Kochi | Contemporary artist and curator Jitish Kallat will assume the role of president of Kochi-Muziris Biennale (KMB) and will chair the selection of the curator for the next edition, the Kochi Biennale Foundation chairperson Dr Venu V announced on Wednesday.
The announcement comes nearly two months after KMB co-founder and artist Bose Krishnamachari stepped down as the president of the biennale and as a member of the board of trustees of the Kochi Biennale Foundation, citing "personal and family reasons".
Kallat, who lives and works in Mumbai, is a member of the board of trustees of the Kochi Biennale Foundation. He previously served as curator of the second edition of the biennale in 2014–15, titled "Whorled Explorations".
"The Kochi-Muziris Biennale has played an extraordinary role in shaping conversations around contemporary art in India and beyond. At the Board's request, I have agreed to chair the selection of the curator for the next edition, and I look forward to working with colleagues to ensure a thoughtful and rigorous selection," Kallat said in a statement.
One of India's leading contemporary artists, Kallat's work "explores the intersections of science, historical memory and existential inquiry, often reflecting on humanity's planetary presence and place in the cosmos".
Apart from the second edition of the biennale, Kallat's curatorial projects include "I Draw, Therefore I Think" for SouthSouth in 2021; "Tangled Hierarchy" at the John Hansard Gallery in Southampton; and "Tangled Hierarchy 2", presented by the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art as part of the Invitations Programme of the fifth Kochi-Muziris Biennale in 2022.
"At an important moment for the Foundation, we are grateful to Jitish Kallat for agreeing to chair the selection of the curator for the next edition of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale. His long association with the Biennale and his international experience in the contemporary art field make him well placed to take this forward," Venu V said.
The sixth edition of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale, titled "For the Time Being", is currently underway.
The biennale, which started with 89 artists from 23 countries across 13 revived heritage sites in Kochi in 2012, has expanded across 22 venues in Fort Kochi, Mattancherry, Wellingdon Island, and Ernakulam with 66 artists and collectives from more than 25 countries in its ongoing 6th edition.
Curated by Nikhil Chopra with HH Art Spaces, the current edition will conclude on March 31.