Students’ Biennale to exhibit works of 470 art students from 55 schools

Second edition of year-long KBF outreach initiative to culminate in exhibition opening Dec 13 

Kochi, December 10: The Students’ Biennale (SB), an art education initiative unparalleled in India in scope and ambit – will feature the works of around 470 aspiring artists from 55 schools across the country in an exhibition that runs parallel to Kochi-Muziris Biennale 2016.

Hon. Minister for Education Prof. C. Raveendranath will inaugurate SB 2016, the second edition of the Kochi Biennale Foundation’s flagship art outreach effort, with an opening ceremony at 11.00 am on Tuesday, December 13, at The Biennale Pavilion in Cabral Yard, Fort Kochi.

The SB, which is second only to the Biennale in terms of scale and reach, will be on till March 29 next year. It is run in collaboration with the Foundation for Indian Contemporary Art (FICA) and the Foundation for Indian Art and Education (FIAE) and is supported by Tata Trusts. 

Driven by 15 emerging curators, the project reaches out to art schools throughout India, to encourage art students to reflect on their practices and showcase their works on an international stage.

Speaking at a press conference here today, KBF President Bose Krishnamachari said, “With the Students’ Biennale running in concurrence with KMB 2016, the exhibiting students and presenting curators have the perfect avenue to showcase their works to an audience of roughly half a million people over its near four month long duration. The SB will channel the energies of the Biennale platform into the Indian art education system, challenging students to go beyond the constraints imposed by both curriculum and exhibition.” 

While the immediate objective is to expose its participants to the processes that go into making and presenting a world class art event, the SB is also an opportunity to acquire skills to pursue a career in the contemporary art world.

The SB 2016 curators are: Adwait Singh, Aryan, Ajit Kumar, Faiza Hasan, C.P. Krishnapriya, Harshita Bathwal, Naveen Mahantesh, Noman Amouri, Paribartana Mohanty, Rajyashree Goody, Sarojini Lewis, Shatavisha Mustafi, Shruti Ramlingiah, Sumitra Sunder and Vivek Chockalingam.

They were selected in November 2015 from amongst hundreds of aspirants by a panel of project mentors that included Krishnamachari, KMB Director of Programmes Riyas Komu, Education Consultant Meena Vari and FICA Director Vidya Shivadas.

Over the course of the year, they reached out to 45 government and 10 private art schools – about three-four schools per curator – across India, conducting institution visits, organising workshops and interventions, and interacting with BFA and MFA students. 

“The exhibition will be the culmination of their individual journeys, research, insights and interests. But the SB is more than just spotlighting art production. Its significance lies in the building of learning spaces and niches of creativity between the academic and the professional worlds. In the long term, it is expected to mature into a space to explore the diversity of styles and assess the infrastructural challenges within the Indian art education system,” Komu said. 

The SB counts as education partners, Sher-Gil Sundaram Arts, Raza Foundation and Gallery Espace, and features collaborations with such prestigious arts bodies as Asia Art Archive and Pro Helvetia Swiss Arts Council.

The student curators of SB 2016 had access to an expert advisory team including Sudhir Patwardhan in Mumbai, Jeebesh Bagchi, Shukla Sawant and Belinder Dhanoa in Delhi, Sarada Natarajan in Hyderabad, Rakhi Peswani in Bangalore, Siva Kumar in Santiniketan, Indrapramit Roy, Akkhitam Vasudevan and B.V. Suresh in Vadodara.

SB 2016 will be presented across seven venues in the historic Mattancherry - Jew Town area of Fort Kochi: M.K. Trades, Kotachery Brothers & co., Arjuna Art Gallery, Heritage Arts, Mattancherry Temple Property, Mohammed Ali Warehouse and Fadi Hall.

The press conference was attended by KMB 2016 curator Sudarshan Shetty, KBF CEO Manju Sara Rajan as well as a number of KBF Trustees, including Sunil V and Bonny Thomas.

‘KMB 2016 to be a dialogue between multiple perspectives and possibilities’: Sudarshan Shetty

Curatorial vision for and expectations of Biennale’s third edition outlined in run-up to 12/12/16

Kochi, December 10: On Monday, 12/12/16, the third edition of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale (KMB) will get underway, setting off 108 days of the largest and most anticipated celebration of contemporary art in South Asia.

Titled ‘Forming in the pupil of an eye’, KMB 2016 will feature the performances and production of 97 artists from 31 countries. Of the 36 Indians on the list, eight are from Kerala. The line-up is a mixture of styles, disciplines and sensibilities with writers, dancers, poets, musicians and theatre professionals sharing the Biennale space alongside a host of visual artists.

