KBF institutes five awards for students binennale

Kochi Biennale Foundation (KBF) in association with Tata Trusts has instituted five awards for the second edition of student's biennale, a higher education initiative aiming to create an alternative platform for students from art colleges.
Four awards in the category of 'Promising Artists' and one in the 'curator' category will be presented before the commencement of the third edition of Kochi-Muziris Biennale in December 2016.
The awards were announced by Riyas Komu, secretary of Kochi Biennale Foundation, during an art education conference titled 'State of Art Schools: Reality and Prospects' today.
"This initiative is first of its kind to encourage the young talents across the nation. The budding artists and curators should have a competitive mentality which will result in a quality output," Komu said.

Two artists and the curator who receive the awards will get an opportunity to travel for 15 days in Europe, visiting important sites of art, culture and heritage.
The two other artists who receive the award will be part of a residency programme, giving them an opportunity to work with a renowned artist in India.

"The young curators will work from November this year to April 2017 towards curating a show and engaging the public with selected works of students of art colleges from across India.
"They will be part of many workshops. Each curator also has an opportunity to select one special work during their selection procedure, which will be exhibited during the student's biennale," the KBF secretary said.

A four-member panel, comprising KBF president Bose Krishnamachari, Director of Programmes Riyas Komu and Consultant (Learning) Meena Vari besides Vidya Shivadas, Director of Foundation for Indian Contemporary Art, selected 15 young curators for the KMB Student's Biennale.