New Delhi, Jan. 16 -- There's always drama at the Kochi-Muziris Biennale, and not just because the art can be a mixed bag of the inspired and the incomprehensible. We're a month into the sixth edition and Bose Krishnamachari, president of the biennale, has resigned from his position as well as from the board. Previous editions have been plagued with financial troubles, poor infrastructure and planning, and disputes over artistic freedom. Last month, the curators took down a painting by Tom Vattakuzhy after religious groups decided their sentiments had been hurt.

This year's theme is "for the time being" and, as always, the curation spans the poignant to the strange. There's a lot of ground to cover-22 venues and more than 60 artists unti...