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Kochi-Muziris Biennale is an international festival of contemporary art hosted in the city of Kochi, Kerala. It is India’s largest contemporary art event, and the largest public exhibition of its kind in South Asia. The landmark event has created an enduring platform for artistic and cultural contributions, establishing itself as a centre for artistic engagement. The three editions of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale, since 2012, have ensured that Kochi now occupies a prominent position on the global art calendar.
In its title, “Kochi-Muziris” seeks to invoke the latent cosmopolitan spirit of the contemporary metropolis of Kochi and its mythical past- the ancient port of Muziris, a centre of trade and cultural exchange. In spirit, the Biennale seeks to explore resonances of this past alongside the pluralities of its present, in the current global context, to posit alternatives to dominant political and cultural discourses. In this way, the title is an invitation for dialogue for a new aesthetics and politics- rooted in the Indian experience, but receptive to the winds blowing in from other worlds.
The Biennale has exhibited more than 300 artworks by over 250 artists from all over the world, and hosted more than a million visitors.
(From press information.
© Photos: Courtesy of Kochi Biennale Foundation)