KOCHI:
The fourth edition of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale will host its valedictory function in downtown Ernakulam on Thursday evening, hours before the 108-day festival concludes with the lowering of the flag at the main Aspinwall House venue.
At the Durbar Hall Maidan on March 28, renowned filmmaker Adoor Gopalakrishnan will deliver the keynote address as the chief guest of the ceremony that formally marks the end of the contemporary art extravaganza that began on December 12 last year. The function will also announce the winners of a Students’ Biennale running alongside the festival being organised by the Kochi Biennale Foundation (KBF).
The function will conclude with a music performance by interactive band Oorali, which is also an artist group participating at the biennale. The flag-lowering ceremony at Fort Kochi’s sea-facing Aspinwall will be held on Friday noon.
The biennale, with over 90 artistic projects on display in 10 venues of the city, is one of the subcontinent’s biggest festival of its kind, also hosting seminars, workshops, lectures, cinema and performances. Artist Anita Dube has been its curator, with the theme titled ‘Possibilities for a Non-Alienated Life’ that encourages visitors at the biennale to participate in its course beyond being viewers. Majority of the artists have been from the Global South, and more than half of them, women.
At Thursday’s function, KBF founder-president Bose Krishnamachari will deliver the welcome address, followed by a speech by curator Dube. The other speakers, besides Adoor, include Kochi Mayor Soumini Jain, Ernakulam MP Prof K V Thomas, MLAs K J Maxi, Hibi Eden and John Fernandez, former Kerala minister M A Baby, ex-MP P Rajeev, Kerala Tourism Director & CEO, TVM Smart City Ltd P Bala Kiran and Ernakulam district collector K Mohammed Y Safirulla. KBF secretary V Sunil will propose thanks.
The biennale was inaugurated on December 12 in Fort Kochi by Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.
