The Biennial in Translation: Institutional Adaptation and Global Integration in South Asia

The thesis examines how the biennial, originally developed as a European exhibition model, has been adapted within the South Asian contemporary art context. Focusing on the Kochi-Muziris Biennale in India, Colomboscope in Sri Lanka and the Dhaka Art Summit in Bangladesh, it analyses how these platforms respond to local cultural, political and institutional conditions while also participating in wider international art-world networks. Particular attention is given to their organisational structures, funding models, curatorial strategies, use of space, public engagement and the ways in which they create visibility and value for artists. The broader aim is to understand how the biennial model is translated and transformed in South Asia rather than simply reproduced from a Western template.