CAMPUS LIFE / June 03, 2027

Wandering Through Art: My Kochi-Muziris Biennale Experience, 2026

There’s something about the Kochi-Muziris Biennale that doesn’t feel like an exhibition you just visit. It feels like something you slowly fall into, like the city quietly pulls you in, one street, one doorway, one unexpected moment at a time. I’m Mercelyn Teresa, from the 2nd semester foundation class, and from 6th to 11th March, 2026, I experienced this exhibition as part of our college trip. What started as an academic visit quickly became something far more personal, something I didn’t expect to connect with as deeply as I did.

DAY 1 (March 8):

On the first day, we first visited Aspinwall House, Pepper House, K.M. Building and Armaan Collective & Cafe. It didn’t feel like entering an art gallery, it felt like stepping into a completely different headspace. The installations were large and overwhelming at times, but what stayed with me was how they made me feel. Some were beautiful, some confusing, and some even uncomfortable in a way I couldn’t explain. I realised I wasn’t just looking at art, I was reacting to it, questioning it, carrying pieces of it with me as I moved on.

DAY 2 (March 9):

The second day we visited a couple of venues, where the spaces felt rawer and more grounded. Places like BMS Warehouse and Anand Warehouse didn’t try to hide their past, and that gave the art a certain honesty. At the SMS Hall, I found myself slowing down without even noticing. The way light, sound, and space came together made it impossible to just walk past. It wasn’t something to quickly observe, it was something you had to stand in and experience.

Looking back, I realise it wasn’t just about the artworks, it was about everything in between. The walking, the heat, the getting slightly lost, the quiet conversations, and the moments where I didn’t fully understand what I was seeing but felt something anyway. This trip started as something academic, something I thought I had to learn from. But somewhere along the way, it became something I simply experienced.