Although Kerala has some of the best painters and sculptors of the country, the art loving people of the State have had very little exposure to contemporary art. The Kochi-Muziris Biennale provided them with the much-needed exposure to the changing vocabulary of contemporary art. That 3.5 to 4 lakh people, mostly youngsters, visited the show recently is by no means a mean achievement. The curators can rightfully claim the credit for it.
But there remain some uncomfortable realities. There was no serious attempt from any quarter, supporters or detractors, to critically asses the works. No critic helped the public in reading these works in the proper perspective and context. Let us hope that the next edition of the Biennale will address the issues that were overlooked last time.
Sabu Kurien John,
Puducherry
