Kochi : Fort Kochi is all set to welcome the artsy crowd from all around the world for the third edition of Cochin Biennale that begins on December 12.

As a precursor 5 lakh square feet of space is being spruced up for the event. The ….Aspinwal, which gained a new lease of life with the first edition of biennale, is the hub of activities this time too.

The 100-day biennale has harbingered a change in the way life in this laid back tourist spot – graffiti, sculptures and paintings adorn every nook and corner, turning it into a colourful artistic hub.

Around 95 artists from different countries will participate in the biennale.

Renowned Malayali writer Anand will feature his work ‘Map Breakers and Map Breakers’ as part of the event. Some of his terracotta works will also be on display.

The first artist to reach is Raul Surita from Chile, who used art as his weapon to bring down the tyrant rule in his country. Raul is better known for his art adventures in Newyork and the deserts of Attakama where he used a technique of skywriting that saw him write poems in the sky.

Another prominent personality to feature his works will be cartoonist E.P. Unni. “Cartoons form an integral part of any biennale and helps in transcending the joy of viewing art with all its layers of meaning,” he says.
His series of cartoons ‘Business as Usual’ will be exhibited at the event. He also plans to do live on the site sketches during the event.

“The Biennale theme of the year will be ‘Forming in the Pupil of an Eye’,” says Sudharshan Shetty, the curator for this year’s Biennale. The event, which will mainly focus on different aspects of paintings and installations, will also have events focusing on music and other fields of art.

The third edition of Biennale is expected to give a boost to the tourism industry. The prominent home stays and hotels of Fort Kochi are already fully booked and the bookings are made for a period of three months. There was an increase of 50 per cent in inbound tourists while the outbound tourism grew by 10 per cent from last year’s Biennale, informs Biennale Foundation coordinator Bonney Thomas.