Fifth edition of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale concludes

Curated by Shubigi Rao, the biennale, which featured works of over 90 artists from all over the world, had a footfall of 9 lakh.

The concluding ceremony of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale.

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On April 10, more than 100 days after it opened, the curtains came down at the Kochi Muziris Biennale with a closing ceremony at the Durbar Hall Ground in Ernakulam. Speaking at the event, PA Mohammed Riyas, Kerala Minister for Public Works and Tourism, stated that smaller versions of the biennale could take place all over Kerala. He acknowledged its contribution towards uplifting tourism in the state, particularly in the context of the pandemic, according to a press release.

Also present at the ceremony, among others, were P Rajeev, Kerala Minister for Law, Industries, and Coir, CPM Member MA Baby, and MLA KJ Maxi.

Earlier in the day, Bose Krishnamachari, President of the Kochi Biennale Foundation, had lowered the flag at Aspinwall House in Fort Kochi, which was the main venue of the biennale, to mark its end.

In its fifth edition, the biennale recorded a footfall of around nine lakh.

In its fifth edition, the biennale recorded a footfall of around nine lakh. Curated by Singapore-based Indian-origin artist Shubigi Rao, the biennale featured works of over 90 artists from around the globe presented under the central exhibition titled “In Our Veins Flow Ink and Fire”. Some of the prominent names included Vivan Sundaram, Amar Kanwar, Arpita Singh, Nasreen Mohamedi, Rita Khin from Myanmar, Haegue Yang from South Korea, Thao-Nguyen Phan from Vietnam, and Joan Jonas from the US.

Marred by challenges, the edition that was originally scheduled to open in 2020 was delayed twice due to the pandemic, and by another 10 days in December 2022, when a day before it was to open (on December 12), the Kochi Biennale Foundation team announced on social media that the biennale would open on December 23 “due to a variety of organisational challenges, compounded by external factors”. Several problems of the biennale are also tied to its financial troubles.

Scheduled to take place every two years, the curator of the next edition of the biennale and the dates are yet to be announced.

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