The Kochi Biennale Foundation (KBF) has appointed Mumbai-based artist and curator Jitish Kallat as president of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale. He will chair the selection process for the curator of the event’s next edition. Kallat succeeds Bose Krishnamachari, cofounder of the biennale, who resigned earlier this year citing family reasons.

KBF chairperson Venu V. made the announcement on March 11, noting that Kallat’s “long association with the Biennale and his international experience in the contemporary art field make him well placed to take this forward.”

A member of the KBF board of trustees, Kallat served as curator and artistic director for the second edition of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale in 2014–15, titled “Whorled Explorations.” His practice spans painting, photography, installation, and sculpture, probing the intersections of science and spirituality and exploring humanity’s place within the cosmos.

Exhibited internationally, Kallat has participated in major art events including the Venice Biennale (2019), the Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art (2006–07), and the Gwangju Biennale (2006). His midcareer survey, titled “Here After Here 1992–2017” was presented at the National Gallery of Modern Art in New Delhi in 2017. Kallat’s recent curatorial projects include “Tangled Hierarchy 2” at Kiran Nadar Museum of Art for the Invitations Programme of the fifth Kochi-Muziris Biennale in 2022–23, an expanded sequel to his “Tangled Hierarchy” at Southampton’s John Hansard Gallery in 2022.

Commenting on his appointment, Kallat stated: “The Kochi-Muziris Biennale has played an extraordinary role in shaping conversations around contemporary art in India and beyond. At the board’s request, I have agreed to chair the selection of the curator for the next edition, and I look forward to working with colleagues to ensure a thoughtful and rigorous selection.”

The sixth Kochi-Muziris Biennale—titled “For the Time Being”—is curated by Nikhil Chopra with HH Art Spaces and runs through March 31.

Aisha Traub Chan is an editorial intern at ArtAsiaPacific.