Highlights and must-see parallel shows at the biennial event

You can’t do this Biennale in one day. Not if you want to soak up its full impact. Led by Nikhil Chopra, Kochi-Muziris Biennale 2026 offers immersive works of art, photography, installation and intersectional. With several parallel projects.

All of these are set in dramatic locations with sweeping views, from heritage sites like Aspinwall House to discreet warehouses like Arman Collective in Mattancherry, filled with Instagrammers, espresso and throbbing Balearic beats.

For anyone who thinks art is intimidating, here is a list of some of our favorite immersive shows currently running in Kochi.

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Milk teeth in Dutch warehouse | Photo Courtesy: Shonali Muthalali

Milk teeth in Dutch warehouse: Do not touch the artifacts. After seeing and following the signs in multiple locations, we’re delighted to see Dutch artist Afra Isma’s cute aliens, with their chubby arms and shiny shoes, encouraging viewers to touch everything. The exhibit is a mix of textiles and porcelain, and it is irresistible. We relax on bright carpets, play with long-limbed puppets and it feels unexpectedly healing after a long day of intense art. Hosted by the Museum of Art and Photography (MAP), Aphra invites viewers to rethink how “vulnerability, resistance and healing can co-exist.” The mild milk tooth is reminiscent of a fictional Salman Rushdie novel, and feels like a long hug.

Shilpa Gupta’s Listening Air | Photo Courtesy: Shonali Muthalali

Shilpa Gupta’s Listening Air at Ginger House Museum Hotel: It’s hard to walk away. We are sitting in a dark room, listening to the sounds of singing the popular Urdu poem ‘Hum Dekhenge’ written by Faiz Ahmed Faiz. The cool room feels like a balm after the blazing sun, and as our eyes adjust we see the buttery yellow light moving above us with the microphone. I stay here much longer than I intended, losing track of time. The kinetic sound installation is presented with core support from the RMZ Foundation and joint support from Vadehra Art Gallery, Chemold Prescott Road and crowdfunding. It features voices of solidarity from different landscapes and generations, and every time a microphone passes by, I hear a voice that makes me feel like I’m part of a moving, singing crowd.

Durga Puja at GRC Marine Yard | Photo Courtesy: Shonali Muthalali

Durga Puja at GRC Marine Yard: While exploring Mattancherry, follow a narrow Kolkata-inspired alley painted deep red, and you’ll stumble upon Mass Art’s flamboyant Durga Puja pandal-inspired installation. Built by a group of pandal artists, it consists of an 80-foot bamboo structure shaped like an upturned boat with oars on the sides. Then, bowing into the water, echoing the ritual of immersion in the yellow color of incense a sign declares ‘Immersion invites renewal’. Inside, wander among the sharp political caricatures installed on wooden cutouts while the Dhak drums play. Sayantan Maitra Boka, curator and vice president of Mass Art, says they have partnered with UNESCO to support Kolkata’s Durga Puja, which he describes as the world’s largest public art festival. He explains, “There are more than 4000 puja pandals, all commissioned in the neighbourhood. These artists get help from artisans from all over Bengal, who are otherwise farmers and labourers.” In a dark room, a chair bends and folds under a spotlight in an impressive display of smooth mechanics. By Bhabatosh Sutar, it is unexpectedly moving.

Tino Sehgal’s The Kiss at Paper House: I’ve never considered myself rude, but I don’t know where to look. In front of me, two men are rolling slowly on the wooden floor of the Pepper House, locked in a passionate embrace. Then, they kiss. again. And then. Every now and then, one of them looks up and makes eye contact with each person in the audience. We shift uncomfortably in our seats. The intricately choreographed piece is daring, making the audience feel like both voyeurs and participants. It is beautiful also. Tino named it after Auguste Rodin’s sculpture, and modeled the choreography on famous kisses in art history, from Constantin Brancusi to Jeff Koons. No information has been intentionally left out. However, like all Kochi Biennale event venues, there are helpful youth volunteers on site to answer questions. Also, no photographs are allowed. Which is probably a good thing. Everything has less impact when viewed through your camera lens. Especially raw emotion.