Blog Details

6th Edition of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale

Opening Week Programme
The Programmes are hosted across several public venues on the Islands to celebrate the spirit of its unique context and communities

12th December 2025

11:45 am / Aspinwall House
Gates open to public
+
Thayambaka
Margi Rahitha Krishnadas and team perform percussion on
Chenda (traditional drums)

12:00 pm / Aspinwall House
Hoisting of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale flag

12:30 pm - 2:00 pm / Aspinwall House
Public walkthrough:
KMB Curators Nikhil Chopra with HH Art Spaces

1:00 pm / Courtyard, Aspinwall House
Performance: A New Alphabet by Monica de Miranda

1:30 pm / Coir Godown, Aspinwall House Performance: Procession for a Shifting Storm by Zarina Muhammad

3:00 pm / Island Warehouse
Walkthrough at Willingdon Island: Nikhil Chopra with HH Art Spaces
Modes of travel: Water Metro, Mattancherry or a short taxi or auto ride. Please start at 2:30 pm

4:00 pm / SMS Hall
Performance: Hallucinations of an Artefact, Mandeep Raikhy

5:30 pm / Parade Ground, Fort Kochi
Official Inauguration of the Sixth Edition of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale by Shri Pinarayi Vijayan, the Honorable Chief Minister of Kerala

7:00 pm / Parade Ground, Fort Kochi
Concert with Shanka Tribe

13th December 2025

11:00 am / VKL Warehouse
Opening of the Students’ Biennale 2025—26

12:00 pm / Armaan Collective & Café
Edam
Curated by Aishwarya Suresh and KM Madhusudhanan

2:00 pm / SIMI Warehouse
Walkthrough of Invitations exhibitions with Alice Yard
and Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Panamá

3:00 pm / Parliament of Ghosts, Anand Warehouse
Conversation: Ibrahim Mahama (also on 14th at 3:00 pm)

3:00 pm / Jail of Freedom Struggle
Invitations Programme:
Walkthrough with Alkazi Theatre Archives

4:00 pm / Cube art Space
Opening of Six Stations of a life pursued: Vivan Sundaram

5:00 pm / Durbar Hall
Opening: Under the aegis of Kochi-Muziris Biennale, Kiran Nadar
Museum of Art (KNMA) presents Gulammohammed Sheikh:
Of worlds, within worlds curated by Roobina Karode aligned
with KMB curators Nikhil Chopra and HH Art Spaces

5:30 pm / Oottupura, Pazhayannur Bhagavathi Temple
Opening of Conflictorium

5:30 pm / Aspinwall House
Performance: Paakkalam by Smitha M. Babu & collaborators

6:30 pm — 8:00 pm / Devassy Jose & Sons
Opening of the Invitations Exhibitions and Residency: Bienal
das Amazônias, Dar Yusuf Nasri Jacir for Art and Research,
The Packet and ruangrupa/Gudskul

8:30 pm/ Parade Ground
Mehfil-e-Sama’a
Sufi-Hindustani classical music ensemble

14th December 2025

9:30 am / David Hall
Opening of the Collateral Programme
Invitations Programme Coffee and Walkthrough:
Nairobi Contemporary Art Center.

10:30 am / Multiple Venues.
Opening of the Collateral Programme
Featuring Ardee Foundation, Forplay Society supported by
Goethe-Institut / Max Mueller Bhavan Bangalore, Gallerie
Splash, Lakshmi Madhavan Studio, massArt, Monsoon
Culture, Pipio, supported by Goethe-Institut / Max Mueller
Bhavan Pune, Rizq Art Initiative, and Sarah Chandy.
Suggested path with walkthrough timings TBA

12:00 pm / Space, Indian Chamber of Commerce and
Industry, Mattancherry
Walkthrough with Nikhil Chopra, KHOJ, and
Govandi Arts Festival

2:00 pm / Water Metro Station, Fort Kochi
Opening of the Art By Children Programme

3:00 pm / The Stage, Cochin Club
South as Method
Gathering: Institutions from the Invitations Programme and
Curators unpack their work and contexts through discussions
and the presentation of projects.

5:00 pm / Aspinwall House Courtyard
Performance: Processing Circle (Kaseko Cycle) by
Uriel Barthélémi with HipHop dancers curated by Priya
Gonsalves

5:00 pm / Jail of Freedom Struggle
Circle of Fragments: A Spiritual Architecture of Care
Designed by Meriem Chabani - NEW SOUTH, in collaboration
with Nirmiti Collective. A site-specific lecture-performance
curated by Anissa Touati with philosopher Mohamed Amer
Meziane and design critic Malkit Shoshan

5:00 pm / SMS Hall
Performance: Hallucinations of an Artefact, Mandeep Raikhy

5:00 pm / Pepper House
Performance: Chicago Boys, Hiwa K

5:30 pm / Aspinwall House
Performance: Paakkalam by Smitha M. Babu & collaborators

6:00 pm to 7:00 pm / Arthshila Kochi & St. Andrew’s Parish Hall
Walkthrough of Students’ Biennale 2025-26

7:30 pm / Parade Ground
Amma Kala Sangam
Folk music performance by indigenous artists
Nanjiyamma and Team

9:00 pm / Parade Ground
Chavittu Nadakam
Yuva Kerala Chavittu Nadaka Kalasamithi, Kurumbathuruth,
performs the Latin-Christian theatre believed to have originated
in 16th-century Kochi. It is known for its energetic, rhythmic
style, blending of dance, music and theatre

15th December 2025

10:00 am / Stage, Cochin Club
Conversation: HH Art Spaces, Nikhil Chopra & Mario D’Souza
Unpacking the themes, processes, challenges and adventures of
making this edition.

11:15 am / The Pavilion, Bastion Bungalow
Lecture Performance: Statues Must Die, Naeem
Mohaiemen & Mallika Taneja

5:00 pm / The Pavilion, Bastion Bungalow
Ackroyd & Harvey: The Art of Activism
Film Screening by Fiona Cunningham Reid
Venue: The Stage, Cochin Club

5:45 pm / Coir Godown, Aspinwall House
Performance: Mutant Patterns (Kaseko Cycle)
by Uriel Barthélémi

7:00 pm / The Pavilion, Bastion Bungalow
The F16s
Alternative Rock Band

16th December 2025

11:00am / The Pavilion, Bastion Bungalow
Lecture: Brook Andrew

5:00 pm / SMS Hall
Performance: Hallucinations of an Artefact, Mandeep Raikhy

5:00 pm / Parliament of Ghosts, Anand Warehouse
Performance: The Chamber of Calling by Yuko Kaseki & Uriel
Barthélémi

7:30 pm / The Pavilion
Mehboob Memorial Orchestra
Named after the legendary Malayalam playback singer
H. Mehboob, this orchestra is the first in Kerala to popularise
ghazal singing.

17th December 2025

7:30 pm / The Pavilion, Bastion Bungalow
Karinthalakoottam
Karinthalakoottam – meaning ‘generations’ in Porulicha language
from the Pulaya community of Central Kerala – is a folk band
presenting art forms like Thira, Vattamudi Kolam, Karimkali
Kolam, and more