Biennale

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Recently, the fifth edition of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale opened

What are art Biennales?

• It is an international large-scale showcase of art that takes place every two years at a particular site
• It is usually non-commercial enterprises – unlike art fairs – that center around a curatorial theme.
• History 
  • One of the most prestigious and oldest biennales in the world, the Venice Biennale was established through a resolution by the city council in 1893 to celebrate national artistic talent. 
  • With its rising popularity, the 1900s saw the emergence of Biennales across the world, with Bienal de São Paulo being instituted as the first non-European biennial in 1951.
  • In 2009, a global Biennale Foundation was established with an “aim to create a platform for dialogue, networking, and knowledge sharing among contemporary art biennials around the world”. 

The significance of art biennales

• Biennales help showcase art, and often named after the host city, they become a reason for local pride, promoting cultural tourism and generating revenue through visitors.

A brief history of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale

• An artist-led endeavour, the Kochi-Muziris Biennale was founded in 2011 by Kerala-born, Mumbai-based artists Bose Krishnamachari and Riyas Komu with an aim to “create a platform that will introduce contemporary, global visual art theory and practice to India.”

Source: IE