Performative and Percussionist Art Tradition Of Kerala
Essay based on Dr. Manoj Kuroor's lecture on 'The Performative and Percussionist Art Tradition of Kerala'. ( available on you tube) Kuroor gives an insightful talk about Kerala's performance art and music, talking in depth about the origins of Sangam literature, what exactly does it mean, how is it structured, its aesthetic rules and dictums etc. But before that he introduces the idea of ‘performance art’ and one of the writers he mentions is Jacques Ranciere - his book - Aisthesis in which talks about the power of art to emancipate the spectator in terms of interpreting art and appreciating it in one's own terms. This leads to the idea that political action is brought about not only through rational ideas, but is also affected by art and aesthetic ideas which can play a prominent role in political struggles. Art is a way to challenge and make heard and visible what has been historically rendered inaudible and invisible. The speaker brings in two ancient Greek t
