Kochi Muziris Biennale 2016 announces curatorial vision

Touted to be the largest of its kind in South Asia, the third edition of the Kochi Muziris Biennale will question the "tradition of traditions" with a brand new perspective, organizers announced, as eminent artist Sudarshan Shetty revealed his curatorial vision for the 108-days long event.
Titled "Forming in the pupil of an eye", the biennale is scheduled to be held from December 12, 2016 to March 29, 2017.
Shetty's core curatorial question will explore what tradition means and aim to explore it not as a stagnant thought but as something that is dynamic.
"I want to explore tradition as a motif in this edition of the Biennale. We often talk about 'tradition' or 'traditions', and through my curation, I have aimed to address it from a fresh perspective - not as a stagnant or historical thought, but as an active concept integrated within contemporary reality.

"Traditions develop over time within the context of a changing yet continuous community. The idea of community and social engagement is deeply embedded within the curation," Shetty said.
KMB will also "question and blur the boundaries that categorise the various disciplines of artistic expression" through display and performance of selected artworks.

According to the artist, the event will produce works that will exist not only during the event but also beyond it.
"My curatorial approach started as a conversation between different forms and approaches to art practice. I see the Biennale as existing in process, something which flows, and I wanted to engage artists whose practices will create works that exist not only for the duration of the Biennale, but on into the time beyond," he said.

The main exhibition will be supported by ancillary programme of talks, seminars, the Students' Biennale, the Art By Children exhibition, workshops, film screenings and music sessions.
It will also feature works by visual artists, poets, musicians and performance professionals from across India and abroad including France, Russia, Turkey, Germany, Poland Slovenia, Australia, Mexico, USA, Japan, Argentina, Pakistan, Spain, Hungary among others.
The biennale will be held across heritage properties, public spaces, and galleries. While the primary setting in Fort Kochi will be Aspinwall House, other venues will include Pepper House, David Hall, and Durbar Hall, in Fort Kochi and Ernakulam.