12\/12\/12 at 12 o\u2019clock. That\u2019s not another end-of-the-world prophecy. It\u2019s the official start time of India\u2019s first-ever biennale, an international art exhibition that is set to take over the southern city of Kochi for the next three months.<\/p>\n
Artists often complain that India\u2019s contemporary art scene is too market-focused , with galleries and trade fairs dominating this space. The aim of Kochi\u2019s biannual event is to help change that by providing a platform that focuses on the art, rather than on the art market.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe hope it will become a hub to launch a discourse on art,\u201d says Riyas Komu, co-curator of the Kochi biennale.<\/p>\n
At a concert Wednesday evening for the biennale\u2019s opening, British musician and artist M.I.A. will take the stage. Best-known for her song \u201cPaper Planes,\u201d featured in the Academy Award-winning film \u201cSlumdog Millionaire,\u201d M.I.A., who grew up between Sri Lanka and India before moving to the U.K., is expected to draw a crowd of around 50,000.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
12\/12\/12 at 12 o\u2019clock. That\u2019s not another end-of-the-world prophecy. It\u2019s the official start time of… more