Kochi Biennale to auction art works to raise funds for flood relief

Kochi Biennale

Kochi: The Kochi Biennale Foundation (KBF) is organising an auction of select artworks, the proceeds of which would go to the Kerala government for rebuilding the state after the August floods and landslides.

Paintings, sculptures and installations of more than 40 artists living in the country and abroad would go under the hammer at the event in the city on January 18 next year amid the fourth edition of the Foundation's Kochi-Muziris Biennale (KMB), a KBF release said here Friday.

Named ARK, as the acronym for Art Rises for Kerala, the auction would feature modern and contemporary works by reputed artists such as Dayanita Singh, Subodh Gupta and Anish Kapoor, organisers said.

By bringing together the Indian and global art communities to help rebuild Kerala, the auction would have its proceeds directed to the Chief Minister's Distress Relief Fund meant to benefit those affected by the region's worst calamity in a century, KBF founder-president Bose Krishnamachari said.

"The power of art in disaster recovery is significant," co-curator of the first KMB, Bose said.

"Our endeavour reinforces the fact that art goes a long way in re-laying the foundations for a state in its troubled times," he said.

The CM's relief fund is being used for distribution of essential commodities as well as reconstruct and improve the state's infrastructure that suffered damage in the floods and landslides that ravaged Kerala during the south west monsoon, which claimed 493 lives.

The fourth edition of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale would begin on December 12 and conclude on March 29 next year.

The comments posted here/below/in the given space are not on behalf of Onmanorama. The person posting the comment will be in sole ownership of its responsibility. According to the central government's IT rules, obscene or offensive statement made against a person, religion, community or nation is a punishable offense, and legal action would be taken against people who indulge in such activities.