KOCHI: In what comes as a ray of hope to the tourism industry and the art lovers of Kerala, the Kochi-Muziris Biennale (KMB) which attracts tourists from across the globe is likely to be conducted as per schedule. Speaking to TNIE, KMB director Bose Krishnamachari said curatorial research activities for the KMB were completed, even as interactions with the artists taking part in the event were still under way.
The fifth edition of the Muziris Biennale, a first-of-its-kind global contemporary art exhibition in India, is scheduled to be held from December 2020 to April 2021 in Kochi.
Over a hundred artists from different parts of the globe take part in the event. “As of now, we intend to stick to the schedule. However, we are aware that we will have to do a few things differently. It will take a few more months for us to know the kind of changes we’ll have to make in the way we function. All that will depend on how the situation takes shape. The team is ideating ways to produce the Biennale by adhering to what the situation demands, while also not giving up on what is fundamental to the spirit of Kochi -- people being able to come together to view and partake in art,” he said.
Curatorial research activities constitute a huge chunk of the preparatory works and that have been completed, Bose pointed out.
“Fortunately, our curator Shubigi Rao had managed to travel to about 35 countries before international travel came to a halt. However, since site visits do not seem like a possibility, the team is now in conversation with the artists to try and come up with ways to adapt their proposals to the situation,” he said.
“At least six months are left for the event to commence. We will announce the names of the participating artists soon. Considering the travel situation, we can’t give a final word on this now,” he said.
As of now, there are also no plans to conduct the KMB on a virtual platform in case the situation worsens. However, Covid-19 is likely to reflect on the artworks exhibited at KMB 2020.
“These times call for sensitisation and a rethinking of the way we have been going about with our lives for so long. Art can be a site at which some of this thinking can take place,” he said.
Event to highlight role of art in times of crisis
KOCHI: With Covid-19 dampening the global economy and people’s morale, the Kochi Muziris Biennale’s theme for the upcoming edition can lead to a sustainable dialogue on the role of art in times of humanitarian crisis, said KBF founder president Bose Krishnamachari.
“The ideas of the resilience of the human imagination and of the capacities of art in times of crisis are part of curator Shubigi Rao’s conceptual frame for the 2020 Biennale (beginning on December 12). This year’s KMB can become a responsive instance of that spirit,” he said.