KOCHI:
Terming the Students’ Biennale (SB) a crucial connection between art practice and education, celebrated contemporary artist Vivan Sundaram inaugurated the second edition of the unique art outreach initiative here today.
Speaking at the SB 2016 opening ceremony at the Biennale Pavilion in Cabral Yard, Fort Kochi, on Tuesday, Sundaram said, “There is an impression that Biennales are elitist spaces, but the SB reflects the dem
Surpassed only by the Kochi-Muziris Biennale (KMB) in terms of ambit and reach, the SB is the Foundation’s flagship art education effort run in collaboration with the Foundation for Indian Contemporary Art (FICA) and the Foundation for Indian Art and Education (FIAE). It is supported by Tata Trusts.
Lead by 15 emerging curators, the year-long initiative reached out to 55 art schools throughout India and will feature the production of 465 art students in an exhibition that runs parallel to KMB 2016 from today till March 29 next year.
The exhibition is presented across seven venues in the historic Mattancherry – Jew Town area of Fort Kochi: M.K. Trades, Kotachery Brothers & co., Arjuna Art Gallery, Heritage Arts, Mattancherry Temple Property, Mohammed Ali Warehouse and Fadi Hall.
“It is opportune that SB has materialised in a time of ideological churning to help bring forth the potential of art students by introducing them to diverse modes of curatorial and art-making research and practice,” said FICA Director Vidya Shivadas, who was part of a mentor panel that selected the curators in November 2015 from amongst hundreds of aspirants.
The function was also attended by Deepika Sorabjee, Senior Programme Manager, Tata Trusts, KBF President Bose Krishnamachari, Secretary Riyas Komu and CEO Manju Sara Rajan.
“The Students’ Biennale is one of the key entry points to our art and culture outreach efforts at Tata Trusts. We are very proud to support such a compelling initiative, which seeks to question and encourage change in the art education system,” Sorabjee said.
The SB 2016 curators – Adwait Singh, Aryan, Ajit Kumar, Faiza Hasan, C.P. Krishnapriya, Harshita Bathwal, Naveen Mahantesh, Noman Amouri, Paribartana Mohanty, Rajyashree Goody, Sarojini Lewis, Shatavisha Mustafi, Shruti Ramlingiah, Sumitra Sunder and Vivek Chockalingam – reached out to 45 government and 10 private art schools across India over the past year, conducting institution visits, organising workshops and interventions, and interacting with BFA and MFA students.
“For the curators, the year of contemplating on curatorial and art practice was especially important since there is also no other discourse on this subject outside the art schools. The stimulating works exhibited here show what could be at future Biennales,” Mahantesh said.
Complimenting the curators on their exceptional efforts to put up the exhibition, Komu said KMB 2016 would give the Students’ Biennale the perfect showcase.
“Engaging with the larger Biennale will allow the participants to channel the creative energies gathered here into the Indian art education system and move beyond the constraints imposed by traditional art education in India,” he said.
The SB counts as education partners, Sher-Gil Sundaram Arts, Raza Foundation and Gallery Espace, and features collaborations with such prestigious arts bodies as Asia Art Archive and Pro Helvetia Swiss Arts Council.
The student curators of SB 2016 had access to an expert advisory team including Sudhir Patwardhan in Mumbai, Jeebesh Bagchi, Shukla Sawant and Belinder Dhanoa in Delhi, Sarada Natarajan in Hyderabad, Rakhi Peswani in Bangalore, Siva Kumar in Santiniketan, Indrapramit Roy, Akkhitam Vasudevan and B.V. Suresh in Vadodara.
