Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan inaugurates Kochi -Muziris Biennale, announces Rs 7.5 crore support

Kochi: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Friday inaugurated the sixth edition of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale (KMB), a premier visual arts festival, and announced financial assistance of Rs 7.5 crore for the event.

The festival features 66 artists and collectives from 25 countries, spread across 22 venues in Kochi, and will run for 110 days.

In his inaugural address, Vijayan said the state government remains committed to supporting art movements that celebrate cultural diversity. "We live in a time when art is sometimes misused for dangerous political ends. The biennale seeks to counter such forces and resist the creation of a monolithic society," he noted.

Highlighting the need for corporate and cultural collaboration, he added, "If Kerala has secured a place on the global art map, the biennale has played a major role." He described the festival as an “open gate that brings fresh breaths of culture from across the globe.”

State Industries Minister P Rajeev released a short guide to KMB-2025, presenting the first copy to former Union Minister K V Thomas. KMB founder-mentor and CPI M General Secretary M A Baby launched the biennale's signature film.

V Venu, president of the Kochi Biennale Foundation (KBF), said KMB has become a unique model in the global art scene, while KMB President Bose Krishnamachari described the festival as a "temporary university of contemporary art." Curator Nikhil Chopra explained KMB-2025’s vision, adding, "It is only through much creative effort that we can bring a sense of ease to the audience.'

The inaugural event was attended by Ernakulam MP Hibi Eden, MLAs K J Maxi and T J Vinod, Kerala Tourism Director Sikha Surendran, and Tourism Secretary K Biju, among others. The function concluded with a public concert by Shanka Tribe, featuring Neha Nair, Resmi Satheesh, and Shahabaz Aman.