The vision of a Biennale in Bengal was born in 2016 when Jeet Banerjee visited the Shanghai Biennale held at an unused electric power station. The theme ‘Arguments, Counter-arguments and Stories’ had a direct Bengal connection – it was, in fact, a translation of ‘Jukti, Tokko Aar Gappo’, Ritwik Ghatak’s iconic film. If Shanghai could engage with a theme that emanated in Bengal, then why not have a Biennale in Bengal itself? It was an idea whose time had come. Bengal lends itself naturally to a Biennale. It is the only State in India to have a School of Art named after it. Six of the nine artists hailed as ‘National Treasures’ by the Government of India are from Bengal.

After an enforced hiatus brought on by the Covid pandemic, we finally decided to take the plunge in 2024. Unlike other Biennales all over the world, we also chose to have two centres – Santiniketan and Kolkata. Santiniketan was an obvious starting point for its historical significance and also because, while talking to artists, we realised that many of them have a connect or resonance with Santiniketan though they belong to other parts of India. Kolkata came into the picture a bit later as it was too significant to Bengal’s cultural landscape to be excluded. Hence, the Bengal Biennale.

We also believed that Bengal has the curatorial talent with both regional roots and global exposure. Choosing a curator from Bengal was key to the ethos of the Biennale. Art transcends the four walls of a gallery. In Bengal, we have an existing robust tradition of public art in the form of the annual Durga Puja festival. There is art in every road and neighbourhood. The Bengal Biennale hopes to encompass this tradition, marrying the local and global in a celebration of artistic expression.