Kochi is
gearing up to host the second edition of Kochi-Muziris Biennale, as
the organisers of the 108-day mega art event starting on December 12 are busy
with the preparations for the much-acclaimed mega art festival that is slated
to conclude on March 29, 2015.
Jitish Kallat, the curator and artistic director
for the biennale being organised by the Kochi Biennale Foundation (KBF), said
the second edition would feature around 85 artists from over 28 countries.
Some of
the key artists have already made site visits, and they include Franceso
Clemente, Sir Anish Kapoor, Christian Waldvogel, K G Subramanyan, Sudhir
Patwardhan, Ghulammohammed Sheikh and Namboodiri, among others.
Kallat
said it was a “rewarding moment” for him when conversations with
artist-colleagues, concretize into projects on the ground in Kochi. “The
embryonic form of the project is taking shape,” he noted. “The exhibition
brings together art-works that picture versions of the world referencing
history, geography, astronomy, time and myth, interlacing the terrestrial with
the celestial.”
The full
list of artists will be announced at an exclusive event in a few weeks.
Kallat had been engaged in a year-long research
trip to select the artists for the
much-awaited second edition.
The
organisers are prepping up the venues for the second edition as artists have
already started working on site.
KBF
president Bose Krishnamachari said the foundation has retained most of the
venues from last time. “But we will have a few additional venues and projects
in a few public spaces. And we are looking forward to an engaging project put
up by Kallat,” he added.
KBF has been organising several talks and
cultural programmes as a run-up to the Biennale. Riyas Komu, Director of
Programmes, said the KBF has always been mindful of the larger participation of
the people to engage them with contemporary art.
“To
amplify it this time, we will be having several Programmes including the
Student’s Biennale, Children’s Biennale, Artists’ Cinema project and various
Cultural Programmes that will run parallel to the Biennale,” he added.
The
first edition held in 2012 was an unprecedented national and international success. As expectations run high this time, most of
the hotels, home-stays and boarding and lodging houses in Fort Kochi and nearby
areas have been completely pre-booked.
.JPG)
.JPG)
