India’s Kochi-Muziris Biennial is the largest international contemporary art exhibition globally. Its story represents India’s reality-its political, social, and artistic landscape.
The concept of a global platform for art in India began as a government initiative when the Department of Cultural Affairs of the Government of Kerala approached Riyas Komu and Bose Krishnamachari.Â
The project posed a challenge in proportion to its ambition. India had never before organized a biennial, but the idea was there. It was impossible to build the infrastructure needed for this exhibition-no spaces and no institutional support systems.
By partnering with local businesses, businesses, and the government, the Biennale found the spaces and made them available for the arts. India’s art community has been rapidly growing, and it is emerging on the international stage.
The international art community has offered their support in sending artists and art to participate in Kochi. Artists became the Biennale’s spokespersons and activists.
WHAT IS THE PLATFORM’S PURPOSE?
It is a platform for bringing contemporary visual art theory practice to India, showcasing and debating new Indian and international aesthetics and art experiences, and serving as a meeting point for artists, curators, and the public.
Kochi-Muziris Biennial embodies global cosmopolitanism and modernity through a new language. For the past six centuries, this old trading port has been a crucible for numerous collective identities and is rooted in life and living.
The pre-colonial tradition of cultural pluralism in Kochi is among the few that flourish in India, and those traditions predate the post-Enlightenment ideas of pluralism, globalization, and multiculturalism. A flood in the 14th century buried Muziris, the ancient city buried under layers of mud and mythology.
 Recent excavations have taken place at the site. Introducing new alternatives to political and cultural discourses derived from the specific histories of Europe and America requires exploring and, when appropriate, reclaiming memories of the past and the present within the current global context.
Dialogue for a new aesthetic and politics rooted in Indian experience, yet receptive to influences from other cultures, is possible.
AIM OF KOCHI-MUZIRIS BIENNALE
Kochi-Muziris Biennale aims to establish itself as a center for artistic engagement in India by building on the rich tradition of action and community engagement in Kerala, where Kochi is situated. Kerala’s emergence as a distinct political and social project teaches many developing societies of social and cultural hierarchies.
Subversions have occurred through artistic interventions. There are many forms of intervention inherent in our rich tradition of arts. It is necessary to balance competing power structures to maintain the independent interests of artists, institutions, and the public.
During the Kochi-Muziris Biennial, the Indian artist community will promote new confidence that slowly but surely transforms India into an open and democratic society. The moment is ripe for telling the story of the culture of the Indian people and the traditions, practices, and discourses that are shaping the idea of India.
India’s neighboring nations have artistic visions that are similar to these. A primary objective of the Biennale is to demonstrate the vibrant artistic practices of the subcontinent.
Kochi-Muziris Biennale focuses on highlighting the hidden energies concealed in India’s past and present cultural traditions. A dialogue will be within, between, and over linguistic, religious, and other irrational identities.
The Biennale seeks to oppose co-option and coercion that subsume difference by interrogating and resisting cosmopolitan representations of contemporary life. The Biennale seeks to resist and examine terms of cosmopolitanism and modernity, which subsume differences by co-opting and coercing them.
This Biennale aims to be an initiative that encourages appreciation for and education about artistic expression concerning society. Besides serving as a dedicated space, it seeks to protect the autonomy and commitment of the artist, who strives to transform, the world in which she lives constantly.
KOCHI BIENNALE FOUNDATION’S INVOLVEMENT
Kochi Biennale Foundation is also engaged in preserving historic properties and showcasing traditional art and culture. Artisans Bose Krishnamachari and Riyas Komu created the Foundation in 2010.
Physical exhibitions, art fairs, and biennales are slowly taking off in the global art industry. However, the restoration is cautious, keeping a close eye on the Covid graph.
This year’s fifth Kochi-Muziris Biennale will be from December 2021, a year earlier than initially scheduled. This exhibition will be open for four months, from December 12 to April 10, 2024. The official announcement came on October 14.Â
Observing the unfolding crisis surrounding Kochi Biennale-19, as well as ongoing travel restrictions, Bose Krishnamachari, president of the Kochi Biennale Foundation, expressed his regret stating.
They believe that this is the right move. Organizers plan on returning the Biennale to Kochi by December 2022, when they hope the situation will have improved.
Shubigi Rao will curate the Biennale, themed “In Our Veins Flow Ink and Fire.” As Rao noted in his curatorial note, the Biennale would emphasize engaging practices of different sensibilities, both under positive and grim conditions. As a part of the original 25 participating artists and collectives, Ali Cherri and Thao Nguyen Phan were among the artists.
In response to the decision to postpone the edition, Rao stated, they are aware of the ongoing situation in the region and globally.
All efforts must consider the lengthy, profound impact of the pandemic. The Fort Kochi and Ernakulam Biennale is one of the most significant art events in the subcontinent. From December 2012 to March 2013, it was fine by Krishnamachari and artist Riyas Komu.
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