What does it mean to belong? Before the world was so hyperlinked, perhaps the answers to this question seemed more accessible.

This was also the question at the heart of a truly extraordinary art show I saw this week. Lokame Theravadu, or The World is One Family, is an exhibition of contemporary art by artists from Kerala, held in public venues across the city of Allapuzha/Alleppy, organised by the Kochi Biennale Foundation. The event showcased the works of 267 artists —some who live in the state, others live around the world or India. Their relationship to the culture of Kerala was sometimes tangible—through images recognisably of Kerala’s natural and social landscape. At other times, it was something you discerned, through a mood, a stance, a tone or approach. Themes ranged from childhood, politics, nature, history, gender, pain, isolation, work and bodies. The idea of belonging present in the stunning diversity of the work, throbbed with life and meaning, like a rainforest.