Kochi: Writer, critic and curator Manoj Nair, who was the editorial director of Kochi Muziris Bienalle 2018, was found dead here on Saturday. He was staying at a rented house in Saudi, Fort Kochi.

Nair, who hails from Irinjalikuda, was 49.

His collection of writings as arts and features editor of leading newspapers and magazines is titled Pencil Sketches: a volume of writing on Indian visual arts, cinema, literature and music.

Nair curated the Artist's Cinema section of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale 2014-15 titled Cinema: Performa and an international travelling show titled What Colour Would You Choose addressing the issue of race and colour.

Nair was also the project editor of the Sonata series of books and a documentary Celebrating Gai, on Vasudeo Santu Gaitonde, one of India's foremost abstract painters, produced and published by Bodhana Arts and Research Foundation (2016-17).

He is also the editor of Performance Art: A Guided Tour by Peter Bond being published by I.B. Taurus in 2019.

He also contributed a column to the Arts Illustrated magazine called Short Shorts - a set of micro-fiction based on artworks by contemporary artists.

Nair was also a guest lecturer (Cultural Studies) at University Arts, London.

His forthcoming book on the history of Indian 'western' music, Between the Rock and a Hard Place, is being published by Harper Collins.

Nair was also working on a novel, slated to be published in 2020, tentatively titled Dictionary of An Alcoholic.

He was also the creative mind behind So Sorry, a political satire show on Aaj Tak and India Today TV and NewsFlicks, a news infographics app.

Nair also had stints with The Hindustan Times, Outlook and The Economic Times, where he was National Features Editor.