A Musical Hortus Malabaricus

A contemporary Music Art Project

Hortus Malabaricus (The Garden of Malabar) is a twelve-volume encyclopaedia that meticulously documents over 740 plant species of the Malabar Coast, that stretches from the Konkan region to Kanyakumari. Originally published between 1678 and 1693 in Amsterdam, this landmark treatise was the result of the collaboration of many local experts as well as scholars from the Netherlands.

A Musical Hortus Malabaricus reimagines this encyclopaedic work as sound, image, and story.

On stage, music, spoken text, and projected visuals unfold together to reveal the layered histories within the book. Botanical illustrations come alive through slow visual transitions, movement, and dramatic shifts in focus, guiding the audience from sweeping pages to intimate details. These historical materials are interwoven with contemporary artistic responses inspired by the Hortus Malabaricus, creating a dialogue across centuries.

Texts from the original volumes are heard in Latin alongside Malayalam, Kannada, Sanskrit, English, and Dutch reflecting the many voices embedded in the work’s creation and legacy.

Musically, the performance bridges Western jazz and Indian compositional traditions, with space for improvisation and live interaction with the projected imagery. Performed by an ensemble of acclaimed Dutch and Indian musicians, a Musical Hortus Malabaricus revives the spirit of intercultural collaboration that shaped the original books and recasts a historical archive as a bold, multisensory performance for today.

A Musical Hortus Malabaricus is an IME presentation, supported by the Embassy & Consulate General of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and opens at the Kochi Muziris Biennale.

Artists

Ned McGowan
Dr. Suma Sudhindra
Pramath Kiran
Keerthi Kumar
Oan Van Geel
Mark Tuinstra

Date and Time:
24th Jan 2026
Saturday

Venue:
IME Museum,
JP Nagar 7th phase,
Bengaluru – 560078

Registration:
Click here