As one steps into the narrow passageway leading to Gallery OED in Mattancherry, one encounters graffiti with a distinct comic-book aesthetic, featuring wavy lines, bold colours, and interspersed forms. And then you see the artwork, Kaalam, by the Hashtag# Collective suspended in the air: acrylic letters of the Malayalam alphabet, a poem that speaks of the passage of time. One gets to sit with the idea of time, the impermanence and the quickness of its passage.
Walking under the poem overhead, there is an unmistakable sense of walking through time, reinforced by the fact that it is under the elements — the sky above, the earth below and the air passing through it, making the words bob in the air. It acquires a certain tangibility when expressed this way.
The members of the Hashtag# Collective: From left, Abin Chaudhari, Biju Kuriakose, Parvathi Nayar and Saira Biju
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SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
Rather simplistic and childlike, it is anything but. It has a meditative quality, making one contemplate the idea of time or rather the perception of time. The acrylic letters reflect light, which often filters through it. “Materiality plays a central role in shaping the experience,” the artists’ note says. Neon signage, mural and graffiti interventions by Apoorv Dutt, suspended acrylic Malayalam letterforms, painted surfaces, conceptual text, and a three-dimensional anamorphic rendering of the word Kaalam make up the art. “These elements are integrated directly into the architectural fabric of the courtyard, activating walls, thresholds, and sightlines while continuously altering perception through light, reflection, and distortion,” the note adds.
The Hashtag# Collective comprises artist/writer Parvathi Nayar, designer Abin Chaudhuri, artist Saira Biju and architect Biju Kuriakose. Parvathi’s poem, Kaalam: Time’s Ferocious Timeline, translated/adapted into Malayalam by Saira, lies at the heart of the work, which Parvathi says, “functions more as a conceptual framework rather than a narrative, informing the installation’s rhythm, sequencing, and spatial interruptions. Materiality plays a central role in shaping the experience.”
A multi-disciplinary artist, Parvathi Nayar’s practice spans complex drawing processes, video, installations, text, and photography. Known for her signature black-and-white graphite drawings, Parvathi’s artistic exploration is through the lens of science, technology, and environmental consciousness.
Her works include BreatheWater at The Esplanade Art Centre, Singapore (2022); Chicken Run at the Chennai Photo Biennale (2021–22); the iconic 20-foot “drawn sculpture” A Story of Flight at Mumbai Airport’s T2 Terminal; and The Fluidity of Horizons at the Kochi-Muziris Biennale (2014/15) among others.
Biju Kuriakose is the co-founder of architectureRED, a Chennai-based architecture and urban design practice. A Master’s degree holder in Architecture and Urban Design from Pratt Institute, New York, Biju’s work spans diverse scales — from large urban planning projects to institutional, commercial, urban, and rural housing developments. Abin Chaudhury, a graduate of Jadavpur University, Kolkata and an Industrial Design alumnus of Domus Academy, Milan, is the founder of Abin Design Studio (ADS).
Saira Biju is an artist whose practice has been shaped by her long-standing engagement with art from school through college, even while pursuing non-art academic degrees at Stella Maris College, Chennai. Her time at the School of Visual Arts, New York, strengthened her foundation in formal experimentation, particularly around the interplay of subject, medium, and technique — an approach that continues to inform her work.
Meanwhile Sindhura VS is an architect and urban designer who uses spatial and visual storytelling to craft immersive, narrative-driven experiences. Apoorv Dutt is a visual artist known for a distinctive storytelling style that blends philosophy, humour, and bold graphic discipline. The founder of Vividiti Designs and principal artist of “Franklyapooooorv,” her practice transforms personal and societal chaos into visually structured narratives.
Kaalam, on at Gallery OED, Mattancherry, concludes on March 31.
Published – March 09, 2026 09:14 am IST