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Kochi-Muziris Biennale 2012 is the world’s first biennale to be archived and digitized by Google Art Project. The Google Art Project has archived the entire Biennale and is open to anyone with an internet connection.

The Google Art Project is a collaboration between Google and some of the world’s finest and most highly acclaimed art institutions including collections of the White House in Washington DC, Musée d’Orsay and Musée du Louvre in Paris and the National Gallery in London among many others.

Kochi-Muziris Biennale is the first biennale to be archived and digitized by Google Art Project. “This is a historic achievement. It is mind-boggling to think that even 20 years from now someone can experience the biennale exactly as it happened in 2012” said Bose Krishnamachari, the Director of Kochi-Muziris Biennale and the co-curator of the first edition. The first edition of KMB showcased artworks by 89 artists from 23 countries and was visited by nearly 400,000 people. The exhibition initially planned to last till March 13 was extended till March 17 due to public demand.

Google Art Project allows users to explore the biennale venues. Shooting over a period of one-week the technical team used highly specialized cameras and trolley systems to collect 360-degree images of the artworks and exhibition venues including the historic Durbar Hall in Ernakulum which was renovated by the Kochi Biennale Foundation in 2011. The ambitious archiving project is a joint venture between the Kochi Biennale Foundation and Google Art Project, with support from Google India.

The venues of Kochi-Muziris Biennale featured in the Google Art Project are;