Field Trip: Kochi-Muziris Biennale

India’s first-ever biennale opened to the public on December 12 spread across multiple venues in the coastal city of Kochi in Kerala. Once a vital stop on the spice route, where a confluence of cultures, religions and nationalities converged, present-day Kochi, it was hoped, would once again become a trading place for ideas by hosting this international biennale.

A number of heritage sites were secured by the Kochi Biennale Foundation, and almost 100 artists were invited to participate, the vast majority of whom were from India. Sadly a number of venues weren’t completed in time, entire rooms were left unoccupied, and unopened wooden cartons containing recently shipped artwork were a common sight.

• India