Seeds of Continuity

In the hills of Koraput-Kandhamal, water is scarce and rice cultivation challenging. Millet becomes the staple grain. The practice of saving seeds enables autonomy. The millets carry the very resilience of the highlands.

Artists

Ashis Kumar Budek, Basudeba Behera, Bhimasen Biswal, Gatikrushna Naik, Chittaranjan Mohanta, Sanjana Sahoo (Utkal University of Culture, Odisha)

Medium

Mixed media (Rice husks, Soil, Paddy straw, Clay pots, Seeds, Terracotta pots and wooden tools used in farming, Sound and video elements, organic rice, organic seeds like Millets, Dearmillet, Sorghum etc.)

Venue

BMS Warehouse, Opposite Holy Cross Church Mattancherry (Kuriachante Nada)

Timings

10AM to 6PM (Mon to Sunday)

Till March 31st, 2026

About

Seeds of Continuity is an immersive installation rooted in the rice culture and shared kitchen traditions of mid-western Odisha. Six artists from Utkal University of Culture reconstruct rural hearths through bamboo, rice husk, paddy straw, clay, terracotta, and wooden farm tools.

The space evokes intimacy: where food is prepared, knowledge exchanged, stories unfold, and communal bonds sustained. Sound recordings, video documentation, and tactile elements offer sensorial passage into cycles of cultivation, harvest, celebration, and everyday sustenance.

A central hearth anchors the space, symbolising nourishment, resilience, and warmth. Touch grains. Smell straw. Witness cooking. The installation becomes a living archive of memory, food sovereignty, and ecological wisdom.

What seeds of culture do we carry forward into the future?

Kochi Biennale 2025