Jivya Soma Mashe Book Available

This book is the first dedicated entirely to the pictorial work of Jivya Soma Mashe (Author: Hervé Perdriolle). Jivya Soma Mashe (1934-2018) is the legendary figure of the Warli tribe (Maharashtra, India). Abandoned at a young age by his family, Jivya Soma Mashe took refuge in drawing and adopted the pictography specific to his community to develop a personal style that would garner the admiration of his family, and later of regional, national, and international authorities. He received his first National Award from Indira Gandhi in 1976. Paintings by Jivya Soma Mashe were first exhibited in 1975 at the historic Mumbai gallery, the Chemould Gallery. Some of them are featured in the famous catalogue of the exhibition "Magiciens de la terre" at the Centre Pompidou in 1989 and others were present in 2014 for the thirtieth anniversary of the Fondation Cartier. Some of his large paintings will be on display in the inaugural exhibition of the Fondation Cartier's new premises, opposite the Louvre Museum, from the end of October 2025. Language: EN/FR. Format: 19.5 x 26.5 cm. Pages: 256. Binding: Hardcover. Illustrations: 150 color illustrations. Publisher: 5 Continents Editions (Europe-USA) – Roli Books (India)

GQ Men of the Year 2025: Bose Krishnamachari on Kochi Biennale and championing new artist voices

Source QG by Sanjana Ray
Despite these hurdles, the 2022–’23 biennale was a success, not only for its excellent curation but also for its role in boosting local tourism. For a brief period, locals and tourists wondered whether the art festival would return. But Krishnamachari wasn’t worried. “I’ve never given up. In the first edition, we spent our own funds to make it happen, with the community’s help. Once we finally cleared the debts from the last edition, we started thinking about this one.” Speaking of funds, has financing for large-scale yet niche initiatives like the biennale gotten easier? “Financially, we’ve seen many changes. Seven people have committed funds, Rs 5 crore annually for five years. Patrons have contributed Rs 1 crore, Rs 50 lakh, and so on. Tata Trusts contributed Rs 3 crore. If they didn’t believe in us, why would they contribute? These things matter to me.” Former Kerala culture and education minister MA Baby—Krishnamachari now remembers—told him during their first meeting: “Bose, even if we have to sell our property, we’ll make this happen.” It’s that kind of confidence that helped him shape the festival into India’s biggest cultural event.
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Nikhil Chopra On Curating A Global Community Of Artists For Kochi-Muziris Biennale 2025

Source Travel and Leisure by Anwesh Banerjee
“It is very important to take cognisance of what we know, as opposed to what we do not and Time plays an important role in this,” muses Chopra before outlining the layers of history and culture in Kochi that he and his team have spent the past year engaging with. The ever-changing tropicality of Kerala’s humid climate played a crucial role in his own realisation of the impermanence of approaching art from a perspective of lifeless institutionalisation. “We decided to play with the idea of ephemerality as one of our central subjects. Instead of focusing solely on the physical resources we have around, we turned our gaze on our intellectual resources as an artistic tribe: the friendships and connections that I have built over the years through my many adventures and misadventures while travelling through the international circuit.” Tapping into this ever-expanding list of friendships, Chopra and his team have this year curated a list of artists this year that include the likes of international giants from Maria Abramovic and Otobong Nkanga to homeland heavyweights like Gulam Mohammed Sheikh and Bhasha Chakrabarti. ”The team as a collective took a vote on every one of the 66 artists on our final showcase, to ensure the process was democratised,” explains Chopra. “I used up all my funds as a curator to travel through India,” laughs Chopra. “It led me to the most humble of studio spaces with the most incredible works of art by artists like Arti Kadam, Aditya Puthur and Himanshu Jamod to name a few.”
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How The Latest Edition Of Kochi Biennale Weaves The City Into Its Art Trail

Source Elle India by Fathima Abdul Kader
I have been attending the Kochi-Muziris Biennale long enough to recognise its tells. The way Fort Kochi slows down and speeds up at once. Galleries that aren’t even part of the Biennale brace themselves for visitors, brands from the city open temporary outposts for the duration of the Biennale. Decrepit warehouses are given new life when art finds its place in them. The city prepares itself, not just infrastructurally, but emotionally to be gazed upon. This is my fifth Biennale as a viewer, barring the first one, which I was too young to attend. What has stayed with me is not just how the Biennale has grown, but also the kinds of people I have seen engaging with art – from families coming en masse from other districts to globally acclaimed artists. I have also noticed how it opens up. When walking in Mattancherry to get my morning tea, I was welcomed in by every small shop owner - they have opened up their home and are ready to receive visitors. This opening up is not incidental. It has been shaped over time by the Biennale’s insistence on embedding itself within Kochi’s everyday life, rather than hovering above it as a global art spectacle temporarily landing in the city, as is the case with most other art events.
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