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Nalini Malani
b. 1946

Nalini Malani b. 1946

  • Biography
  • Works
  • Exhibitions
  • Press
  • Publications
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  • Widely considered the pioneer of video art in India, Nalini Malani explores drawing, painting, and the extension of those forms...
    Gamepieces, 2003/2009. MoMA Collection, New York.

    Widely considered the pioneer of video art in India, Nalini Malani explores drawing, painting, and the extension of those forms into projected animation, video, and film. Her works in new media often take the form of monumental and immersive shadow play pieces that create mesmerizing layers of imagery and sound. Committed to the role of the artist as social activist, Malani focuses on creating dynamic visual stories about those who have been ignored, forgotten, or marginalized by history. Drawn from history, culture, and her direct experience as a refugee of the Partition of India and the legacy of colonialism and de-colonization, Malani’s work explores violence, the feminine, and the politics of national identity.

    Malani’s work is represented in numerous public collections worldwide including the Asia Society Museum, New York; Centre Pompidou, France; Museum of Modern Art, New York; National Gallery of Modern Art Mumbai, India; National Gallery of Modern Art New Delhi, India; British Museum, England; and Stedelijk Museum, The Netherlands. 

     

  • "I use myth because the artist’s endeavour is always to connect with the people who come to see one’s work and mythologies are link languages. They have come to us like universal truths, without authors. What I want to do is bring them into the contemporary arena."
    —Nalini Malani
  • Malani recently presented major solo exhibitions at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, Québec, Canada (2023); National Gallery, London, United...

    Ballad of a Woman, 2023, video projected on the facade of the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts’s Michal and Renata Hornstein Pavilion. Photo MMFA, Jean-François Brière.

    Malani recently presented major solo exhibitions at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, Québec, Canada (2023); National Gallery, London, United Kingdom (2023); Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide, Australia (2022); M+ Museum, Hong Kong (2022), Kunstmuseum Den Haag, Netherlands (2021); Whitechapel Gallery, London, United Kingdom (2021); Serralves Museum, Portugal (2020); Fundació Joan Miró, Barcelona, Spain (2020); Institute of Contemporary Art Boston, Massachusetts (2016); and Musée Cantonal des Beaux-Arts, France (2010). Her solo exhibition The Rebellion of the Dead: Retrospective 1969-2018, was showed in two parts at the Centre Pompidou, Paris, France (2017) and Castello di Revoli, Turin, Italy (2018). The artist was recently awarded the Joan Miró Prize and the National Gallery Contemporary Fellowship with Art Fund.

    Malani was born in 1946 in Karachi, India. She currently lives and works in India and Europe.

    Download CV
    Artist website
  • Installation view of City of Desires—Crossing Boundaries, 1992–2023 in Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, Canada, Nalini Malani: Crossing Boundaries, 2023. Photo: MMFA, Denis Farley. (Larger version of this image opens in a popup).
    Installation view of In Search of Vanished Blood, 2012 in Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide, Nalini Malani: Gamepieces, 5 November 2022 – 22 January 2023. (Larger version of this image opens in a popup).
    Installation view of Gamepieces, 2003-20 in Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide, Nalini Malani: Gamepieces, 5 November 2022 – 22 January 2023. (Larger version of this image opens in a popup).
    Installation view, Nalini Malini: Gamepieces, Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide, 2022. Photo: Saul Steed. (Larger version of this image opens in a popup).
    Installation view, Nalini Malini: Gamepieces, Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide, 2022. Photo: Saul Steed. (Larger version of this image opens in a popup).
    Installation view, Nalini Malini: You Don't Hear Me, Fundació Joan Miró, Barcelona, Spain, 2020. (Larger version of this image opens in a popup).
    Installation view, Nalini Malini: You Don't Hear Me, Fundació Joan Miró, Barcelona, Spain, 2020. (Larger version of this image opens in a popup).

    Installation view of City of Desires—Crossing Boundaries, 1992–2023 in Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, Canada, Nalini Malani: Crossing Boundaries, 2023. 

