KOCHI: For the first time since its inception in 2012, Kochi Muziris Biennale will not have Aspinwall House as its main venue, and if sources are to be believed, another DLF property, the Cabral Yard, will also be out of bounds for the sixth edition of Kochi’s prestigious global art event. Even as the Biennale is all set to take off from December 12, 2025, the absence of Aspinwall House from the list of venues will be a big miss. However, as per the initial list, Biennale 2025-26 will have 22 venues.
Over the years, the heritage building has been in the news, since there has been a growing demand from various quarters that the state government should buy Aspinwall House from DLF India, a real estate company.
According to K V Thomas, Special Representative of the Government of Kerala in New Delhi, the negotiations have not been abandoned. “The state government is still ready for negotiations, and the high-level team entrusted with the job is looking into means to break the deadlock,” he said. However, Biennale won’t be waiting for the acquisition to happen, he added. “The event will go ahead as scheduled,” said the special representative.
The sixth edition will see one venue set up on the 1.26 acres of government land near Aspinwall House. In the first four editions, the DLF had given Aspinwall House and Cabral Yard to KBF for free. However, after the negotiations between the state government and DLF failed to materialise into a sale, in the fifth edition, the properties were given to KBF on lease by DLF.
“Work is going on to get it ready for the Biennale. The building has been rundown, and in the last edition, things had not panned out after a copious amount of rain caused much damage,” said a source with the tourism department.
Things seemed to pan out for the art and heritage enthusiasts when, in February this year, the state government convened a high-level meeting that saw participation of the DLF representatives, besides those from the tourism department, Kochi Biennale Foundation (KBF), and the chief secretary. But things have been silent since then.
Sources said in the early days of negotiation, the state government had cited an amount of `60 crore, and the company had agreed. “But things didn’t pan out after the company raised the value to `80 crore. This made the state government drop the deal.
Then, after it was revealed that DLF has begun talks with multiple entities, including the Coast Guard, that had expressed interest to buy the heritage building for operational uses. This led to representations to the state government being made, urging it to take steps to save the heritage building. It was that which prompted the state government to renew dialogues. In the latest offer made by the DLF during the February meeting, the company had expressed its readiness to sell the property for `78.93 crore following negotiations,” said sources.
COLONIAL HERITAGE
The Aspinwall Company building, constructed in the 19th century, is named after visionary British trader John Aspinwall, who advocated for modern ports and railways in Kochi with the British authorities
Cabral Yard
The yard got its name after Pedro Álvares Cabral, the first Portuguese sailor who reached Kochi way back in 1500 AD. The Cochin king accorded a warm welcome to Cabral, the sailor, along with his fleet (after facing hostility in Malabar’s Calicut). So much so, the Portuguese subsequently got the consent to set up a base in Kochi, where they launched a spice factory
Land ownership
Aspinwall House: 2.44 acre
Ownership: DLF India
Cabral Yard: 1.26 acres; Ownership: DLF India
State government-owned property adjacent to Aspinwall House land: 1.24 acres
