Crowd Surge Continues on Mondays at Kochi-Muziris Biennale

KOCHI:
Following a trend set last Monday, the number of visitors to the magic land of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale (KMB) saw a surge again today with people utilising the free-entry Mondays to full effect.
The first day of free-entry Monday on December 28 last week at the Biennale (KMB) saw a record turnout of around 20,000 people. The crowd footfall touched nearly 25,000 today just before school reopened after Christmas and New Year holidays.
Long queues were found in front of ‘Pyramid of Exiled Poets’ an installation by Slovenian artist Ales Steger, which has come to become an iconic structure at this years Biennale.
Most of the visitors today were families and students, who did not want to miss the opportunity to witness the KMB before another hectic academic year take off. “It was a refreshing experience,” said Johnson, a Vypin native who works in the Middle East who was visiting the exhibition accompanied with his family.
“To enjoy art work in a relaxing atmosphere in a venue like Aspinwall is a relief from our congested lifestyles,” he said.
“It is great to see the common man, not just the art crowd, engage with the art here,” said Bose Krishnamachari, KMB co-founder. “This maybe a new experience, and we are keen that people use the map and visit all 12 venues of the Biennale to get a complete experience.”
He added that this Monday all the venues of the Biennale witnessed footfalls.
While he is thrilled about the large crowds, Krishnamachari noted that it is important to initiate a respect for the art in people. “I hope people will respect the space between themselves and the artwork and not touch the pieces,” he said.
Riyas Komu, KMB co-founder, is excited that free-entry Mondays is giving families the chance to enjoy the Biennale installations. “These sort of huge crowds are not seen at other biennales,” he said. “The KMB is becoming a cultural experience and a venue for families to hang out. Ideally, it becomes a conversation at home and an educational experience,” Komu.
Azhar, a student from the College of Engineering, Thiruvananthapuram, who is visiting with friends said,“I’ve seen many art works based on science, which made me think how science can be used creatively.”
Suvarta group, a band formed by inmates of Shanthipuram colony put in an element of music to the day through a performance at Aspinwall House. The 42 member group performed with traditional Kerala band and other procession instruments that made the crowd groove along.
Among the prominent personalities who visited Biennale today were popular south Indian cine actor Ashish Vidyarthi and prominent writer and filmmaker Leena Manimekalai.