The Kochi-Muziris Biennale (KMB), the biggest art event in Kerala, which was supposed to begin on Monday, December 12, has been postponed by 11 days. The organisers released a statement saying that it will now open on December 23, due to "organisational and structural delays along with the onset of heavy rains with cyclone Mandous." The main venues of the fest, including Aspinwall House, Anand Warehouse, and Pepper House, will be open from December 23. "We apologise for all the inconvenience and look forward to welcoming you to Fort Kochi in due course," said the brief note.
"This change does not affect the respective opening events of the Students’ Biennale, invitations Programmes, and the Satellite Exhibition. We welcome our guests to visit these venues at Fort Kochi," the KMB statement added.
The Aspinwall Building, the main venue of the KMB, is owned by DLF and hired during the event. This time they had demanded an advance of Rs 10 lakh and a monthly rent of Rs 21 lakh for the venue, which the state government had been trying to acquire for many years.
According to sources, Bienalle Foundation gained access to the Aspinwal property owned by DLF on November 4. The building, since it was not in use, was in need of cleaning-up and repairs. While the work on mounting the art works were on, DLF suddenly shut access to their buildings on November 20. Bienalle Foundation could gain entry only on December 1, which led to delay in mounting the exhibition before the official inauguration.
The property has been valued at Rs 65 crore but DLF is demanding Rs 85 crore for the property. The talks held with DLF had failed recently because the realty major did not agree to the price offered by the state government.
The Biennale, which is being held in Kochi after four years, will have 90 artists from across the world, with over 200 installations spread across the venues and streets of Fort Kochi and Mattanchery. The decision to postpone the event was taken only on the night of December 11. According to Bose Krishnamachari, one of the founders of the Biennale, issues with the DLF, which owns the main venue Aspinwall, led to the delay. A report in the Indian Express says that only the main venues of the exhibition will open later, and some of the smaller events will take place as per the earlier schedule.
The Biennale had traditionally opened on December 12 every two years since 2012, except in 2020 when the event had to be cancelled owing to the outbreak of COVID-19.
The event titled 'In our veins flow ink and fire', is curated by artist and writer Shubigi Rao. In her curator’s note, Shubigi wrote, “This edition of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale embodies the joy of experiencing practices of divergent sensibilities, under conditions both joyful and grim. There is optimism even in the darkest absurdity, and this is what leavens the direness of our time.”
This is the fifth edition of the Biennale. In 2011, the Kochi Muziris Biennale was set up as an initiative of the Department of Cultural Affairs when MA Baby was handling the Ministry in Kerala.