A Glimpse of the Kochi-Muziris Art Biennale
Photograpbs of some exhibits at the Kochi-Muziris Biennale 2025-2026
Photo: Installation by Shanvin Sixtous. Photos © Mathew Cherian.
By Mathew Cherian*
January 4, 2026
While in Kochi last month, I visited the Kochi-Muziris Biennale. I am not an art critic and only an amateur photographer, using my iPhone. Here are some photographs of works that I liked.
An exhibit on the geographies of Gaza, Bengal and the Aegean Sea.
A terracota crocodile at the Aspinwall Pavilion.
An exhibit in Bengali.
A view of Kochi harbor from the Aspinwall House.
Bose Krishnamachari co-founder and President Kochi-Muziris Biennale
The Kochi-Muziris Biennale is the pre-eminent art show in India. On display, till March 31, 2026, the main exhibitiont features 66 artists and collectives from more than 20 countries. Titled “For The Time Being,” the show is curated by Nikhil Chopra, an Indian who does live performance art, drawing, photography, sculpture and installations.
As with most major shows around the world, the current Kochi biennale has its share of controversy. This is over a painting, apparently of the last supper by Tom Vattakuzhy. It is included in Edam, a side exhibition also organized by the Kochi Biennale Foundation, which displays works of artists and collectives from Kerala.
A major part of the biennale’s appeal is that it is held in Kochi, a port city in Kerala which dates back to at least 1,500 AD. The exhibits are displayed in large colonial-era government buildings and old warehouses, along streets lined with coconut trees and with views of the Arabian sea.
Kochi has been home to at least sixteen foreign groups, including Jews, Syrians, Lebanese, and Arabs, both Yemeni and Saudi Arabian. The city is a cluster of islands and towns, including Fort Kochi, Ernakulam, Mattancherry, and Willingdon Island.
The exhibits of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale are displayed in Fort Kochi and Mattancherry. In 2010, Bose Krishnamachari co-founded the biennale as well as the Kochi Biennale Foundation.
*Mathew Cherian is a Global Ambassador of Ageing, HelpAge International. Earlier he was board Chair of CARE India, a non-profit that works to improve the lives of the elderly.
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