Moments in Kochi

Key Highlights

The sixth edition of the Kochi Biennale began on December 12, 2025 and will go on till March 31, 2026.
The curator for this year’s Kochi Biennale is Nikhil Chopra, a Kolkata-born artist living in Goa where he founded the artist-led movement HH Art Spaces, his partner for the festival.
This year’s theme for the Kochi Biennale is ‘For the Time Being’.
Some notable names at the Kochi Biennale this year are Massart.in, Sreeju Radhakrishnan, Devu Nenmara, Vivan Sundaram and Gaurav Tumbada.
On Willingdon Island, there’s a site-specific piece by 79-year-old Serbian conceptual and performance artist Marina Abramović.

A favoured tourist destination at any time of the year, Kochi is especially enticing during the Kochi-Muziris Biennale (KMB). Enjoying its sixth edition, the Biennale is showcasing 70 contemporary artists, of whom the majority are Indian. The overall theme for the kochimuzirisbiennale, on till March 31, is ‘For the Time Being’, which curator Nikhil Chopra sees as not just the present transient moment, but as “a living, evolving, and responsive art ecosystem that prioritises process, friendship and collaboration”.

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One of the installations that takes the theme and runs with it is Kathamo (the structure) by Massart.in, a “collateral” show (outside the official KMB). This huge, temporary, upside-down skeleton of a fishing boat propped up mid-air is a reminder of Kolkata and Kochi’s shared histories of local fishing and global trading.

Louise Nicholson

If You Go: Kochi-Muziris Biennale Guide

Kochi-Muziris Biennale (6th Edition)
Where: Across Fort Kochi and Mattancherry, with select installations on Willingdon Island
When: Till March 31, 2026
Curator: Nikhil Chopra
Theme: For the Time Being
Schedule: Check programmes

Also See:

Mattancherry Palace (Dutch Palace)
Paradesi Synagogue
Kathakali and Kalaripayattu performances

Stay: Heritage boutique hotels in restored Portuguese, Dutch and British-era mansions.

How to get to Fort Kochi?

Fort Kochi is 45km from the Kochi International airport. Bus and taxi services are available.

If you are travelling by train, get off at Ernakulam Junction [13km from Fort Kochi] or Ernakulam Town Station [16km from Fort Kochi].

Do I need to buy tickets for the Kochi Biennale?

Yes, you will need an entry pass to access the festival. There is free entry on the first and third Mondays in March.

Where to get tickets for the Kochi Biennale?

Your entry passes for the Biennale can be booked at https://www.kochimuzirisbiennale.org/

What else can I see at Fort Kochi?

When in Fort Kochi, don’t forget to visit Mattancherry Palace (Dutch Palace), Paradesi Synagogue and Aspinwall House. You can also see Kathakali and Kalaripayattu performances.