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SUNITA CHORARIA When Mumbai-based art aficionados Choraria and her businessman husband Vijay attended the KMB ’12 as visitors, they knew immediately that as supporters of the arts, they wanted to be involved with the event in a bigger way. They went back to Kochi twice in the span of the three months, and today are not only supporting it financially, but also working with Saffronart’s Dinesh Vazirani in facilitating a network of members of Mumbai’s Young Presidents’ Organization who will travel to Kochi in January. “We feel it is necessary that this edition of the Biennale reaches out to a larger audience, an audience on the periphery of art, who have until now been dipping their toes and [now] are ready to toss into the deep end.”
SANGITA JINDAL As someone who is naturally inclined towards supporting artistic disciplines— the JSW Foundation is involved in the conservation of Rajasthani folk music, worked on the restoration of the Krishna temple in Hampi, publishes the art magazine Art India, and organises the Art India Breakthrough Artist Award amongst other such initiatives— Jindal believes the “work at the Biennale is gutsy and revolutionary”. A collector of modern and contemporary works by Indian artists, Jindal is of the opinion that Kallat’s association with the new edition of the Biennale is a feat in itself. “It [the event] has made a huge impact in its first year itself and shows great promise for the future.”
SHIREEN GANDHY Sceptic-turned-believer, Gandhy’s faith in the first edition went from “This is going to drown before it even kicks off,” to “I went back three times and made sure everyone I knew went too”. The change in outlook occurred when the artists taking part ignited her curiosity, and she soon became a small contributor to the first edition. “I was an instant convert. I felt this was something the Indian art world was waiting for,” says Gandhy. Today, she uses every opportunity to try to raise funds by getting a wider audience involved, and also has artists from her gallery participating in the new edition. “Many of them have had lengthy conversations with me about their work, and how they are approaching it. It has been exciting to be part of that.”