Being a melting pot of cultures, Kochi supports the cosmopolitan concept of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale 2012, said artist Vivan Sundaram who is in Kochi as part of the Biennale, here on Sunday.
The notion that biennales can happen only in big metros, has been proved wrong. The location and history of the place too play an important role. People would be able to enjoy artistic and cultural interactions and also establish personal relationships at the show, he said. He added that it will open the doors for an international relook to create works of art and trigger dialogue.
The biennale is more open-ended, it does not require an organised theme associated with museum shows. The range of the medium, the visuals, ideas, the heritage and beauty of the land will form the basis for the discussions and analyses.
Mr. Sundaram spoke of how in 1968 the need for a biennale triggered a dialogue. Now there are around 44 biennales across the world and also art summits. Popular art fairs are generally short and offer a large volume of art work which may be tedious to watch, but biennale is a slow pedagogy that brings artists together. He is slated to visit the site near Kochi that is said to be an ancient port of Muziris, and create a work of art for the show.
On being asked how the event will benefit the common man and local artists, Riyas Komu, the secretary of the Biennale Foundation, said that it will educate people on contemporary art. It will also offer a space to view different kinds of works.
Around 80 artists, half of whom will be from India, are expected to participate in the three-month show. Twenty of them will be from Kerala.
