The much-anticipated Kochi-Muziris Biennale 2025-26 has thrown open its doors. Asia’s largest contemporary art show, held every two years at Kochi in Kerala, will showcase different facets of Indian immersive art forms for the next three months to an audience comprising both Indian and international visitors in a rich cultural way. This year's biennale boasts of extended venues totaling 22 different places across the city, several collateral exhibitions, and abandoned and dilapidated locations transforming into art that was never seen before.

“We’ve got tremendous support—both financially and emotionally—from several individuals, the Kerala government and prestigious organisations like Tata Trust and I am happy that it is being received well right from the start,” says Biennale founder Bose Krishnamachari. “Both Indian and international participants are excited to be here, and this time we extended the venue up to the Wellington Island and converted several dilapidated buildings into wonderful venues for exhibitions and related events,” adds Bose, also a painter and art curator.

The sixth edition of the Biennale, with its holding theme “For The Time Being,” is being curated by the renowned performance artist Nikhil Chopra of HH Art Spaces. The edition will witness several art forms, including dance performances, seminars and discussions; visual art, including paintings and live installations; and sculptures sprawling over 4.5 sq. km. Artists will journey between their studios and public spaces, blurring the line between creation and performance. “We long to dissolve the distance between the artwork and its witness,” Chopra explains. “We want to remove the veil of jargon and offer something tender, tactile, and open.”

No longer a singular spectacle, this edition emerges as a living ecosystem—nurtured by friendships and collective becoming. It unfolds across Kochi through film screenings, the Students’ Biennale, Art by Children, and residency programmes, each thread contributing to a shared tapestry of time, space, and spirit.

Conceived as an evolving international mega event, a single visit to the Kochi-Muziris Biennale may not be enough to absorb everything that is going on at its sprawling venue. Visitors should plan more than just one trip to Kochi, as further visits will show them things that are different from the previous visit. “The weather in Kochi is cooler now compared to previous years’ sweltering heat,” says Bose. “So visitors can comfortably move around, enjoying the Biennale this time, where some of the most incredible art forms will be displayed.”

This biennale—which commenced on December 12, 2025 and will go on till March 31. 2026—is poised not merely as an exhibition but as a radiant constellation of creativity—an ode to values that pulse at the heart of human connection: compassion, joy, humour, love, friendship, and solidarity.

Kochi-Muziris Biennale

Kochi-Muziris Biennale 2025-26: An ode to compassion, joy, humour, love, friendship, and solidarity