection created the context for an electrifying performance animating the outside space at the Chowdiah Memorial Hall.

It was truly a collaborative effort of artists from different parts of the world, drawing from their individual journeys as well as historical ones such as spice trades of yester years, On the Move portrayed urban life, its little joys as well as trials and tribulations.

Alison Pretty lead a team of seven designers from London (UK), working with 20 young designers of National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) to create the costume and visual feel of the site-specific grand multimedia promenade performance to mark the opening of Attakkalari India Biennial 2009 at Chowdiah Memorial Hall. Ali and her team of designers from Kinetika have created costumes at the Atlanta Olympics and many big outdoor events throughout the world. (www.kinetika.co.uk )

The event also involved Brouhaha, the UK-based organization who develop quality arts and cultural projects and programmes including carnivals that meet the aspirations of diverse communities at a local, national and international level. They presented Spice– a four nation (Portugal, Spain, UK and Attakkalari, India) collaborative work funded by the European Union as part of the inaugural performance at the festival.
( www.brouhaha.uk.com)

Cutting edge interactive design, an installation, music and a performance from Japanese artists Kunihiko Matsuo, Naoki Hamanaka, Mitsuaki Matsumoto and JOU altered the perception of the audience while large outer walls of the building were used for projections and lighting to create a new perception of a city in transformation. German digital artist Christian Ziegler and his team worked on the 4 glass panels on each side of the entrance to project a video installation of Bangalore, giving a panoramic view of the city while moving through it. Thomas Dotzler, Light Designer ( Sweden), Imre Dsebrik, and TransMedia Technologies ( India) also provided expert technical support for Light design and execution.

The audience watched alongside the promenade and also witnessed stand alone performances in the foyer. Inside the auditorium they were further treated to a finale performance on stage by Attakkalari, Brouhaha, Jou and Paris based musician and composer Mathias Duplessy on the Mongolian Morin Khuur/ Acoustic Guitar with celebrated percussionist Hariharan on the Mizhavu .

The idea was to bring the spirit of the city to the premises of Chowdiah and celeberate the vibrancy of a "City On The Move -Connecting People ".