Curation Team
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Kerala government is close to clinching a deal with real estate major DLF to acquire the iconic Aspinwall House in Fort Kochi as a permanent venue for the Kochi-Muziris Biennale. The state had reportedly backed off from a similar deal on the waterfront heritage property, which has long served as the Biennale’s main venue, earlier due to pricing disputes.
According to govt documents accessed by TOI, a high-level meeting was convened on Feb 28 to advance the acquisition proceedings. Senior officials of the tourism department, DLF group executive director P Ramakrishnan and Kochi Biennale Foundation CEO Thomas Varghese were among those who attended the meeting, chaired by secretary (tourism) K Biju. A meeting chaired by the chief secretary on Jan 7 had entrusted the tourism secretary to reopen the negotiations with DLF.
The govt has proposed to acquire not only Aspinwall House but also the adjoining Cabral Yard, both owned by DLF. The company quoted a combined “fair value” of Rs 86.38 crore, but agreed to a reduced price of Rs 78.93 crore after negotiations. The proposal will be placed before the chief minister for the final approval, according to the minutes of the meeting.
The govt has also directed the DLF representative to place the decisions of the meeting — taken in the interest of the state and the Biennale — before the company’s board and come back with its decision.
DLF was reportedly engaged in parallel talks with multiple buyers, including Indian Coast Guard, last year for the 180-year-old property. The reported negotiations with the Coast Guard had sparked opposition from various political leaders, including Kochi mayor M Anilkumar, who argued that handing over the heritage site to a central security agency would undermine Fort Kochi’s cultural character and long-standing public interest in preserving the venue for cultural purposes.
The govt’s renewed effort also reflects a strategic cultural positioning. With the sixth edition of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale due from Dec 12, 2025 to March 31, 2026, officials are pushing for a rapid valuation by the Ernakulam district collector, the chief engineer of PWD (buildings) and local revenue officials within two weeks. Procedures are also underway to lease the property to the Biennale Foundation for the 2025 edition, while the acquisition process is completed, the minutes said. Artist Nikhil Chopra and his team, HH Art Spaces, are curators of the upcoming edition.
DLF, which acquired the 2.44-acre Aspinwall House and the adjacent 1.26-acre Cabral Yard years ago, was earlier in discussions reportedly with other stakeholders like the LuLu Group. Govt sources said an earlier deal with the govt had collapsed after DLF raised the asking price for the property. The new negotiation indicates a potential resolution though the finer aspects of closing the deal are being worked out. If finalised, the deal could end the long-standing uncertainty over the Biennale’s primary venue by securing a globally significant cultural space under public ownership.
