Art comes alive in the port city

India is all set to experience its first ever art biennale at Kochi

The Queen of Arabian Sea, Kochi, as it is popularly known, is decked up. For three months the city will reverberate with art, music, literature, drama and cinema.
On 12-12-12, the country’s first biennale, billed as the largest international contemporary art event in India, will take place here. Called the Olympics of art, it will host Indian artists and some of the world’s top names. The port city is expecting more than eight lakh art connoisseurs. Besides being an art extravaganza, it could widen the economic canvas of Kochi, one of India’s fastest-growing Tier 2 cities.
It could also change India’s art scene. “This will help the country get a permanent art venue like Venice and Paris,” said artist Rathi Devi.

Amanullah Mojadidi (Afghanistan), Ariel Hassan (Argentina), Hossein Valamanesh (Australia), Rigo 23 (Portugal), Jonas Staal (Netherlands) and Joseph Semah are some international artists attending. From India, Vivan Sundaram, Subodh Gupta, Sudarshan Shetty and KP Reji will, among others, exhibit their works in a range of media — painting, sculpture, indoor and outdoor installations, film, digital media and performing art.
“We will keep the tradition of the 150-odd biennales of the world not to reveal the complete list of participants in the run-up to the event,” said curator Bose Krisnamachari.
A small controversy has, however, erupted. A section of the artist community has opposed it saying that it is a ploy to globalise Indian art and splurge tax payers’ money.