Jitish Kallat curator of Kochi-Muziris Biennale 2014

Jitish Kallat, 39, a reputed artist born and raised in Mumbai, has been selected as the curator of the second edition of the country's only biennale.

Mayor Tony Chammany of Kochi made the announcement Friday in the presence of top functionaries of the Kochi Biennale Foundation (KBF).

The mayor said that Kochi Corporation planned to set up a permanent venue for hosting prestigious art and cultural events.

The name of Kallat, who was formally introduced to the media here, had been finalised by a special advisory body, comprising artists, curators, gallerists and critics in the country.

The KBF advisory body, which met in Mumbai Oct 15 to select the curator of the 2014 biennale, included Bose Krishnamachari and Riyas Komu, co-curators of the first biennale of 2012-13.

Kallat's work has been exhibited widely at museums and institutions, including Tate Modern (London), Martin Gorpius Bau (Berlin), Gallery of Modern Art (Brisbane), Kunst Museum (Bern), Serpentine Gallery (London) and Mori Art Museum (Tokyo).

As an international platform of contemporary art, the Kochi-Muziris Biennale had its inaugural edition last year with works by 89 artists from 23 countries.

Nearly four lakh people visited the 96-day show which started Dec 12, 2012.