Kochi Muziris Biennale: a lot of ink and fire
Curtains come down on the fifth edition of the Kochi Muziris Biennale on April 10. The four months long art show, which exhibited 87 artists in 14 venues, was installed under challenging circumstances, coming after a protracted pandemic.
Opening to a staggered start (shifted from December 12,2022 to December 23) it derailed schedules amid criticism. But as venues opened slowly, and the exhibitions found their audience, the Biennial unfolded to present a finely distilled show of contemporary art. This edition has recorded approximately nine lakh visitors, the highest footfalls in comparison to its four earlier editions.
Its on the ground impact has been an unexpected bounty after three years of pandemic related inactivity, which was felt across businesses and people dependant on it.
Domestic travellers
“Tourism did not pick up in Fort Kochi till the certainty of the Biennale was established,” says tour guide Ajita Scaria, discussing how business was especially difficult through lockdown. Ajita launched a curated heritage walk of Fort Kochi last year. According to her the season saw, for the first time, an influx of domestic tourists, arriving only to see the Biennale.
‘Improvise,’ an installation made with bamboo by Delhi -based artist Asim Waqif | Photo Credit: Thulasi Kakkat
Prior to the pandemic, Fort Kochi was known as a destination for the foreign tourist. It’s tryst with the domestic traveller started with the lifting of the COVID 19 imposed lockdown. With increasing number of Indian tourists, the homestays, cafes, hotels and shops cultivated a familiarity with this new clientele. The Biennale is witnessing a direct impact of the transition.
Backpacker’s hostels
Renel Joe, Manager, Zostel, a 34-bed backpacker’s hostel at Njaliparambu in Fort Kochi says they have been running houseful for the past four months. “Not a single bed is vacant,” says Renel adding that a bed in air-conditioned dormitory can be availed of at ₹500 (₹ 600 on weekends). He too notices a change in the clientele with more North Indians and “lots of Malayalis from other parts of Kerala and Bengaluru”. “They are mostly in the 20-30 age group and a majority of them are IT professionals and could work from here too. There were a lot of artists from the North too,” he says.
A room at Zostel, a backpacker’s hostel in Kochi
Mirza Sherief opened Bunk House, with two of his childhood friends in October 2022. A restored 200-year-old Dutch house, the space with 24 beds has hosted 350 foreigners in the past five months, besides, groups of students from the Wadiyar Centre for Architecture, Conflictorium: the Museum of Conflict, Ahmedabad and NID students along with the faculty. With a lounge area that has workstation facility, library and art exhibition space it provides breakfast on order. “We have had on an average 85% occupancy this season,” says Mirza.
Home stays
January 2023 saw the opening of two pure vegetarian North Indian cuisine restaurants — Kadai Veg Tables on Bazaar Road, opposite the Coast Guard centre and Anandh Bhavan on Njaliparambu Junction. Sreelakshmi N Prabhu, proprietor of the latter and also a participant of Masterchef Season 5 says that in her decade long experience in teaching cookery she has noticed a growing trend towards vegetarian cuisine among westerners. “Hence I always thought that a vegetarian restaurant in Fort Kochi was the need of the hour.” She says that a number of international travellers that came for the event were her guests too. “Thali meals have been a hit,” says Shaji of Kadai Veg Tables adding that the Biennale gives extra appeal to Fort Kochi attracting holidayers. The Roti, on Eliphinstone Street and Coriander on Napier Street are the other newly opened North Indian cuisine restaurants. “There was no place in Fort Kochi that served vegetarian food and with the increase in number of domestic travelers, especially from the North, it was a good bet,” says Dexter Fernandes, who manages Coriander.
Designer Pop Ups
