Welcome to Kunst Gallery Kochi, a vibrant platform for contemporary art. Kunst Gallery aims to showcase innovative and thought-provoking works by emerging artists who are critically thinking and creatively pushing boundaries.
Our inaugural exhibition, ‘Crosscurrents,’ brings together six innovative artists, each with their unique perspective and creative vision. This showcase celebrates the diversity and richness of contemporary art, exploring themes, ideas, and emotions that resonate with our diverse audience. Explore our site to discover the artworks, learn about the artists, and join us for an unforgettable experience of art, conversation, and connection.”

‘CROSSCURRENTS25’
Curatorial Note

Kunst Gallery Kochi is located in Mattancherry, at the middle part of Jew Town Road in Kochi. Once a bustling trading hub, especially for spices, art, and antiques-this historic neighbourhood is known for its rich cultural heritage, including Jewish heritage. The colonial influence of the Portuguese and Dutch is still evident in Mattancherry, with the Dutch Palace built by the Portuguese serving as a testament to these influences. Over the centuries, people from Arabian, European and African countries traded here and were ruled by local kings, making it an important centre. Later, Jews and Dutch decided to settle here, building palaces and forts that shape the architecture of the place. These structures and buildings, remnants of ancient local and Western civilisations, are still preserved in numerous buildings, churches and museums.

Kunst Gallery Kochi is housed in one of the oldest Dutch buildings. The gallery’s name is inspired by the Kunst Museum in Switzerland, where I had the privilege of seeing the original works of masters and gaining a deeper understanding of modern art movements in Europe. The museum houses an impressive collection of works by renowned artists such as Holbein, Matthias Grünewald, Rembrandt, Jan Brueghel the Elder, Édouard Manet, Paul Gauguin, Arnold Böcklin, Picasso, Edvard Munch, Fernand Léger, and Alberto Giacometti, which showcase the evolution of modern art movements in Europe. The collection also includes significant works by Swiss, German, French, Italian, and American artists such as Joseph Beuys, Andy Warhol, Bruce Nauman, and Francesco Clemente.
Prof. Marc Thebault, who is a French artist and a friend of mine, was with me when we visited contemporary artists’ studios near the Pompidou Center in France. During that visit, I told him that I wanted to start a similar art studio in Kochi. After a year of searching, I finally found a small building in Mattancherry I decided to inaugurate the studio/ gallery with an exciting art exhibition by my friends, emerging and established artists. The launching exhibition titled “Crosscurrents,” features six prominent artists from diverse cultural backgrounds and life experiences from the tri-state region. Through the month-long show, Crosscurrents, I aim to explore and showcase how artists’ psychological and biological emotions are influenced by diverse perspectives, environments and habitats and how these factors shape their artistic expressions. The exhibition showcases the works of veteran artist Indrapramit Roy from Baroda, sculptor and visual artist Shanthamani Muddaiah from Karnataka, renowned artist Riyaz Komu based in Mumbai, sculptor and installation artist Sabitha Kadannappally from Thiruvananthapuram, prominent printmaker and performance artist Murali Cheeroth and long-time Amsterdam-based artist Aji VN.
Artists’ try to address the social, political, and cultural movements taking place in our country. Art lovers are keenly observing how different artists perceive our cultural environment and express it through visual languages. By combining different ideas and meanings, we aim to reveal the fundamental coherence and depth of their artistic vision. The exhibition challenges preconceptions about concepts and objects, and the diverse ways in which artists can engage with them. The arrangement of the artworks in the gallery space encourages a dialogue between different ideas and experiences, highlighting the unique qualities and possibilities of each work. What struck me about the works in this exhibition was the resemblance in their visual language, the artists have created a similar visual experience despite using a unique range of ideas and methods in different spaces without any preconceptions or themes. The works are often exploring biological and organic forms in the context of landscapes transformed to monochromatic in to verious materials like handmade paper.

I believe that we provide a calm and intimate space to experience the artworks at the Kunst Gallery, located in a heritage Dutch building on Jew Town Road in Mattancherry.

Tensing Joseph
Visual Artist
25/04/2025