This is probably not meant to be. The 56th edition of the world’s oldest — and one of the most prestigious — biennales, the Venice Biennale begins in May this year and in all likelihood India is giving it a miss one more time.
Even though there is no official word either confirming or denying India’s participation in the event, it seems an impossibility, with just three months left, to pull off an exercise of that level in such a short span of time. “And it will be a disaster if we do something now,” says a source in Lalit Kala Akademi (LKA), the apex government body responsible for promoting visual arts in the country.
Mumbai-based artist Sudershan Shetty, slated to be the curator of the Indian pavilion at the biennale, rues missing out on the opportunity once again. “I think we need to relook at our cultural policy. Who frames our cultural policies and how, I just can’t understand it. It didn’t happen in 2013 and we were all so hopeful of participating in it in 2015. But nothing has moved so far,” says Shetty.
Called “All the World’s Futures”, this time, the Venice Biennale is being curated by African-born curator, art-critic and writer Okwui Enwezor.
India last participated in the event — which takes place every two years — in 2011 and that too after a really long gap, when Ranjit Hoskote steered India’s presence with a nationally-sponsored pavilion, organised by the LKA, at the Arsenale. India’s presence at the event fanned hope among the art fraternity about the country’s participation in subsequent editions, but that never happened.
During the meetings of the advisory committee of the triennale, slated to happen next year, Shetty, who is a member, suggested that preparations for Venice Biennale-2017 be started. “This was when I got a feeling that we aren’t going to participate this time too. Lalit Kala Akademi tried really hard but I believe the Ministry of Culture hasn’t done anything about it,” remarks Shetty, who also proposed taking up a space at the venue on a long lease, like many countries.
In 2011, India had rented a temporary space at the Arsenale. This time too, it is believed LKA had done all the groundwork for it, but it can’t move without the necessary approvals from the Ministry, which has to write to the Venice Biennale requesting for participation, before the latter approves it. But according to sources in LKA, the Ministry of Culture led by Mahesh Sharma has remained absolutely silent on the issue. Art and culture has never been a priority for our governments, but in addition to this, change of power at the Centre also has a role to play.
Sources in the LKA add that necessary approvals are awaited for Triennale-India, a big ticket international art show to be revived by LKA next year. The biggest showcase of the Akademi, the last Triennale, which is to happen every three years, took place in 2005.
India may not have a national pavilion but that it will not be without a noticeable presence is ensured by the Gujaral Foundation, which has organised a joint participation of India and Pakistan at the Venice Biennale. The Mumbai-based artist Shilpa Gupta and Rashid Rana will share a pavilion, exhibiting under the title “My East is your West”.
