The Kochi-Muziris Biennale, India’s first such show, provides a much-needed platform for a vital inquiry into today’s art by bringing together artists, curators, critics and the general public in a new form of sociality and productive interrelationship.
The recently renovated Durbar Hall, near Kochi's main railway station, Ernakulam South, is an important venue for the biennale.
Photo: K_K_Mustafah
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A view of Pepper House, located between Fort Kochi and Bazar Road, is another of the biennale venues.
Photo: Thulasi Kakkat
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Mumbai-based Anant Joshi's contribution. ▲
Atul Dodiya reflects upon the mystery of creativity using a poem and many photographs of artists and poets. ▲
Ernesto Neto from Brazil, in "Life is a River", used local textiles for his creation complete with pouches that carry spices, whose fragrance contributes to the total impact and turns the attact of what was once a coconut fibre-processing factory into a magical cave. ▲
Ibrahim Quraishi organised a series of violins to invoke a chapter from the history of music and of his country in the installation "Islamic Violins". ▲
Subodh Gupta packed a lot of things into from the daily life of the common people in Kerala into a typical Kerala wooden boat, suggesting several contexts. ▲
Amar Kanwar, the film-maker and artist, presented the state of the peasants of Odisha through the photographs of the farmers who committed suicide, albums, books, newspapers reports, the paddy seeds they use. the cultural artefacts from their everyday life. ▲
In his video installation "So Sorry", Ai Weiwei, the great Chinese artist and dissenter, reflects on h9is situation, the destiny of a dissenting artist in a totalitarian regime. The artist himself was not allowed to leave China to visit Kochi.
Photo: Thulasi Kakkat
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Dylan Martorell with his work "Soundtracks-Kochi". He crossed the boundaries between music and visual art when he designed his own magical musical intruments from objects he picked up from the locality.
Photo: Thulasi Kakkat
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A view of Aspinwall House, the vheif of the biennale venues.
Photo: Thulasi Kakkat
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K.P. Reji at work on his huge canvas depicted village life. ▲
The work of the Delhi-based Mrida behind the Cochin Club. ▲
The Portuguese artist Rigo 23's installation.
Photo: Thulasi Kakkat
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Sheela Gowda and Christoph Storz paid homage to a vanishing lifestyle by displaying scores of grinding stones, once used to grind spices, rice and wheat, but now replaced by electric grinders and mixies.
Photo: Thulasi Kakkat
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The artists of the Kochi Biennale A fallen tree at Vasco Da Gama Square in Fort Kochi that was painted by the artists of the Kochi Biennale.
Photo: H_Vibhu
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.Vivek Vilasini with his work "The Last Supper" on the opening day of the biennale.
Photo: K_K_Mustafah
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The Chinese artist Zhang Enli with his space painting inspired by life in India.
Photo: K_K_Mustafah
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