Artist Nikhil Chopra to curate 6th edition of Kochi Muziris Biennale

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Wednesday announced that the sixth edition of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale (KMB), a cutting-edge international exhibition of contemporary art, starting in Kochi in December 12, 2025, will be curated by renowned artist Nikhil Chopra and his team HH Art Spaces.

This event, which has now become the cynosure of many art lovers, is organised by the Kochi Biennale Foundation (KBF).

The selection of curators was made by a committee of internationally acclaimed art world figures -- Shanay Jhaveri, Dayanita Singh, Rajeeb Samdani, Jitish Kallat, and Bose Krishnamachari, who is also President of KBF.

The mega show, spanning four months, will begin on December 12 featuring 60 artists and artistic practices from India and across the world, and will conclude on March 31, 2026.

Welcoming Nikhil Chopra, Chief Minister Vijayan said: "We invite the people of Kerala, the nation, and the world to join us in celebrating this spectacular event that fosters the spirit of art, community, and dialogue."

Introducing Chopra along with his team at HH Art Spaces based in Goa, Bose Krishnamachari noted that the versatile artist's work that blends performance, drawings, paintings, photography, sculpture, and installation critically explores issues of identity, politics, history, and the body.

Nikhil Chopra, who had completed his early education in Kochi, described the KBF curatorship as an 'incredible task' and 'humbling privilege'.

He had featured in the second KMB (2014) and won acclaim for his work's off-beat approach at the Aspinwall House venue.

Highlighting the Biennale's famed calibre to "ignite conversations about being human; poetic and political," Nikhil Chopra hailed the eminent artistic potential of Kerala.

"The ancient, the modern, and the contemporary in the region have always been in critical dialogue with each other churning ideas and knowledge into wisdom," he said.

"For me, the process or the journey of artwork is more central than the destination itself. I envision this Biennale as a series of moments, where one can enter and exit. For this Biennale we look at works that lean more on the process, works that are still in making as opposed to the industrial norm of valuing only the completed work. I feel it's important to embrace the unfinished and the process," said Chopra explaining his curatorial vision.

Bose Krishnamachari said the deep-rooted commitment of Nikhil Chopra and his team to the arts, along with their visionary approach to curating, will undoubtedly shape a remarkable chapter for the Biennale.

"Nikhil's unique perspective, paired with the creative energy of HH Art Spaces, promises to bring fresh dialogue and innovative perspectives to this global platform. We look forward to witnessing the transformative experience they will create for artists, audiences, and the community alike."

"In this new chapter, we will reaffirm the epithet 'People's Biennale'," Bose added.

IANS