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Bose Krishnamachari, President, Kochi Biennale Foundation: “Kochi Biennale Foundation is delighted to open the fourth edition of Kochi-Muziris Biennale to the public. 2018 promises to be one of the most exciting and innovative years yet for us, with the dynamic range of programs, the fantastic artists and collectives from all over the world, as well as Anita Dube’s new additions to the Biennale model. Of course, the Biennale would not be possible without generous and foundational support from our patrons. Our fruitful partnership with BMW Group has not only provided crucial infrastructure to expand and develop the reach of contemporary art, but also consistently enriched our programming by facilitating conversations between dynamic voices in the national and global art and culture community.”
BMW Art Talk “Art in Difficult Times”
To celebrate the fourth edition of Kochi-Muziris Biennale, BMW Group held the BMW Art Talk in the morning of December 13 at 9 AM at Brunton Boatyard. Anita Dube, Curator Kochi-Muziris Biennale 2018, Sue Williamson, artist, Dr V Venu, IAS, Former Principal Secretary, Kerala Government and CEO of "Rebuild Kerala" Committee were in conversation with Dr Thomas Girst, Head of BMW Group Cultural Engagement, on the topic of “Art in Difficult Times”.
Kochi-Muziris Biennale
The Kochi-Muziris Biennale is an art exhibition and festival that is the largest of its kind in South Asia. Founded and curated by two of India’s leading artists, Bose Krishnamachari and Anita Dube, it is a project in appreciation of, and an education about, artistic expression and its relationship with society.
The Kochi-Muziris Biennale intends to create not only a platform for contemporary art in India but also to provide a platform for social change. In addition, the Kochi Biennale Foundation sees it as its mission to function as a catalyst for subjects such as sustainability and urban development.
For further information about the Kochi-Muziris Biennale, please visit: http://kochimuzirisbiennale.org/
Anita Dube, Curator of Kochi-Muziris Biennale 2018
Born in Lucknow in 1958, Anita Dube completed her BA (History) from Delhi University in 1979 and her MVA (Art Criticism) from the Faculty of Fine Arts, Maharaja Sayajirao University, Baroda in 1982. As a member of Radical Painters and Sculptors Association, she wrote the manifesto of the seminal exhibition “Questions and Dialogue” in 1987, and has since been producing critical, politically-driven artwork across media. Dube is the co-founder and board member of KHOJ International Artists’ Association, and has contributed texts to many publications on contemporary art.
BMW Group India
Since its inception, BMW Group India has participated in leading cultural engagements across the country. In 2007, two BMW Art Cars embellished by world renowned artists Andy Warhol (BMW M1, 1979) and Roy Lichtenstein (BMW 320i, 1977) were presented at the Jehangir Art Gallery in Mumbai. In 2012-13, the innovative BMW Guggenheim Lab came to India. Based at Dr. Bhau Daji Lad Museum and conducted at six different sites in Mumbai, the lab organized six weeks of free program with diverse audience and communities addressing the challenges and conditions of the urban city. BMW partners with Kochi-Muziris Biennale as well as with India Art Fair taking place in New Dehli.
BMW Art Journey – Astha Butail
Launched in 2015, the BMW Art Journey is a collaboration between Art Basel and BMW, created to recognize and support emerging artists worldwide. This unique award is open to artists who are exhibiting in the Discoveries sector during Art Basel in Hong Kong. A judging panel comprised of internationally renowned experts meets first to select a shortlist of three artists from the sector, who are then invited to submit proposals for a journey aimed to further develop their ideas and artistic work. The jury reconvenes to choose a winner from the three proposals.
Last year’s winner and Indian based artist Astha Butail travelled for her project “In the Absence of Writing” through three oral tradition set ups – Zoroastrian Avesta, Jewish Oral Torah and Indian Veda traditions – from Yazd (Iran) and Jerusalem (Israel) over London (UK) to Varanasi, Pune, New Delhi and Mumbai (India). Discovering memories and living traditions that are passed down through teaching and oral poetry, Butail’s project is, in her words “an homage to the intangible oral traditions that are still alive today.” The journey connected the artist to the sacred languages of the three cultures she was dwelling upon; Sanskrit, Pharsi and Hebrew. Her endeavor was to find the similarities within the differences. While traveling, Butail carried a mobile tent with her, a new form for each destination, and used it to make video works along with the books from her old project, a story within a story. For further information about the BMW Art Journey, please visit: https://www.bmw-art-journey.com/idea
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About BMW Group’s Cultural Commitment
For almost 50 years now, the BMW Group has initiated and engaged in over 100 cultural cooperations worldwide. The company places the main focus of its long-term commitment on contemporary and modern art, classical music and jazz as well as architecture and design. In 1972, three large-scale paintings were created by the artist Gerhard Richter specifically for the foyer of the BMW Group's Munich headquarters. Since then, artists such as Andy Warhol, Jeff Koons, Daniel Barenboim, Jonas Kaufmann and architect Zaha Hadid have co-operated with BMW. In 2016 and 2017, female artist Cao Fei from China and American John Baldessari created the next two vehicles for the BMW Art Car Collection. Besides co-initiatives, such as BMW Tate Live, the BMW Art Journey and the “Opera for All” concerts in Berlin, Munich, Moscow and London, the company also partners with leading museums and art fairs as well as orchestras and opera houses around the world. The BMW Group takes absolute creative freedom in all its cultural activities – as this initiative is as essential for producing groundbreaking artistic work as it is for major innovations in a successful business.
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The BMW Group
With its four brands BMW, MINI, Rolls-Royce and BMW Motorrad, the BMW Group is the world’s leading premium manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles and also provides premium financial and mobility services. The BMW Group production network comprises 30 production and assembly facilities in 14 countries; the company has a global sales network in more than 140 countries.
In 2017, the BMW Group sold over 2,463,500 passenger vehicles and more than 164,000 motorcycles worldwide. The profit before tax in the financial year 2017 was € 10.655 billion on revenues amounting to € 98.678 billion. As of 31 December 2017, the BMW Group had a workforce of 129,932 employees.
The success of the BMW Group has always been based on long-term thinking and responsible action. The company has therefore established ecological and social sustainability throughout the value chain, comprehensive product responsibility and a clear commitment to conserving resources as an integral part of its strategy.
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