Name of the Channel: Asianet News Date of Telecast: 23/02/2019 Time of Telecast: 7:22 am Duration: 2:15 Minutes

Name of the Channel: Mathrubhumi News Date of Telecast: 24/02/2019 Time of Telecast: 6:19 am Duration: 1:23 Minutes

Outsider Art, an art exhibition which concluded on February 22 in Kochi, featured 64 works by 38 autistic artists. The paintings and drawings were handpicked by Bose Krishnamachari, co-founder of Kochi Biennale Foundation. The aim was to bring their talent to the mainstream

Kochi: Renowned artist and Kochi Biennale Foundation president Bose Krishnamachari breaks new artistic ground through envisioning ‘Outsider Art’ show, which opened at Dravidia Art Gallery on February 22. It features works by 38 artists – aged from 11 to 32 – with autism spectrum disorder. Sponsored by Plant Lipids, and organised in association with the Kochi Muziris Biennale, these will be on display till March 3. Selections were made from entries received following a call in November to autism organisations across India. Of the 230 entries received Bose settled for 64. The art produced by individuals having sensory processing disorder, anxiety disorder, challenges with understanding social norms, communication and cognitive concepts may be the outcome of their non-linear thinking, obsessive-compulsive nature, stimulus over-selectivity, and other attributes peculiar to autism. The exhibition seeks to give a platform to the artists to showcase their ways of seeing and create awareness about forms of creativity that exist outside of art institutes and accepted norms. This exercise in artistic inclusion of those who otherwise face social exclusion is testimony to the innate urge of the human spirit to communicate desires and dreams overcoming a mental affliction, which to the world might seem an insurmountable challenge, but is not.