Over 2.4 lakh persons visit Biennale in a month

Visitors at the Kochi-Muziris Biennale.

Over 2,40,000 people have visited the fifth edition of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale since its launch a month ago.

According to Kochi Biennale Foundation president Bose Krishnamachari, the Biennale has been able to make arts popular at all levels, erasing all boundaries, including elitism. The elitist image that pulls common people away from art galleries is not to be found in the Biennale. In fact, the Biennale has succeeded in making people who falsely assumed art to be a luxury think differently. In the Biennale, art lands amidst people. The Biennale could teach people about art’s aesthetics, he said.

Students from Buds Schools to those from professional colleges in different States, IAS trainees, people’s representatives, thinkers, academicians, prominent personalities from various fields, high-ranking officials, art collectors, and art experts all have become part of the Biennale alongside art enthusiasts.

Many people are visiting the Biennale Pavilion at Cabral Yard which was opened on January 6. The pavilion designed by renowned architect Samira Rathod, covering an area of 4,000 sq. ft, opens doors to opportunities to be found in debris and ruins. There was remarkable participation in different workshops held daily at the Art Rooms of the ABC project at Cabral Yard. The Thuras reading room is also attracting crowds. The ‘Kakkakoodu-Marachottile Vayana’ (‘Crow’s Nest - Reading Underneath the Tree’) space has around 1,000 books, including transcription of stories passed by word of mouth.

The four venues of the Students’ Biennale, which have on display 51 presentations from art learning centers from 22 States in the country, are also garnering accolades from the audience. The venues, Mattancherry VKL Warehouse, Arman Building, KVN Arcade and Trivandrum Warehouse, have been named Co-Labs.

The exhibition named ‘Idam’, meant exclusively for artists from Kerala, at the Durbar Hall Art Gallery is attracting rave reviews because of its content. Almost 200 creations from 34 talented contemporary artists are on exhibition there.