The Kochi-Muziris Biennale, India’s top art biennial, has postponed the opening date of most of its offerings less than a day before they were expected to open to the public. Its biggest venues will now start welcoming visitors on December 23, nearly two weeks later than was initially planned.
The last-minute delay was caused by “organizational challenges, compounded by external factors,” including a cyclone that swept through parts of India’s southeast, the biennial said in a statement posted to Instagram.
“We are all working hard towards this new date,” the biennial wrote.
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Held once every two years in the city of Kochi, in the Kerala state, the biennial is among the premier art events in India. This edition of the biennial has already been delayed several times due to the pandemic.
Curated by artist Shubigi Rao, this edition includes a host of names well-known to those who regularly attend international biennials, including Forensic Architecture, Uriel Orlow, and Cecilia Vicuña. It also includes well-known Indian artists, such as Vivan Sundaram, Asim Waqif, and the late Nasreen Mohamedi.
While the biennial’s main venues—Aspinwall House, Anand Warehouse, and Pepper House—are not yet open, certain smaller parts of the show are now on view. These include satellite exhibitions and a program known as the Student’s Biennale.
And, although there was not much in the way of art to see at the biennial on Monday, Shri Pinarayi Vijayan, chief minister of Kerala, was still on hand to inaugurate the show today.