Community Volunteers Under the State Directorate, Busy Cleaning Venues

KOCHI:
Ernakulam District Collector Priyanka G visited venues of the upcoming sixth edition of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale (KMB-6) across its hub in the twin towns along the west of the city, and interacted with the organisers of the 110-day art festival beginning next week.

The biennale, with ‘For the Time Being’ as its curatorial title, is slated to start on December 12, featuring 22 venues and seven collaterals — a chunk of them in Fort Kochi and Mattancherry. The event is held by the Kochi Biennale Foundation (KBF), a 2010-registered charitable trust.

The Collector noted that hosting the KMB is an “honour” for the district. She promised “all possible assistance” from the administration for the smooth conduct of what is one of Asia’s largest contemporary art festivals.

KMB volunteers, under the auspices of the Directorate of Community Volunteer Corps, are carrying out cleaning activities at around 20 KMB venues in West Kochi. This involves 140 students from three colleges in the district: St Teresa’s, Sacred Heart (Thevara) and Cochin College. The Collector also interacted with the students.

Kochi Muziris Biennale President Bose Krishnamachari and KBF Trustee Bony Thomas, too, spoke to the students.

The Directorate of Community Volunteer Corps, formed in 2020 by the state government, trains youth to provide services in times of emergency. “We motivate them to do selfless activities,” reveals its State Project Coordinator, Arya Anil.

Among the volunteers, Mariam Abraham of Sacred Heart College expressed delight in seeing the evolution of space for artworks while cleaning up the venues. Added Janeena Shaju, who teaches computer science at St. Teresa’s and heads the college’s Green Protocol: “Interacting with the District Collector added to our pleasure in carrying out the cleaning assignments.”

KMB-6 is curated by renowned artist Nikhil Chopra with HH Art Spaces, Goa. It concludes on March 31.