Community-made sculpture relocates to Fort Kochi Water Metro station
KOCHI: A large textile artwork fashioned from discarded clothing now hangs under the roof of the Fort Kochi Water Metro station, bringing a participatory strand of the Kochi Muziris Biennale into daily commuter space. The installation, titled Poocha Vimaanam or The Cat Flight, was conceived and realised as part of the Kochi Biennale Foundation's ABC (Art By Children) programme.
The sculpture was developed through a public workshop held at the ABC Art Room during the Kochi Muziris Biennale 2025–26. Textile artist Rashi facilitated the workshop with support from the ABC Art Room team; the metal inner armature was designed and welded by artists Arjun S Sasikumar and Govind Rajamani. Members of the public of all ages attached pieces of old clothing to the structure over a three-day period, transforming donated garments into the finished work.
"Evoking an image of stretching, pausing, and becoming weightless amidst the demands of everyday life."
The Biennale Foundation describes the piece as an invitation to reflect on rest, playfulness and shared creativity. Constructed from upcycled materials collected from communities across Kerala, the sculpture is presented as both a material transformation and a symbol of collective effort.
From Biennale venue to public transit
Originally installed on the roof of the ABC Art Room during the Biennale, Poocha Vimaanam has been relocated to the Fort Kochi Water Metro station. Placing the work in a transit environment extends its visibility and purpose: the installation is now sited where daily encounters with commuters and visitors are likely, offering a new context for informal public engagement with art.
- Title: Poocha Vimaanam / The Cat Flight
- Materials: Discarded clothing (upcycled textile), metal inner structure
- Makers involved: Textile artist Rashi; metalwork by Arjun S Sasikumar and Govind Rajamani; ABC Art Room team and public workshop participants
- Location: Fort Kochi Water Metro station, Kochi
By moving the installation into a public transport node, the Kochi Biennale Foundation is continuing its stated commitment to public art as a shared social and creative experience. The ABC programme, which foregrounds children's and community participation, aims to make contemporary art accessible beyond gallery spaces and festival venues.
Local context and civic implications
Kochi's public art interventions have increasingly engaged with civic spaces in recent years, a trend visible during the Biennale and in related projects. Installing community-made works in transit hubs broadens audiences and raises questions about how art interacts with everyday urban life — including considerations of maintenance, public safety and the durability of fabric-based artworks in outdoor or semi-outdoor settings.
Officials and the Biennale Foundation framed the relocation as a way to extend the life of the work within the city's public realm. For commuters, the installation presents an unexpected moment of visual interest and an occasion to reflect on reuse and collaborative making.
| Aspect | Detail |
|---|---|
| Creation method | Three-day public workshop at ABC Art Room |
| Materials | Donated clothing from Kerala communities; welded metal frame |
| Primary collaborators | Textile artist Rashi; Arjun S Sasikumar; Govind Rajamani; ABC Art Room team |
As with other community-centred projects, the success of such an installation in a transit setting will depend on continued engagement between cultural organisers, authorities managing public infrastructure, and neighbourhood residents. The relocation also signals a broader impulse to weave cultural programming into the fabric of urban mobility links across Kochi.
The ABC Art Room remains an integral initiative of the Kochi Biennale Foundation, and the presence of Poocha Vimaanam at a Water Metro station is likely to prompt further public encounters with festival-related artworks in non-traditional sites.
