Kochi Biennale Foundation secretary Riyas Komu experiments with a gesture-based drawing application at Maker Outpost set up by the Kerala Startup Mission as part of the FabLab Asia Network conference on Tuesday. more-in The Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM) and the Kochi Biennale Foundation (KBF) have signed a memorandum of understanding to promote an effective and aesthetic integration of art and technology. The third edition of Fab Asia Network organised by the KSUM at Mattancherry in the backdrop of the Kochi Muziris Biennale turned out to be a stepping stone to what both stakeholders expect to be a fruitful and long relation. “We aim at making technology more accessible and more socially relevant while integrating it with mediums other than engineering,” Jayasankar Prasad C., the CEO of KSUM, told The Hindu. The KSUM also expects the relation to come in handy in meeting the goals under Fab City challenge aimed at creating a new urban model for locally productive and globally connected self sufficient cities. Having FabLabs, Thiruvananthapuram and Kochi have signed up for the Fab City Challenge. “It is aimed at making every fab region sustainable in itself by creating innovative solutions to various problems. We need to work on specific fab projects focused on creating locally sustainable designs. We look forward to achieving this by working in tandem with the Biennale,” said Mr. Prasad. Describing the relation with the KSUM as a long term one, Riyas Komu, the secretary of KBF, said the Biennale had witnessed the integration of technological advancement in the creative process of artists. “We felt that a marriage of art and technology would be good and the partnership between artists and technocrats would help bring out aesthetically rich artistic products from Kochi,” Mr. Komu added. The KSUM already has a FabLab in Kochi and it could be further developed with the support of artists from the region. The possibility of having an open space for blending art with technology is also being explored. “Usually, FabLabs work in restricted environment. It would be a welcome change to have the liberating feeling of an open space,” said Mr. Prasad. Mr. Komu also suggested conducting workshops for children in the interim period between biennales and bringing youngsters in contact with technology.

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