  • Works
    Nalini Malani, Sita II, 2006

    Nalini Malani b. 1946

    Sita II, 2006
    Acrylic, ink, and enamel reverse-painting on Mylar sheet
    72 x 32 ¼ in (183 x 82 cm)
    © Nalini Malani, Courtesy Galerie Lelong
    Inquire
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  • Select Exhibitions

    • Nalini Malani: Crossing Boundaries, Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, Canada
      Exhibitions

      Nalini Malani: Crossing Boundaries

      Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, Canada 23 March - 20 August 2023 Museum & Public Exhibitions
    • Nalini Malani: My Reality is Different, National Gallery, London, United Kingdom
      Exhibitions

      Nalini Malani: My Reality is Different

      National Gallery, London, United Kingdom 2 March - 11 June 2023 Museum & Public Exhibitions
    • Nalini Malani: Gamepieces, Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide, Australia
      Exhibitions

      Nalini Malani: Gamepieces

      Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide, Australia 5 November 2022 - 22 January 2023 Museum & Public Exhibitions
    • Nalini Malani: Vision in Motion, M+, Hong Kong
      Exhibitions

      Nalini Malani: Vision in Motion

      M+, Hong Kong 7 December 2021 - 4 September 2022 Museum & Public Exhibitions
    • Nalini Malani: Can You Hear Me?, Whitechapel Gallery, London, United Kingdom
      Exhibitions

      Nalini Malani: Can You Hear Me?

      Whitechapel Gallery, London, United Kingdom 23 September 2020 - 5 September 2021 Museum & Public Exhibitions
    • Nalini Malani: You Don’t Hear Me, Fundació Joan Miró, Barcelona, Spain
      Exhibitions

      Nalini Malani: You Don’t Hear Me

      Fundació Joan Miró, Barcelona, Spain 19 June - 29 November 2020 Museum & Public Exhibitions
    • Nalini Malani: The Rebellion of the Dead, Retrospective 1969–2018, Part II, Castello di Revoli, Turin, Italy
      Exhibitions

      Nalini Malani: The Rebellion of the Dead, Retrospective 1969–2018, Part II

      Castello di Revoli, Turin, Italy 18 September 2018 - 19 January 2019 Museum & Public Exhibitions
    • Nalini Malani: The Rebellion of the Dead, Part I, The Centre Pompidou, Paris, France
      Exhibitions

      Nalini Malani: The Rebellion of the Dead, Part I

      The Centre Pompidou, Paris, France 18 October 2017 - 8 January 2018 Museum & Public Exhibitions
    • Nalini Malani: In Search of Vanished Blood , Institute of Contemporary Art Boston, Massachusetts
      Exhibitions

      Nalini Malani: In Search of Vanished Blood

      Institute of Contemporary Art Boston, Massachusetts 29 June - 16 October 2016 Museum & Public Exhibitions
    • Nalini Malani: In Search of Vanished Blood
      Exhibitions

      Nalini Malani: In Search of Vanished Blood

      6 September - 26 October 2013 Galerie Lelong Exhibitions
  • Press

    • The Financial Times, Nalini Malani at the National Gallery, review — acts of creative desecration
      Press

      The Financial Times

      Nalini Malani at the National Gallery, review — acts of creative desecration March 15, 2023
    • The Guardian, Nalini Malani: Interview
      Press

      The Guardian

      Nalini Malani: Interview December 4, 2022
    • Wall Street Journal, A Retrospective of the Works of Nalini Malani Who Paints in Reverse
      Press

      Wall Street Journal

      A Retrospective of the Works of Nalini Malani Who Paints in Reverse October 1, 2014
    • Art in America, Exhibition Reviews
      Press

      Art in America

      Exhibition Reviews November 27, 2013
    • The New York Times, A Conversation With: Video Artist Nalini Malani
      Press

      The New York Times

      A Conversation With: Video Artist Nalini Malani March 7, 2013
  • Publications

    • Nalini Malani: My Reality is Different, Will Cooper, Priyesh Mistry
      Publications

      Nalini Malani: My Reality is Different

      Will Cooper, Priyesh Mistry
      Nalini Malani National Gallery Contemporary Fellowship Edited by Will Cooper and Priyesh Mistry Contributions by Mieke Bal, Daniel Herrmann and Zehra Jumabhoy
    • Nalini Malani: Can You Hear Me? , Emily Butler, Inês Costa, Johan Pijnappel
      Publications

      Nalini Malani: Can You Hear Me?

