The ANTHROFUTURE team visited the Students’ Biennale (SB), a parallel event of the 6th Kochi-Muziris Biennale, held in Kerala, India. Opening on 13 December 2025 in Fort Kochi, the SB showcased works by students from art colleges across India, presented across four venues in the historic port city. Throughout the biennale, we interacted with students, curators, educators, and artists to learn more about artistic engagement, concerns, and approaches to art making.
During the opening and the days that followed, we interviewed art students as they presented and discussed their artworks, gaining deeper insight into their creative processes. On 15 December, we held two focus group discussions with 13 students, providing a space to share their artistic practices as well as their ideas and aspirations for the future. In addition, we met several curators involved in coordinating over 175 art institutions from across India, whose collaboration made the biennale possible. 
Interviewing Reppandee Lepcha, one of the participating artists at the Students’ Biennale. Photo: Manuela Ciotti
A family viewing the installation “The Unconventional Rituals of Marriage”, by Beyond 8 Collective. Photo: Furqan Faridi
Walking towards the St. Andrews Parish Hall. Photo by Rugun Sirait
Interviewing Sharvin Jangle, one of the participating artists at the Students’ Biennale. Photo: Manuela Ciotti
Installation view of “parai+ magal-eer (+leisure): satire through syntax”. Artwork by: Preeti Pari, RV College of Architecture, Bangalore. Photo: Karin Zitzewitz
An artist at work on the 200-metre-long mural created by the Fearless Collective ahead of the Biennale opening. Photo: Furqan Faridi
Shooting videos at BMS Warehouse, one of the venues for the Students’ Biennale. Photo by Rugun Sirait
Durgesh Prajapati’s artwork. Photo by Manuela Ciotti
Interacting with artists from Secular Art Movement in front of their artworks. Photo: Karin Zitzewitz
Focus group discussion at St. Andrews Parish Hall with Student’s Biennale Participants. Photo by: Rugun Sirait
Preparing the Exhibition signage. Photo by Manuela Ciotti
Work by Abhishkek Kolapudi next to Beyond 8 Collective’s work. Photo by Manuela Ciotti
Collective artwork by Group 7+1. Photo by Rugun Sirait