KOCHI: Bose Krishnamachari, artist and co-founder of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale, resigned from the Kochi Biennale Foundation (KBF) on Wednesday, marking the exit of one of the most influential figures behind India’s largest contemporary art festival.
“After 15 years of being deeply committed and involved in building the foundation and shaping the Biennale, from its inception as an artist-led initiative to what it is today, I felt this was the right moment to step back, for personal and family reasons, and to return more fully to my own artistic practice,” Bose said in a statement.
Bose was serving as president of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale and as a member of the board of trustees of the foundation.
Following the development, the Kochi Biennale Foundation has begun the process of identifying “an eminent person with high credentials in the art world” to take over as president, an official note read.
Biennale Foundation is in a strong place: Bose
“We are looking to get someone as early as possible,” KBF chairperson Venu Vasudevan told TNIE. When pressed for more details on why Bose left the foundation in the midst of the 2025-2026 Biennale, he referred to the statement released, adding, “I have nothing further to add.”
Bose, along with artist Riyas Komu, founded the Biennale in 2012 as an artist-led initiative. Over the past 15 years, the festival’s success positioned Kochi on the global contemporary art map. Bose co-curated the inaugural edition and remained closely involved in shaping the festival’s curatorial philosophy, funding model and international networks.
However, the Biennale’s journey in recent years has been far from smooth.
The foundation faced a major rupture in 2018 when Riyas resigned following allegations of sexual harassment. The incident also triggered debates about the festival’s governance and accountability.
Subsequent editions were affected by financial constraints, pandemic-related disruptions and repeated postponements, which strained relationships all around.
The sixth edition, which opened in December, also ran into a controversy when an artwork by Tom Vattakuzhy was withdrawn after protests from certain groups, which found it offensive.
Bose had then maintained that the foundation “does not wish to take down the artwork”, only to see it withdrawn from the exhibition so as not to incite “public sentiments”. The incident reignited tensions around artistic freedom and political pressure.
Insiders suggest that this tussle may have influenced Bose’s decision. “In recent interviews, he has spoken publicly about his disappointment over allegations related to the Biennale’s finances and about the personal cost of sustained institutional involvement,” a person in the know told TNIE.
There is also talk in some circles of an “ego clash” between Bose and the foundation’s new leadership, following a restructuring that saw former chief secretary Venu appointed its chairperson in 2024. The foundation has not commented on these.
“The foundation is in a strong place, and future editions are already gaining momentum, which gives me confidence and peace in making this decision,” Bose said, explaining his exit.