First things first.
This is going to be an unabated love-fest, because the 3 days I spent last week at the Kochi Biennale were absolutely amazing, in every sense of the word, with the art being only a part of it.
Right, to begin with, a bit of context.
But hey, you know what? Since AI knows everything nowadays, why don’t I let AI give you the basic info about this fantastic art event? No point re-inventing the wheel.
Here goes:
“The 6th edition of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale, titled “For the Time Being,” is currently underway in Fort Kochi, Kerala, from December 12, 2025, to March 31, 2026. Curated by artist Nikhil Chopra, this premier contemporary art exhibition features 66 artist projects across 22 venues, showcasing diverse mediums including painting, sculpture, film, and performance art.”
So, we have a 3 1/2 month art event, in the beautiful coastal city of Kochi (formerly Cochin), and the city is literally part of the biennale, since there are venues all over the historic part of town – notably Fort Kochi and, from this year, Willingdon Island (where we stayed, so we could walk to the venue, which was super cool)
There are what I would term official venues, Aspinwall House being the most famous and now The Warehouse on Willingdon Island.
For these you need a ticket. There are various options – day/weekly – but the salient point is that the tickets are ridiculously cheap. Rs200 for adults for a daily pass (Rs100 for old codgers like us). And many of the smaller venues are free!
It is absolutely mind-blowing how much it must cost to run a massive multi-venue project like this, and for 3 1/2 months remember, and yet it is so inexpensive.
Someone is clearly investing in the arts, and hats off to them!
Wherever we went, there were people visiting, but – and I don’t want to be unnecessarily unkind about Delhi, where I live – there was absolutely none of the showy-off behaviour we have up here.
No one in Kochi was dressed to impress.
I was at the annual India Art Fair yesterday and in my review, I mentioned what fun the people-watching is, because if there’s one thing Delhi-ites like, it’s to see and be seen.
Not so in Kochi, apparently. People seemed way more earnest, more engaged with the art, and not there just for the selfies and/or the ‘gram.
Over the course of our 3 days wandering and pottering around the Biennale, we saw school parties (SO well behaved), groups of students (SO well behaved), youngsters listening to talks, watching performances. We saw loads of foreigners. Lots of locals. It was all quite delightfully inclusive.
I didn’t like everything I saw.
This fridge, for example, left me cold. Pun absolutely intended.
I certainly didn’t understand a lot of what I saw.
But it was an absolute joy to wander through historic buildings (SO well maintained) and enjoy the juxtaposition of old brick walls and contemporary installations. We scrambled up steps, ducked into shaded little gardens, wandered the narrow streets. And found art in the most unexpected places.
Fantabulous!!
So much of my enjoyment of the Biennale came from the atmosphere, venues and the people with whom we interacted, who were, without exception kind and friendly.
I’m not going to attempt to critique the arts, since that is not my field of expertise,
Let me just share with you some images, and let you enjoy the art!
Seen from a different viewpoint.
Stunning, eye-catching exterior of a building (below) with a fantastic exhibition. And it was completely free!
Rickshaw drivers who knew where all the best exhibitions were!
As I mentioned, one of the joys of the Biennale is exploring lovely old buildings – all in fabulous condition, like this (below)
And then suddenly a group of enthusiastic youngsters arrive to make the corridor come alive!
One of my favourite installations was “Lilies in the garden of tomorrow” (below) a beautiful exhibition about the extraordinary life of an extraordinary lady, Eliamma Matthew who was born in 1894. Eliamma’s husband, a banker, was jailed under very dubious circumstances leaving her to bring up their 8 children, and face not only financial difficulty but social ostracisation. She never doubted her husband for a moment and campaigned tirelessly for his release and pardon.
The story is beautifully told through old photos and letters and diary extracts, and since Eliamma was the great-grandmother of a very dear friend of mine, the experience was much more interesting.
I am ending this hymn of praise to the fabulous Kochi Biennale with an installation that made me cry.
This is called “White Balance. We were playing in the clouds.”
It looked like, and indeed does, represent a Muslim graveyard.
I read the words of Ghassan Kanafani, a Palestinian writer that the artist had placed there, and started crying:
“I wish children didn’t die. I wish they would be temporarily elevated to the kids until the war ends. Then they would return home safe, and when their parents would ask them “Where were you?” they would say “We were playing in the clouds.”
So beautiful, and so unutterably sad.
That was the most emotional moment in what was otherwise a brilliant kaleidoscope of colour and beauty and energy.
Thank you, Kochi.