Jitish Kallat Named President of Kochi-Muziris Biennale Foundation

The Kochi Biennale Foundation has selected artist and curator Jitish Kallat as its new president. This appointment was officially declared by KBF chairperson Venu V. on March 11. Kallat will oversee the process to choose the curator for the upcoming edition of the biennale. He takes over from Bose Krishnamachari, a cofounder of the event, who stepped down earlier in the year due to personal family matters. Kallat has been involved with the biennale for many years, having curated and directed its second iteration in 2014–15, named 'Whorled Explorations.' His artistic work includes various mediums such as painting, photography, installation, and sculpture, often examining themes like science, spirituality, and cosmic human placement. Kallat's international presence includes participation in events like the Venice Biennale in 2019, the Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art in 2006–07, and the Gwangju Biennale in 2006. A midcareer retrospective of his work, 'Here After Here 1992–2017,' was displayed at the National Gallery of Modern Art in New Delhi in 2017. More recently, he curated 'Tangled Hierarchy 2' at the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art as part of the fifth biennale's Invitations Programme in 2022–23. In response to his new role, Kallat remarked that the Kochi-Muziris Biennale has significantly influenced contemporary art discussions in India and globally, and he looks forward to leading a careful selection for the next curator. The current sixth edition, curated by Nikhil Chopra with HH Art Spaces and titled 'For the Time Being,' continues until March 31.