KOCHI: The interdisciplinary character of the ongoing Kochi-Muziris Biennale (KMB) allows for a rethink of usual conventions, according to eminent theatre personality Anuradha Kapur.
A visitor since 2012, the former Director of the National School of Drama, New Delhi, says: “The biennale and the conversations it begins produce a new kind of spectator. In the theatre, people come with fixed horizons and fixed expectations of narrative. The experience here changes so radically.”
She added: “For what is supposedly a space to house visual art, the inclusion of dance, music, and theatre embodies something special. It alters spaces and in doing so, the experience.”
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This is particularly true of KMB 2016 as participating artist Anamika Haksar’s theatre production
“To be housed in a space where there is a constant dialogue creates a sort of cross-pollination, which also affects both the people who inhabit the spaces as actors and the audience. This also allows for newer connections to be made for the works’ respective progressions,” Ms. Kapur said.
Noted film-maker and cultural activist Madhushree Dutta observed that Sudarshan Shetty’s style of “subtle spatial curation” had allowed connections to form between styles and genres.
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Beyond the biennale, there is debate at the national level about how different forms like dance and theatre would clash and not gel with the rest of the artworks. Whether people are incensed or enthused, it is great such discussions are provoked, Ms. Dutta said.
“Ultimately, that is Biennale’s role. It should initiate debate about forms and practices, whether they can cohabit and collaborate or if they will come into conflict. The KMB’s artist-driven nature and unbounded curatorial energy are its strengths. To maintain that commitment over three editions is tremendous,” she added.
Well-known theatre director and playwright Roysten Abel also appreciated the ambitious vision and scale of the biennale on his visit on Saturday.