‘KMB an encouragement for artists’, PMO advisor Tarun Kapoor

The phrase “KMB an encouragement for artists” comes from a press release about the Kochi-Muziris Biennale (KMB), where Tarun Kapoor, Advisor in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), praised the Biennale as a source of inspiration for artists worldwide.

Tarun Kapoor’s remarks:
He described the Biennale as “an encouragement for artists across the world” after visiting the artworks at Aspinwall House, which hosts the historic Director’s Bungalow and Coir Godown.

Venue & Theme:
The sixth edition of KMB is themed “For the Time Being”, blending memories, histories, presence, and absence.

Artworks viewed:
- Panjeri Artists’ Union Collective (West Bengal) – political statements on migrant struggles.
- Dhiraj Rabha – insurgency in Assam.
- Birendar Yadav – life in brick kilns.
- R B Shajith – fading Kerala landscapes.
- Kirtika Kain – Dalit diaspora.
- Pallavi Paul, Biraaj Dodiya, Zarina Muhammed, and archives of the Marina Abramović Institute.
- Installations by Abul Hisham, Faiza Hassan, Bhasha Chakrabarti, Smitha Babu, Anja Ibsch, Huma Mulji, Ratna Gupta, among others.

Companions during visit:
He was accompanied by Cochin Port Trust Chairman B. Kasiviswanathan and Kochi Biennale Foundation CEO Thomas Varghese.

Art mediation:
Guided by Arundhati Karthik, who explained the works and their contexts.

Why It Matters
The statement underscores how KMB has become a global platform for contemporary art, giving visibility to diverse voices—from migrant struggles to ecological concerns—while positioning Kochi as a hub for cultural dialogue.