Disappointment Over Non-Inclusion of Financial Aid for Kochi Muziris Biennale in Kerala Budget

A group of eminent persons led by renowned film director Adoor Gopalakrishnan has expressed disappointment over non inclusion of financial aid for Kochi Muziris Biennale (KMB) on contemporary art in the 2015-16 Kerala state budget.

The Biennale has made a significant media impact within India and internationally and the event regularly features in industry and media round ups as the 'most innovative' and 'must see' cultural festival in Asia.

"We believe that this exceptional achievement of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale deserves generous support from the Government. Any withdrawal or slowdown in Government support will hamper the effective and timely running of the Biennale', they said and urged the state Government to revisit the 2015-16 Budget proposal and extend substantial financial support to Kochi Biennale Foundation.
    
The Biennale had put Kochi and Kerala on the global cultural map and had created a sustainable platform for long-term cultural discourse and engagement in Kerala.
     
While the first edition of KMB saw nearly four lakh visitors, the ongoing second edition will come to a close on March 29 after welcoming close to five lakh visitors.      

"We understand that the social reality in which we operate is marked by contradictions and can be studied only by the comprehension of these contradictions. Biennials have a public nature. They move outside galleries and museums into larger and complex public spaces and bring art to the public - provoking in society new questions and new sensibilities".
    
India's first Biennale could not have been elsewhere. Kochi has been home to a number of different communities both within and outside India for centuries now. This cosmopolitanism of Kochi derives from its continuity with the ancient port city of Muziris, today covered and preserved by mud and mythology, they said.
     
Kerala's history of public action and engagement through art also affirm the located nature of KMB.It is these legacies rather than the presence of art markets like in Mumbai or Delhi that Kochi-Muziris Biennale seeks to inherit and that needs to be supported by Kerala government, they said in a statement.

The first edition hosted works of 89 artists from 23 countries and the second has works of 94 artists from 30 nations. As such, it has also become a site where ambassadors, museum directors, curators, artists and decision makers from around the world converge, the statement said.      

Bringing the art and cultural discourse to Kochi not only amplifies Kerala's cultural positioning in the world but it also creates new avenues for cultural economy to Kerala and India. The city of Kochi, over the past four years, has considerably benefited in tourism and hospitality sector through the Biennale, they said.
     
The Biennale has helped improve India's cultural image, which is expected to translate into long-term gains in social, cultural and economic development and also helped Kochi establish itself as a favoured destination for hosting social, cultural and academic events.

To organise the Biennale, Kochi Biennale Foundation would require continued financial support from Kerala Government, they said.

"We are deeply disappointed that an event of such magnitude and cultural relevance has not been included in the state Budget of 2015-16', said the statement endorsed by well known artists Namboodiri, Balan Nambiar, writers Sethu, Satchidanandan, Paul Zakaria, NS Madhavan, Auteur Adoor Gopalakrishnan, among others.