A Letter from India (2019)

In Mattancherry, a place that is 5 square km give or take, a stone's throw away from Fort Kochi in Kerala, there live 39 communities from all around the country, and a few from across the high seas, who have resided together, side by side, for over 500 years. They came here for different reasons, in different times, but they all stayed for the collective reality that was far better than any dream could convey. This is the story of Mattancherry, a place where the idea of India comes alive like no place else. Biju Ibrahim has spent two years as a resident artist of Uru Art Harbour documenting the 39 different communities that live together in the 5 square km of Mattancherry. The project was inspired and mentored by Riyas Komu.