ABSTRACT
This chapter refl ects on the layered processes related to the Kochi-Muziris Student Biennale 2014, which was a pilot project of the Kochi Biennale Foundation, and conceived as part of its ‘Higher Education Programme’. Its ambition, as represented on the offi cial Biennale website was that ‘it aimed to create an alternative platform for students from government-run art colleges in India to refl ect upon their art practices and exhibit their works to a global audience. The aim was to bring together the works of art students from across the country under one roof.’ 1 The Biennale would serve both as a snapshot and a survey of the diversity of styles and pedagogic traditions extant in India’s art education system. A team of curators were chosen through a competitive process. Once selected, each curator visited designated colleges across the country to interview MA and BA art students (in their fi nal year of study) as well as faculty members, and ultimately nominated a small selection of student artists to display their
work in Kochi. The curators were encouraged to embed themselves in the colleges to help develop curatorial themes as well as to examine educational infrastructure. Based on the numerous interviews with staff and students, a key fi nding of the chapter is that students are exploring new art practices despite their education and not because of it, and that the Biennale provides a venue not only for showcasing work, but also for re-energizing the outlook of Indian art education. This chapter, then, considers what the participating students and curators brought to the Student Biennale and what they gained. It considers the interactions that occurred between the university colleges and the Biennale curators, and how the Student Biennale effected and informed art practice and viewership. Another point of interest is how the sense of space and place informed its fi nal outcome. At different stages, the Student Biennale took on a different character: it was a launching platform for students, it was a place for learning and exchange, and at instances it was even a market place where works of art could be purchased.
