Biennale all set to waft in, creative minds to hold city in thrall 

 The fourth edition of Kochi Muziris Biennale(KMB) showcasing contemporary art from across continents for 108 days will get under way here on Wednesday.

KOCHI: The fourth edition of Kochi Muziris Biennale(KMB) showcasing contemporary art from across continents for 108 days will get under way here on Wednesday. As many 94 artists will display their creative oeuvre at the 10 venues of the mega event which will be on from December 12 -March 29.

Seminars, workshops, lectures, cinema and performances will also liven up the latest edition of South Asia’s biggest contemporary art event which will be curated by artist Anita Dube. The biennale, which has ‘Possibilities for a Non-Alienated Life’ as its curatorial theme,  encourages visitors to participate in its course beyond being mere visitors.

“The pavilion will have no hierarchies regarding who could speak on what, how long, when and in which language. It is energised by the interactions between works, the dialogue sparked between artistic voices and practices. The audience is invited to share, to listen, and even to challenge the space,” said Dube.
The emphasis on interaction will be a defining feature of the upcoming festival, according to  Bose Krishnamachari, Kochi Biennale Foundation(KBF) president.    

He said  Dube has been credited with curating the world’s first biennale in which women make up more than half of the participating artists. The inaugural gala at the Parade Ground will begin with a chenda melam orchestra led by Padma Shri Peruvanam Kuttan Marrar. The inauguration will be followed by a live show by  Bengaluru-based Vasu Dixit Collective.

The event will be held across various heritage venues in the twin towns of Fort Kochi and Mattanchery as well as in downtown Ernakulam. The venues include, Aspinwall House, Durbar Hall (Ernakulam), Pepper House, Cabral Yard (site of the Biennale Pavilion), David Hall, Kashi Art Café, Kashi Town House, Anand Warehouse, TKM Warehouse and MAP Project Space.

There will also be a Students’ Biennale, featuring 200 student-artists from private and public art schools nationwide and parts of South Asia.  Materials used for the Biennale’s Pavilion will be subsequently reused to construct a dozen houses for those affected by the August floods and landslides in the state.  On January 18 , select paintings, sculptures and installations of more than 40 artists will be auctioned in Kochi as part of the Foundation’s ARK (Art Rises for Kerala) initiative in partnership with auction house Saffronart. 

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