Kochi Muziris Biennale: a lot of ink and fire

The fifth edition of Kochi Muzirs Biennale comes to a close with around bounty for local businesses and people

Curtains come down on the fifth edition of the Kochi Muziris Biennale on April 10. The four months long art show, which exhibited 87 artists in 14 venues, was installed under challenging circumstances, coming after a protracted pandemic.

Opening to a staggered start (shifted from December 12,2022 to December 23) it derailed schedules amid criticism. But as venues opened slowly, and the exhibitions found their audience, the Biennial unfolded to present a finely distilled show of contemporary art. This edition has recorded approximately nine lakh visitors, the highest footfalls in comparison to its four earlier editions.

Its on the ground impact has been an unexpected bounty after three years of pandemic related inactivity, which was felt across businesses and people dependant on it.

Domestic travellers

 “Tourism did not pick up in Fort Kochi till the certainty of the Biennale was established,” says tour guide Ajita Scaria, discussing how business was especially difficult through lockdown. Ajita launched a curated heritage walk of Fort Kochi last year. According to her the season saw, for the first time, an influx of domestic tourists, arriving only to see the Biennale.

Prior to the pandemic, Fort Kochi was known as a destination for the foreign tourist. It’s tryst with the domestic traveller started with the lifting of the COVID 19 imposed lockdown. With increasing number of Indian tourists, the homestays, cafes, hotels and shops cultivated a familiarity with this new clientele. The Biennale is witnessing a direct impact of the transition.

Backpacker’s hostels