States » SouthPosted at: Sep 17 2026 6:12PM


Kader Attia begins Kochi research ahead of 7th Kochi-Muziris Biennale

Kochi, Sept 17 (UNI) Kader Attia, curator of the seventh edition of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale (KMB), has begun site visits and conversations in Kochi as part of his research for the international contemporary art exhibition, with his curatorial proposition scheduled to be unveiled in Mumbai on November 14.
The announcement was made by the Kochi Biennale Foundation (KBF), organisers of the KMB, during a media interaction with Attia here on Wednesday.
The event was attended by KBF Chairperson Dr Venu V., Kochi-Muziris Biennale President Jitish Kallat, KBF Trustee Adeeb Ahamed and KBF CEO Thomas Varghese.
Attia's current research visit began in Mumbai, where he met cultural practitioners and others, before continuing to Kochi for site visits and conversations. The November 14 event in Mumbai will offer the first public glimpse into the curatorial vision that will shape the upcoming edition of the Biennale.
An internationally renowned Algerian-French artist and curator, Attia has a longstanding association with Kochi. He delivered the inaugural Vivan Sundaram Memorial Lecture in 2025 and had earlier participated in two exhibitions in Kochi curated by Jitish Kallat -- 'Whorled Explorations', presented as part of the 2014 Kochi-Muziris Biennale, and 'Tangled Hierarchy' in 2022.
At the media interaction, Attia spoke about his artistic practice, his return to Kochi in his new role as curator, and the conversations and encounters that are beginning to shape his research for the next Biennale.
Dr Venu V. said Attia's selection as curator reflected the identity of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale, noting that his engagement with contemporary art and interest in history, memory and culture closely resonated with the character of the Biennale.
Introducing Attia, Kallat spoke about the longer process through which a Biennale takes shape and acknowledged the longstanding role of Kerala's press in bringing artists and their ideas into public conversation.
Adeeb Ahamed described the Biennale as a collective endeavour and called upon people in Kochi and across Kerala to participate in and take ownership of its next chapter by welcoming artists, perspectives and ideas from around the world.
Attia shared images of his work and discussed aspects of an artistic practice that, for more than two decades, has engaged with questions of memory, history, repair and the continuing legacies of colonialism.
Central to his artistic inquiry is the idea of "traces" -- the marks left by history, trauma and experience. He said the human psyche carries traces linked not only to trauma but also to joy, opening up political, philosophical, metaphysical and poetic questions.
"The question of traces is very much what I put at the centre of my interest to understand the legacy of colonialism in the 21st century," he said.
Attia described observation as something learned socially rather than academically and spoke of repair not simply as a concept but as a phenomenon.
Beginning with memories of his mother and the invisible traces left by those who are gone, he explored ideas of the wound and repair, while also reflecting on Kochi's unusually engaged local audience and the sense of reciprocity he has encountered in the city.
UNI DS
Tags: #Kader Attia begins Kochi research ahead of 7th Kochi-Muziris Biennale
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