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Journalism of Courage
With some of the artworks still in transit and others being unwrapped, the display will be far from ready when the Kochi Muziris Biennale opens on December 12 at Fort Kochi; it has not deterred the excitement of the participants, says Bose Krishnamachari, president of Biennale. He notes, “This has been the most challenging edition, with a lot of roadblocks but there is a wonderful energy coming together, and there are fantastic works.”
Curated by Singapore-based Indian origin artist Shubigi Rao, in its fifth edition, the Biennale will feature works of 90 artists from across the globe presented under the central exhibition titled “In Our Veins Flow Ink and Fire”.
Scheduled to originally open in 2020 and delayed twice due to the pandemic, the Biennale venue has been a subject of discussion. The Kerala government, one of the main sponsors of the Biennale, was until recently in conversation with the current owner, DLF Group, to acquire the space. While the negotiations have reportedly failed, the delay in the possession of the venue for the Biennale is evident, as the installation work still continues.
Marred by challenges, the circumstances have affected the showcase in myriad ways. The domination of digital works, for instance, also reflects the limited scope for on-site production, which was difficult due to travel restrictions imposed during the pandemic. “This edition will see less production on-site than what I had envisioned and a higher than anticipated proportion of digital works, but that has resulted in a beautiful demonstration of how artists have worked around challenges, using varied media. Music and sound have become defining aspects of the Biennale, where one will listen to all kinds of sounds, from non-verbal to humming, human voice, animal sounds, disembodied noises and so on,” says Rao.
Spread across numerous venues in Kochi, including the historic Aspinwall House, Pepper House and Anand Warehouse, this year also marks several invitation programmes, where the Biennale has collaborated with institutions to present independent projects. Among others is Jitish Kallat curated “Tangled Hierarchy 2”, William Kentridge’s “Oh, To Believe in Another World”, and a community art project initiated during the COVID lockdown in northwest Bangladesh by Gidree Bawlee Foundation of Arts with support from Durjoy Bangladesh Foundation.
The inaugural day will see Rao introduce art enthusiasts to the main showcase, followed by a performance by Indonesian artist Melati Suryodarmo. The evening will witness the previous curators of the Biennale in conversation, followed by formal inauguration by Chief Minister of Kerala, Pinarayi Vijayan.
Incidentally, the edition also marks 10th year of the Biennale. The first edition, curated by its co-founders Riyas Komu and Bose Krishnamachari, was held in 2012-2013. “When we started, the first book we published was titled Against All Odds Kochi-Muziris Biennale, we are still there but we have managed to achieve incredible success in a short period. The Biennale has become an inspiration for several events in the subcontinent. The location has sustained and it has managed to instil local and national pride,” says Krishnamachari.
Fact File
* The four-month-long Biennale is on till April 2023
* The venues are spread across Kochi. The main venues include Aspinwall House, Pepper House and Anand Warehouse.
* Tickets cost Rs 150 per adult, Rs 50 for students, and Rs 100 for senior citizens. Tickets are available on bookmyshow.com.
Week One Highlights
12/12/2022, 4-5 pm: A conversation between curators of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale from over the years.
13/12/2022, 4.30- 6 pm: Book Launch, ‘Citizen Gallery: The Gandhys of Chemould and the Birth of Modern Art in Bombay’
14/12/2022, 11 am-12 pm: Book Launch ‘Bani Abidi: The Artist Who’ followed by a conversation between Huma Mulji, Omar Kasmani, and Bani Abidi
15/12/2022: 6.15pm – 8pm, Performance: ‘URSONATE’ by William Kentridge
16/12/2022: 6 pm – 8 pm, Artists’ Cinema: A Night of Knowing Nothing by Payal Kapadia (TBC)
17/12/2022: 6 pm to 7 pm, Performance: YOUtopia: Seo Jungmin and ensemble
18/12/2022: 7pm to 8 pm, Workshop & Performance Orlando by Julie Beauvais and Horace Lundd
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