Kochi Biennale may be called off due to fund crunch
Uncertainty looms over the sixth edition of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale, India’s largest contemporary art exhibition held annually in Kerala’s Kochi. The 2024 Biennale, scheduled to commence later in the year, is on the verge of being called off due to financial constraints, and the unavailability of the prime venue – Aspinwall House. A heritage waterfront property in Fort Kochi, the Aspinwall building has been one of the main venues of the Biennale ever since the inception of the global art fair in 2012.As per reports, Delhi-based real estate company DLF, which owns the building, has initiated talks to sell it off to the Coast Guard (CG) for its day-to-day operations. This has come as a disappointment to art enthusiasts and residents of Kochi, leading the city Mayor M Anil Kumar to write to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, seeking the state government’s intervention. In his letter, the Mayor pointed out that while the country must protect its maritime borders, it is not a good idea to sell the Aspinwall building to the CG. “It remains to be seen whether the Coast Guard will backtrack from the agreement they had with DLF if the government helps them to acquire alternate land. As a Mayor, I’m willing to hold talks with the Coast Guard regarding this matter. But I’m writing this letter to the CM as this does not fall under the jurisdiction of the Mayor,” Anil Kumar’s letter read. Subscribe to TNM to get the complete story, not the convenient oneAccording to a report by the Times of India, Bose Krishnamachari, the founder of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale, raised concerns about the sale of the Aspinwall building. “Apart from being the prime venue of the Biennale, the Aspinwall House also has historical significance. It is unfortunate that a heritage property, which attracts international tourists, is being handed over while there are so many other buildings that can be handed over for the same purpose,” said Bose. The Kerala government has previously made attempts to acquire the Aspinwall house from DLF through the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB), but the discussions did not bear any fruit. Meanwhile, a source associated with the Biennale told The New Indian Express that the sale of the Aspinwall building was not the only concern for the Biennale, as they were also experiencing an issue concerning finances. The Kerala Government has allocated Rs 5 crore for the 2024 edition of the Biennale in the state budget, and when TNM reached out to Bose Krishnamachari regarding this, he said that a detailed statement will soon be published by the Kochi Biennale Foundation.
UNCERTAINTY looms over the sixth edition of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale, India’s largest contemporary art exhibition held annually in Kerala’s Kochi.
The 2024 Biennale, scheduled to commence later in the year, is on the verge of being called off due to financial constraints, and the unavailability of the prime venue – Aspinwall House.
A heritage waterfront property in Fort Kochi, the Aspinwall building has been one of the main venues of the Biennale ever since the inception of the global art fair in 2012.
As per reports, Delhi-based real estate company DLF, which owns the building, has initiated talks to sell it off to the Coast Guard (CG) for its day-to-day operations. This has come as a disappointment to art enthusiasts and residents of Kochi, leading the city Mayor M Anil Kumar to write to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, seeking the state government’s intervention.
In his letter, the Mayor pointed out that while the country must protect its maritime borders, it is not a good idea to sell the Aspinwall building to the CG. “It remains to be seen whether the Coast Guard will backtrack from the agreement they had with DLF if the government helps them to acquire alternate land. As a Mayor, I’m willing to hold talks with the Coast Guard regarding this matter. But I’m writing this letter to the CM as this does not fall under the jurisdiction of the Mayor,” Anil Kumar’s letter read.
Subscribe to TNM to get the complete story, not the convenient one
According to a report by the Times of India, Bose Krishnamachari, the founder of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale, raised concerns about the sale of the Aspinwall building. “Apart from being the prime venue of the Biennale, the Aspinwall House also has historical significance. It is unfortunate that a heritage property, which attracts international tourists, is being handed over while there are so many other buildings that can be handed over for the same purpose,” said Bose.
The Kerala government has previously made attempts to acquire the Aspinwall house from DLF through the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB), but the discussions did not bear any fruit.
Meanwhile, a source associated with the Biennale told The New Indian Express that the sale of the Aspinwall building was not the only concern for the Biennale, as they were also experiencing an issue concerning finances.
The Kerala Government has allocated Rs 5 crore for the 2024 edition of the Biennale in the state budget, and when TNM reached out to Bose Krishnamachari regarding this, he said that a detailed statement will soon be published by the Kochi Biennale Foundation.