Expanding on his artistic vision at a press conference here today, KMB 2016 curator Sudarshan Shetty said, “The eye is the only reflective organ in the body. It reflects as much back into the world as it takes. ‘Forming in the pupil of an eye’ is not an image of one reality, but a reflection of multiple realities and of multiple possibilities in time. My curatorial approach was shaped therefore as a conversation between different streams and forms of art practice. This Biennale is intended as a dialogue between multiple perspectives and possibilities as it evolves within the space and through the duration of the Biennale and beyond.”

“In aid of this, there are art projects this year that will involve spaces and individuals not traditionally associated with the Biennale. For example, Latvian artist Voldemars Johansons has changed the horn sounds on a number of auto rickshaws making them ambassadors of the Biennale as they drive around the city while Argentine writer Sergio Chejfec is writing a 88-chapter novel while moving through Kochi,” Shetty added.

The media gathering also heard from KMB co-founders Bose Krishnamachari and Riyas Komu as well as Kochi Biennale Foundation (KBF) CEO Manju Sara Rajan. A number of KBF Trustees, including Sunil V. and Bonny Thomas, were in attendance as well.

Thanking the state government for its patronage of India’s only Biennale, Krishnamachari said, “The KMB is fortunate to enjoy the resolute support of the Government of Kerala. We are honoured to have the Chief Minister Shri Pinarayi Vijayan inaugurate the third edition of what has become a Kerala institution. We look forward to welcoming the public to their Biennale over the next four months.”

Shri Pinarayi Vijayan will officially declare KMB 2016 open at a ceremony to be held at 6.30 pm on Monday in Parade Ground, Fort Kochi. Prior to the evening function, there will be a flag hoisting at primary venue Aspinwall House, which will signal the grand opening.

“Kochi is today a pilgrimage site for art. Our stated mandate, as the People’s Biennale, is to take art out to the public and to more art spaces more inclusive. The KBF is the biggest art organisation in India to be officially empanelled to receive funding for education initiatives. The only way to thank the Government of Kerala, our highly committed corporate, cultural, diplomatic and individual patrons and partners is to keep getting better,” Komu said.

He also thanked the small army of support personnel, including masons, welders, carpenters, electricians and head load workers as well as their respective trade unions, which has extended its support to help bring out KMB 2016. 

The main exhibition — spread across 12 venues in Fort Kochi-Mattancherry and Ernakulam —will be supported by an ancillary programme of events that includes the Students’ Biennale, conversations, talks, seminars, the Art By Children and the Pepper House Residency exhibitions, workshops, Artists’ Cinema and music sessions, among other activities.

The venues for KMB 2016 are Aspinwall House, Cabral Yard, Pepper House, David Hall, Durbar Hall, Kashi Art Café, Kashi Art Gallery, M.A.P. Project Space, Anand Warehouse, T.K.M. Warehouse, Cochin Club and Kottapuram Fort.

Story of an artwork: P.K. Sadanandan on preparing his mural for KMB 2016

Renowned muralist offers insight into the work-intensive practice behind his Biennale production

Kochi, December 8: The first thing visitors to P.K. Sadanandan’s workspace at Aspinwall House are struck by is the sheer scale of the celebrated muralist’s newest piece, which will be presented at the Kochi-Muziris Biennale starting next week.

 PK Sadanandan gathers the colour Black from the 

soot that accumulates in a clay that has been kept 

atop a burning lamp for a week

Begun as soon as the first planks went up at the Biennale’s main venue in October, the in situmural covering – measuring 15m x 3m – is intended to be a work in progress over KMB 2016’s nearly four-month run. Both the production and its preparation are a study in meticulousness.

It began with the methodical creation of his colours. He sourced his black from the soot that accumulates in a clay pot that had been placed over a burning oil lamp for a week. For his red and yellow, he manually ground down saffron and yellow arsenic stones respectively – adding water to the powders to create paste. Laterite stones were ground for his yellow ochre, a slight hue variant of yellow.

He manually ground down saffron stones for his

 red colour, adding water to the powder to create paste

“Since I don’t use chemically-derived dyes, it takes a lot of research work to identify the natural materials to derive the exact shades and colours I require. The identified materials are then treated at different levels before they are used on the wall. It takes two-three weeks to get the colours ready to use,” Sadanandan said.   

Known for his elaborate works and dedication to reviving the traditional art of mural painting, the city-based artist has evolved a practice that combines local teachings in Kerala with styles from across India, taking cues from the ancient cave paintings in Ajanta and Ellora. 

“Though mural painting is a traditional art practice, I blend it with more contemporary forms,” he said. The predominant blue in his works is one notable difference from the traditional Kerala mural style where red is the principal colour. 

 Laterite stones manually ground down provided one hue of yellow

In keeping with his oeuvre, however, Sadanandan’s mural at the Biennale features icons and narratives inspired by mythology, encased within natural elements and organic world. 

“My subject has great significance when considering the present scenario on caste hegemony and issues pertaining in contemporary Indian society. This art work will evolve during the period of the Biennale,” he said. 

PK Sadanandan in the early stages of his mural painting