Artist Nikhil Chopra and his team HH Art Spaces will curate Kochi-Muziris Biennale 2025

Introducing his art practice at the conference through an audio-visual presentation, 50-year-old Chopra noted that he was “honoured” and “humbled”.

India’s first biennale of international contemporary art, the event that had its inaugural edition in December 2012 has been grappling with challenges in recent years. Postponed a day before it was to open its fifth edition in 2022, the sixth edition of the biennale was initially scheduled to be held in December 2024.

According to a release issued, in 2025-26 the event will feature 60 artists and artistic practices from India and across the world. In its last edition in 2022-2023, the biennale featured 90 artists.

In recent months, several organisational changes have also been announced in the Kochi Biennale Foundation (KBF). While former Chief Secretary to the Government of Kerala V Venu has been appointed as the chairperson of the KBF, former United Nations official Thomas Varghese is now the CEO of the foundation.

Based in Goa, Chopra’s art practice interweaves varied mediums, from performative to painting, photography, drawing and installations, among others. The postgraduate in fine arts from Ohio State University in the US has exhibited at prestigious museums and galleries world over, and participated in events such as Performa (New York), Venice Biennale and Documenta in Germany. A participating artist in the 2014 edition of the Biennale, Chopra’s 52-hour long live performance at Aspinwall House was one of its highlights.

Receiving funds from the Government of Kerala besides arts councils, embassies, philanthropists and corporate sponsors, the previous editions of the Biennale have been curated by artists such as Jitish Kallat (2014-15), Sudarshan Shetty (2016-17), Anita Dube (2018-19) and Shubigi Rao (2022-23). Its first edition in 2012 was curated by its co-founders Riyas Komu and Krishnamachari, who had initially ideated the event in 2010 with the then culture minister of Kerala, MA Baby.

Speaking about the contributions and significance of the KBM, joining the press conference virtually, MP Shashi Tharoor added, “It has really provided a prestigious platform for Indian artists to showcase their work alongside international peers, enhancing their visibility and opportunities on the global stage. It has put India on the global art map and has also encouraged innovation, experimentation because of the diverse mediums it facilitates such as installations, new media, performance art, and the selection of Nikhil Chopra underscores that.”