Must see Kochi Muziris Biennale

Kudos to the Kochi Muziris Biennale team. You have converted me into an art lover, with just one event!. Today, me and a friend of mine, drove down to Fort Kochi, for the first Kochi Muziris Biennale, and it was awsome. We went there without much planning, and the only image I had in mind was the painting on the fallen tree at the parade ground, Fort Kochi, and we landed there first, to witness this magic of an artist on a fallen tree.

 Then we saw some pointers of this event  to the Fort Kochi beach, and we were totally misguided. There was nothing related to Kochi biennale on the entire beach. The walk along the beach under the hot sun was not very entertaining. We took an entire circle ans came back to Parade ground again. In David hall, there was a book exhibition related to this event going on, and the volunteers there was very adamant about not letting us in without the pass, which is issued a mile away. After some pleading, they let us in, and unfortunately the book exhibition at David hall was miserable. Since the ambiance of David hall was excellent, we just sat there and had a very bad tea made at the trident hotel's outlet, inside the David hall.

From there we walked around a kilometer to the main venue of the Kochi Muziris biennale 2012, which is the Aspinwall house, where a feast of art was awaiting us. I have not seen the other venues. I will be going there again soon. A great place for those with any sort of artistic taste to hang out. This event lasts for three months, and artists from various countries are participating.About the event

The Kochi-Muziris Biennale is an international exhibition of contemporary art being held in Kochi, Kerala. It is the first Biennale being held in India. The exhibition is set in spaces across Kochi, Muziris and surrounding islands. There are shows in existing galleries and halls, and site-specific installations in public spaces, heritage buildings and disused structures.

Indian and international artists are exhibiting artworks across a variety of mediums including film, installation, painting, sculpture, new media and performance art.Through the celebration of contemporary art from around the world, The Kochi-Muziris Biennale seeks to invoke the historic cosmopolitan legacy of the modern metropolis of Kochi, and its mythical predecessor, the ancient port of Muziris.

Alongside the exhibition the Biennale is offering a rich programme of talks, seminars, screenings, music, workshops and educational activities for school children and students.

Here are some photos from the event...

I have uploaded more photos at http://www.facebook.com/kerala2dolist

The event web site : http://www.kochimuzirisbiennale.org

How to go?
I will prefer going there by the government boat service from the Ernakulam boat jetty, if you are staying at Ernakulam. This time, we went in car, and had some challenges in finding a parking space.

Entry fee : Rs: 50 / head (USD 1 / person)

Approximate time required to view the Aspinwall displays : 4 hours

Duration : 12/12/12 to 13/03/13

Address:Kochi Biennale Foundation
1/1903, Kunnumpuram
Fort Kochi P.O, Kerala
Pin : 682001
India.


email : info@kochimuzirisbiennale.org
twitter.com/KochiBiennale
facebook.com/KochiMuzirisBiennale
youtube.com/kochimuzirisbiennale
web site : www.kochimuzirisbiennale.org

There is a souvenir shop, at the Aspinwallhouse. A very ordinary coffee mug is Rs.500/-, which is very expensive for me, hence did not buy them. May buy, when I go back again. This time, because of time constraints, we had to rush through, and still it took around four hours, just to complete the Aspinwall house and the Parade ground. I will go there again for a detailed view of the artifacts and the other installations.

Kudos to the organizers. They deserve a big applause for what they have accomplished against many odds. It is every art lover's responsibility to make this event a great success. I was not an art lover till I witnessed this event. Now I am one, and I appreciate every artist, and the pain behind every creation. Well done, Kochi Biennale team.