KOCHI: The seventh edition of Kochi Muziris Biennale (KMB) that will go on ground in 2027-28 will have French-Algerian Artist Kader Attia as the curator. Jitish Kallat, president of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale, made the announcement at a special event organised by the Foundation in Venice on Friday.
Kader was selected by a committee chaired by Jitish. The other committee members are Shilpa Gupta, Amrita Jhaveri, Pooja Sood, Tasneem Zakaria Mehta, Mariam Ram, and Rirkrit Tiravanija. The seventh edition of KMB will open in December 2027.
Born in Dugny, France, in 1970, Kader Attia is an internationally recognised artist, curator, and professor at the University of Fine Arts Hamburg (HfbK Hamburg). His practice engages deeply with questions of history, memory, repair, and the enduring legacies of colonialism.
As the curator of the Seventh Edition of KMB, Kader will begin a process of curatorial research and dialogue towards developing the framework for the 2027–2028 edition, with Kochi as a vital point of departure within a wider field of artistic, historical, and contemporary inquiry.
Kallat said, “Kader brings to the Biennale artistic depth, curatorial openness, and a strong pedagogic sensibility. The committee was drawn to the poetic range and generative potential of his proposal, and to the flexible curatorial framework it offered for bringing multiple artistic practices, and histories into meaningful relation in Kochi. Kader had participated in the 2014 edition of the Biennale and we look forward to the ways in which his curatorial vision will take shape in Kochi.”
Speaking on his appointment, Kader said, “Ever since I visited Kochi for the first time, I have dreamed of coming back and building connections between the many intertwined influences that are at the core of this city.
I am thrilled to have the opportunity to bring this desire to life on the scale of a biennial, together with the fantastic team of the Biennale,. Dreams repair us, like art… and the Biennale, as well as Kerala, will give us the space-time to reclaim our sovereignty over our dreams.”
“The sixth edition of the Biennale was remarkable in many ways. It reaffirmed the biennale’s role as a vibrant space for dialogue, imagination, and inclusiveness.
The announcement of the new curator, Kader Attia, marks the beginning of a fresh journey — one that will continue to challenge, inspire, and connect global voices with our local realities. We are committed to building on this legacy with new ideas, deeper engagements, and bold artistic explorations, while remaining rooted in Kochi’s cultural fabric,” said Dr Venu V, the chairperson of the Kochi Biennale Foundation.
“Each Biennale is a new conversation with the world. I hope the seventh edition will open an exciting chapter for the ‘People’s Biennale.’”