      Emily Butler, Inês Costa, Johan Pijnappel
      Hardback, 96 pages, 210 x 270 mm colour illustrations throughout ISBN 978-0-85488-291-5 First published 2020
    • Nalini Malani: You Don't Hear Me, Martina Millà
      Publications

      Nalini Malani: You Don't Hear Me

      Martina Millà
      Authors: Martina Millà Publisher: Fundació Joan Miró Year: 2020 ISBN: 978-84-16411-54-2 Language: Catalan-Spanish-English Product features: 96 pp. 31 colour illustrations Hardcover 21 x 26,5 cm
    • Nalini Malani: The Rebellion of the Dead: Retrospective 1969–2018, Part I, Sophie Duplaix
      Publications

      Nalini Malani: The Rebellion of the Dead: Retrospective 1969–2018, Part I

      Sophie Duplaix
      Published by Hatje Cantz ISBN: 978-3-7757-4290-0
    • Nalini Malani: The Rebellion of the Dead Retrospective 1969–2018, Part II, Mieke Bal, Marcella Beccaria, Johan Pijnappel
      Publications

      Nalini Malani: The Rebellion of the Dead Retrospective 1969–2018, Part II

      Mieke Bal, Marcella Beccaria, Johan Pijnappel
      Published by Hatje Cantz ISBN 9783775744119
    • In Medias Res: Inside Nalini Malani's Shadow Plays, Mieke Bal
      Publications

      In Medias Res: Inside Nalini Malani's Shadow Plays

      Mieke Bal
      Published by Hatje Cantz ISBN: 3775741461
    • Nalini Malani: You Can't Keep Acid in a Paper Bag 1969-2014, Kiran Nadar Museum of Art (Noida, India)
      Publications

      Nalini Malani: You Can't Keep Acid in a Paper Bag 1969-2014

      Kiran Nadar Museum of Art (Noida, India)
      Published by Kiran Nadar Museum of Art ISBN: 9788192803739 Curator's Note - Roobina KARODE Chapter I: Utopia Building on a Prehistory: Artists' Film and New Media in India - Shanay...
    • William Kentridge and Nalini Malani: The Shadow Play as a Medium of Memory, Andreas Huyssen
      Publications

      William Kentridge and Nalini Malani: The Shadow Play as a Medium of Memory

      Andreas Huyssen
      Published by Charta ISBN: 9788881588756
    • Nalini Malani: In Search of Vanished Blood, Carolyn Christov-Bakargiev, Arjun Appadurai, Andreas Huyssen
      Publications

      Nalini Malani: In Search of Vanished Blood

      Carolyn Christov-Bakargiev, Arjun Appadurai, Andreas Huyssen
      Published by Hatje Cantz ISBN: 9783775732260
    • Nalini Malani: Cassandra, Jean Frémon, Doris von Drathen
      Publications

      Nalini Malani: Cassandra

      Jean Frémon, Doris von Drathen
      Jean Frémon, Doris von Drathen Repères - Cahiers d'art contemporain n°143 31,5 x 22 cm (12 7/16 x 8 11/16 in) 59 pages Galerie Lelong & Co. ISBN: 9782868820884
    • Nalini Malani: Listening to the Shades, Robert Storr
      Publications

      Nalini Malani: Listening to the Shades

      Robert Storr
      Published by Charta ISBN: 9788881587032
  • Nalini Malani, In Search of Vanished Blood, 2012, at dOCUMENTA 13. 6 Channel Video/Shadow Play, with 5 rotating reverse painted Mylar cylinders, Sound, 11 minutes.
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