Kochi-Muziris Biennale 2025: Emerging Stars Paint the Town with New Voices

Image Source: Hindustan Times

The sixth edition of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale, opening December 12, 2025, will showcase a vibrant lineup of young and emerging artists from across India. With a focus on grassroots narratives, labor, and identity, the event promises to be a powerful platform for underrepresented voices in contemporary art.

Art from the Margins: Kochi-Muziris Biennale 2025 Celebrates Emerging Talent and Grassroots Narratives

The Kochi-Muziris Biennale (KMB) 2025, South Asia’s largest contemporary art festival, is set to open on December 12, 2025, and run until March 31, 2026, across multiple venues in Kochi, Kerala. This year’s edition will feature a galaxy of young and emerging artists, many of whom bring powerful stories from India’s grassroots communities.

Curated by performance artist Nikhil Chopra in collaboration with HH Art Spaces (Goa), the Biennale will host 66 artists and collectives from over 25 countries, with a strong emphasis on labor, identity, and social transformation.

Key Highlights and Notable Updates:

Grassroots Artists Take Center Stage

Artists like Birender Yadav, raised in Dhanbad’s coal-mining community, and Himanshu Jamod, son of a dockyard worker from Bhavnagar, will present works rooted in labor and lived experience.

Yadav’s decade-long practice includes workshops for children of brick kiln workers in Varanasi.

Students’ Biennale Returns

The Students’ Biennale, a parallel initiative by the Kochi Biennale Foundation (KBF), will open on December 13, 2025, showcasing talent from state-funded art colleges across India.

Co-curators have been appointed to mentor and guide student participants.

Global and Local Intersections

The Biennale will feature international collaborations, but the spotlight remains on India’s emerging voices, especially those from non-metropolitan regions.

Themes of Identity and Resistance

Many installations and performances will explore marginalized identities, migration, and environmental justice, reflecting the socio-political pulse of contemporary India.

Community Engagement

True to its ethos, KMB 2025 will engage with local communities, turning Kochi into a living canvas of cultural dialogue.

This year’s Biennale promises to be a transformative celebration of art from the margins, amplifying voices that challenge, inspire, and redefine India’s contemporary art narrative.

Sources: Hindustan Times

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