The Kochi-Muziris Biennale—which is now a fixture on the cultural landscape of the country—began as a government initiative, when the department of cultural affairs of the Kerala government approached artists Riyas Komu and Bose Krishnamachari in 2010 to organise an international art extravaganza. The challenge was mammoth. There was no existing infrastructure necessary for an exhibition of this scale and no institutional support structures.
“There was no weather-controlled spacing available in Kochi for exhibiting artworks,” says Krishnamachari. “That is when a friend suggested that Aspinwall House was up for sale, why did we not try speaking with the buyers, DLF. I also consulted with a few directors of other biennales like the Lyon and the Gwangju Biennale to understand how to structure one and how to find the funding. Then we put together a report and went to Delhi for the funds.” In their initial report, they had asked for a funding of 0102 crore. After all, as Krishnamachari points out, it took nearly 40 million Euros to organise a prestigious art event like Documenta in Germany. In the end, the first Kochi-Muziris Biennale was organised with 017 crore, with Komu and Krishnamachari putting in much of their personal savings into the project. “We spent very little [compared to other biennales] and got much more,’ says Kxishnamachari.
The first edition of the biennale in 2012-2013 was an undisputed triumph. Showcasing the works of 94 artists from 23 countries, the event attracted a footfall of 4 lakh visitors from all over the world. It was the only one from India listed that year in Forbes’s 13 Cultural Events to be Seen in 2012!
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