Attempts to defame Kerala using art are being honoured, says CM

Organised attempts to defame Kerala using art are being honoured at the national level, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said on Friday as he inaugurated the sixth edition of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale (KMB) at Parade Ground, Fort Kochi.

He said the very relevance of awards has been called into question by the act of honouring films that tarnished the State. He called for an artistic resistance against the attempts by what he called destructive forces to implement regressive ideas by crushing down diversity.

“Biennale should be able to set the stage for the attempts to prevent such acts. It should take the lead in the resistance activities. That is the political dimension of biennale,” the Chief Minister said.

He said the State’s ability to conduct events of international scale has become evident through biennale. “A sum of ₹7.5 crore was allowed for the conduct of the KMB in recognition of the organising ability. The Kerala government has been allotting maximum financial aid for such cultural activities in the country,” he added.

“Cultural exchanges are the highlight of art events like biennale. Cultural progress is the foundation for economic progress. The government has been accelerating social progress through effective interventions in cultural sphere,” he said.

Presenting the theme of the sixth edition of the KMB, ‘For the time being,’ curator Nikhil Chopra said an artist’s freedom was the symbol of the freedom of a society.

KMB president Bose Krishnamachari presented a report. Kochi Biennale Foundation chairperson Venu V. And CEO Thomas Varghese also spoke.

Industries Minister P. Rajeeve, Hibi Eden, MP, MLAs T.J. Vinod and K.J. Maxy, Mayor M. Anilkumar, CPI(M) general secretary M.A. Baby, Special Representative of Government of Kerala at New Delhi K.V. Thomas, Additional Chief Secretary (Museum and Archives) Rajan N Khobragade, KMB patron M.A. Yousuffali, KBF trustees Adeeb Ahamed, Mariam Ram, Amrita Jhaveri, Shabana Faisal, Tony Joseph and N.S. Madhavan, KBF Director of Programmes Mario D’Souza and former Editor-in-Chief of The Hindu N. Ram were among those who attended the inaugural ceremony.

The inauguration was followed by a public concert by Shanka Tribe. The latest edition of the KMB, organised by the Kochi Biennale Foundation (KBF), will be spread across 22 venues, in addition to seven collateral events. The 110-day event will conclude on March 31, 2026. The exhibition features works by 66 artists/collectives from 25 countries, alongside a range of parallel shows.