Kochi-Muziris Biennale | Conversations Platform

Sites as Stories: Dispatches from the Southern World

Conversation between Ali Cherri, Catherine David, Dr. Shwetal Patel, Mario D'Souza and Shubigi Rao

Started in 2010, by artists for artists, the Kochi-Muziris Biennale turns 10 this year. Staged in Fort Kochi, an island not far away from the ancient, Silk Route Port City of Muziris, the biennale intended to cultivate new audiences through encounters with artistic perspectives, methods and mediums from across the globe. The history of the site, along with its possibility to host a diversity of futures becomes an important imagination for artists across the years. As a biennale based in South Asia, with a strong focus on the continents of Asia, Africa and South America – how can we make region through lived histories and stories? How can artistic work help us conjure new meanings and readings into these distinct, yet shared, affinitive trajectories across time and culture? Through four seminal commissions over the past four editions and Ali Cherri’s contribution to the 5th edition the roundtable with contemplate ideas of occupying, disrupting, unmaking and challenging majoritarian narratives.

The Kochi-Muziris Biennale in Kerala, India - is invited to develop a program that will expand the scope of cultural relations at work within Asia. A highly anticipated program celebrating the 10th anniversary of this biennial and presenting the choices of curator Shubigi Rao for its new edition which will open in December 2022.

Titled 'In Our Veins Flow Ink and Fire', the fifth edition of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale, curated by Shubigi Rao, will open to the public on the 12th of December, 2022 and run for 4 months until the 10th of April, 2023. Bringing together over 80 artists and collectives from over 30 countries, the exhibition will showcase over 60 new commissions, numerous collateral exhibitions and a diverse range of physical and digital programming.

With the encouragement and continued support of the Government of Kerala, our partners, patrons, and friends, the fifth edition will host a range of programmes including seminars, residencies, theatre, and music. The ongoing - year-round - programmes include our children’s learning and education focus Art by Children (ABC) and the nationwide Students Biennale. The Students Biennale supports young art students from over 50 government funded art colleges across India and culminates in an exhibition in Kochi. In addition to these strands, the Kochi Biennale Foundation organises a range of locally orientated programmes that include film festivals, regional music and its revival, local crafts, and theatre traditions.

This year also marks 10 Years of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale and the Kochi Biennale Foundation is proud to commemorate this in Paris at AsiaNow. We thank all our participating artists, curators, team members and institutional partners for helping us to reach this important milestone in our journey.