This is the third of four itineraries written by Dubai based About Art Guest Contributor Rebecca Anne Proctor for each issue in February.
The raw searing pain of violence, heartbreak and displacement intertwines with a profound desire for meaning and fleeting moments of joy and beauty in the 6th edition of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale (2025-2026). Taking place in Fort Kochi, Kerala, until March 31, 2026, the biennale is titled ‘For the Time Being’ and is curated by artist Nikhil Chopra alongside Goa-based artist-led organization HH Art Spaces. The biennale features 66 artists and collectives from over 20 countries, including Marina Abramović, Adrian Villar Rojas, Ibrahim Mahama, Biraaj Dodiya, Nari Ward, Shilpa Gupta, and Indian masters Gulam Mohammed Sheikh and GievePatel. Artworks wrestle with deep uncertainty of the present and the pain of the past and reveal themselves with a brave sense of vulnerability and desire for connection. As Chopra stated in his opening address, we are all connected by love. The works exhibited strive for meaning, social justice and the intrinsic human need for companionship while courageously accepting the tumultuous challenges of our times and finding a sliver of momentary resolution and perhaps transcendence in the fleeting present, for the time being.
Image: Marina Abramović, Waterfall, Three channel video projection, KMB 2025-26, Courtesy of the Kochi Biennale Foundation
