Mattancherry’s Market Road is a hive of activity on weekdays, trucks laden with goods jostling for space with small vehicles and pedestrians, some of them tourists, warehouses stand along the water’s edge of the road and the dusty smell of jute sacks and spices hangs in the air.
With the Biennale, some of these warehouses are transformed into art galleries showcasing art from around the country and the world. In between there are tea shops and small shops selling daily goods. It is chaotic, but, if you close your eyes for a few seconds you can easily imagine the past and present of Mattancherry as a trading post.
Wall painting by The Trespassers at Arman Collective | Photo Courtesy: Tulsi Kakkat
Many warehouses are in varying degrees of disrepair, age taking a toll on them, with their facades and parts of some buildings falling into disrepair. In the middle of it all is a warehouse with a white and gray facade with an inconspicuous black board announcing Arman Collective. There is a row of six small shops in front.
It is one of the venues for the Biennale Collateral, ADAM, run by Aishwarya Suresh and KM Madhusudanan to showcase artists from Kerala. Other venues are the Cube Art Space and the Garden Convention Centre.
A short, narrow path leads to the warehouse. And nothing prepares you for this sight… At the far end you can see the waters flowing past Mattancherry and Fort Kochi, and the brightly colored anchored fishing boats swaying on them. The central courtyard has a lawn with benches all around, facing the water there is a covered area with minimal benches where you can enjoy the water and life on them. The backdrop walls of the lawn have striking images of Kochi-based bodybuilder Bhumika, while the wall facing the water has art of trespassers.
And this is just the first impression, there is a lot more happening in space.
The brains behind Arman Collective are entrepreneur/businessman Arun Muken and his wife Rhea. Arun says, “We [the space] All including this one have been part of the Biennale. What happens is that such warehouses remain open for four months of the biennium every two years and I thought it was time to change that. I wanted to revive old Mattancherry, which was a cultural center and commercial powerhouse of Kerala. Rather than wait for the Biennial to start something, they decided to do something with this space. Another 111 markaz of his warehouse is also a bivouac site.
From the Adam Show Photo Courtesy: Tulsi Kakkat
He says the outsourced stores are a depiction of some of Kerala’s traditional industries: pottery, spices, tea, coir and, one of Arun’s favourites, chips. Studio Beyond Maya, The Steep House of Tea Stories, Malabar Chips, Cause Café and The Yard Pop-Up are some of the brands that have taken up space at Arman, which has become one of the popular hangout spots in the city with music performances.
central courtyard, Chukkukkalam (Chukku It is dry ginger, it is pen and courtyard) has been transformed into Prakadan KendramA performance space, where Arun hopes to organize “traditional performing art forms Kalari, Kathakali and dance performances”.
This place will remain open throughout the year, as will the shops. “We decided to open a store here because, of course, Mr. Muken invited us and also because it gives us access to a wider customer base,” says Riza Yu of Malabar Chips. This is the first Malabar Chips outlet apart from the main outlet near Ernakulam South Railway Station. Studio Beyond Maya has been hosting pottery sessions at Arman since last month. Arun plans to make space for a few more shops, but after the biennium.
One of the highlights of Arman Collective is undoubtedly the Cause Café outlet, Cause Layover. Particularly attractive is the ceiling above its seating area made of repurposed doors, making it a quirky mosaic of colors and surfaces. Another listening room for vinyl enthusiasts is the Vinyl Sound Bath Listening Room, also known as the Red Room.
Coffee Shop at Cause Layover, Arman Collective | Photo Courtesy: Tulsi Kakkat
A narrow wooden staircase at the side of the café leads to the first floor, where part of the Adam Show is being displayed. The remaining shows are running in venues on the ground floor near the audience hall.
Adam is on display in Arman’s 4,000-square-foot gallery space spread across various rooms. However, Arun does not intend to use all the space as an art gallery in the future. “We will use half of that as gallery space or part of the floor. If I use the entire area…I don’t want the place to be called the Durbar Hall of Mattancherry. I want to promote art and tradition.” He is referring to the Durbar Hall Art Gallery in Ernakulam.
This place, says Arun, “I wanted to keep it traditional, retain the ambiance and spirit of Mattancherry – a little traditional, a little rustic and charming!”
published – February 17, 2026 02:22 PM IST