Second edition of Biennale draws to a close

March 30, 2015 12:00 am | Updated 07:40 am IST - KOCHI

: Amid a last-day surge in visitors to its eight venues the second edition of Kochi-Muziris Biennale (KMB) ’14, the contemporary art festival came to a close on Sunday evening

The KMB’14 flag came down at the main venue Aspinwall House at Fort Kochi, where it was hoisted 108 days ago, symbolically marking the end of the show that recorded an attendance of 5,00,000, one lakh more footfalls than its debut edition in 2012.

Kochi Biennale Foundation (KBF), which organised KMB’14 that began on December 12 last year with 100 main artworks by 94 artists from 30 countries, thanked the Kerala government for its support.

“We could explore not just the operational and intellectual dimensions of art, but could directly engage people through a wide range of cultural activities,” said KBF founder president Bose Krishnamachari about KMB’14, curated by Mumbai-based artist Jitish Kallat.

KMB’14 had also hosted a string of programmes such as a 100-day film festival, Student’s Biennale, Children’s Biennale, a performing arts segment, a literary festival and a residency exhibition, besides lectures (under History Now and Let’s Talk series) that got over on Friday evening.

KMB’14 Director of Programmes Riyas Komu, who is the secretary of KBF that was founded in 2010 as a not-for-profit organisation, said such a wide range of activities was strung together to essentially “reveal and remind” India’s composite culture—more so of the Kochi-Muziris region.

The Google Art Project is also doing a virtual tour project, which will allow people to access KMB ’14 venues virtually.

Earlier on Sunday, stage artist Bilas Nair performed for four-plus hours at Aspinwall, using spaces outside of the galleries.

A little away, sculptor-painter Valsan Koorma Kolleri, who was the only artist to have figured in both the biennales here, organised a Japanese tea ceremony at the Cabral Yard venue.

At Pepper House, another KMB’14 venue in Fort Kochi, there was a ghazhal recital by Mollywood playback singer Shahabaz Aman on Sunday evening.

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