An international art biennale in Kochi in 2012

India's thriving art scene is all set for a new event modeled on the prestigious Venice Biennale that will highlight works by 60 artists around the world.

The Kochi-Muziris Biennale will be held in January 2012. It is going to be the first event of its kind in the country, featuring international artists. Importantly, the event will focus on creation and art education, rather than commerce and sales.

The three-month show, to be partly funded by the state of Kerala, is conceived by artist-curator Bose Krishnamachari and Riyas Komu. It will use different industrial spaces in Kochi and exhibit areas in the ancient port of Muziris, in the tropical south of the country. The latter has been quoted as saying that the idea was under consideration for quite some time, and a Biennale would act as a platform to bring quality international art to India.

Artists working in diverse mediums are going to be invited, including those from neighboring Pakistan and China. "We'll definitely have some known artists (taking part). It's important to have them, especially for the inaugural edition. A list of participants would be finalized in the next few weeks," Riyas Komu stated. Young lesser-known artists with huge potential will be showcased alongside more established international figures to draw in the crowds. The aim is to establish India on the international art scene.

The organizers believe that Kochi would be an ideal location for its picturesque physical beauty, and its historic role as a cultural crossroads in the times when it was a prime center of the spice trade that took place around the Arabian Sea. An array of ancient warehouses and dilapidated structures of the bygone era will be used to display works.

The proposed biennale has chalked out an initial budget of around Rs 100 million ($2 million). The organizers hope to establish it on the international contemporary art calendar like Venice, the Basel art show and the Shanghai art fair, in the years to come.