A group of 25 students pursuing various courses in art and related disciplines at Qatar’s Virginia Commonwealth University visited the Kochi-Muziris Biennale and felt that the ongoing contemporary festival of art could be a “perfect opportunity to look at the continuity of history and the cultural exchanges that came from trade”.
Fascinated by the cosmopolitanism of the coastal township and the Biennale, they liked the way the ancient spaces of the warehouses accommodated contemporary art. “We love the idea here of looking beyond Euro-centric models,” said associate professor and director of art history at the university Dina Bangdel, who organised the two-day trip. “This was a good opportunity to undo the stereotype of the exotic and study the confluences of culture and cosmopolitanism here. This Biennale is a perfect microcosm of the issue.”
The students, who are doing courses in art history, painting and print-making and fashion design, were keen to look at “the potential of replicating this dynamic production of art and how art is involved in the community”. “These students are the future of art in Qatar,” said Dr Bangdel. “So, we were keen to bring them here to ask how they saw themselves in these roles.”
