Kochi-Muziris Biennale opens its sixth edition with 66 artists from 25 countries
Kochi-Muziris Biennale opens its sixth edition with 66 artists from 25 countries
India's largest contemporary art festival kicks off in Kochi, spanning 22 venues and seven collateral events under the theme 'For the Time Being'.
The sixth edition of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale (KMB) will open with the flag hoisted at Aspinwall House in Fort Kochi at noon, followed by a formal inauguration by the Chief Minister at Parade Ground in the evening. The biennale, organized by the Kochi Biennale Foundation, is billed as India's largest contemporary art festival, featuring works by 66 artists and collectives from 25 countries across 22 venues, plus several parallel shows.
Curated by Goa-based artist Nikhil Chopra along with his art collective HH Art Spaces, this edition carries the curatorial theme For the Time Being. The program centers on the body as bearer of memory and material, and the organisers say the event moves away from a single central venue.
A key new aspect is the dispersal of works beyond Aspinwall House to locations like Durbar Hall Gallery in Ernakulam and Island Warehouse on Willingdon Island, accessible by Water Metro, ferry or road.
The 110-day festival runs through to March 31, 2026, and includes collateral events, ensuring Kochi becomes a living gallery across Fort Kochi, Mattancherry and beyond. A worker painting the text of a participating artist's work at Aspinwall signaled the scale of installation in progress.
Cover image source: Vimoo Sanghvi’s retrospective ‘Whispering Clay’ is heading to Kochi in time for the Biennale 🔗
