Kochi-Muziris Biennale offers multi-dimensional prospects

KOCHI: The Kochi-Muziris Biennale which is expected to draw at least five lakh visitors and 80 artists from across the world will not only have socio-cultural benefits but huge economic yields as well, according to its organizers and leading artists.
Speaking at a seminar on "Kochi-Muziris Biennale -socio-cultural benefits" here on Monday, they said the event can be a major initiative in cultural diplomacy to raise the international profile of city and the state, and enhance the image of the city in the eyes of its own citizens.
This will in turn boost tourism both from within the country and outside, and generate employment and promote trade and other allied activities, they said.
Kochi-Muziris Biennale will be an occasion for showcasing the rich and long-standing cultural lineage of the state, as well as an opportunity to critically reflect on our own past. The artists from within the state will get an unprecedented opportunity to get exposed to the works of the leading artists from across the world as well as to engage with the artists themselves. It will also up the level of public awareness among the various trends prevailing in different parts of the globe.
Renowned artist Vivan Sundaram appealed to the government to support the project and should not discard it just because the previous government had piloted it. Mayor Tony Chammani said corporation would support the project, provided it was made transparent and accountable in all stages of decision-making and execution. "It's important to remove all mysteries surrounding the event," he said. Artist Balan Nambiar said over 120 biennales and triennials were being held by different countries and many of them were a big draw both in terms of cultural and economic developments.
Muhammed Afzal Edappakath of the political affairs and public diplomacy department at the Embassy of The Netherlands said cultural diplomacy which relies on soft power was now increasingly being recognized as the effective means to manage relations between countries. He emphasised that culture and creative industries were powerful drivers that would create jobs, enhance quality of life and bring lots of goodwill.