Nalani Malini: In Search of Vanished Blood @ Galerie Lelong

Elisabetta Marabotto of Saffronart invites you to the preview of Nalini Malani: “In Search of Vanished Blood” @ Galerie Lelong in New York

London: Following the great success at dOCUMENTA (13) and the publications of “The Shadow Play as Medium of Memory”, Galerie Lelong in New York is displaying “In Search of Vanished Blood” from September 6 until October 26.

In Search of Vanished Blood, Nalini Malani

In Search of Vanished Blood, Nalini Malani. Image Credit: http://www.galerielelong.com/exhibitions

Nalini Malani will be present at the preview on September 6 and she will be signing copies of the book on September, 7.

Being a refugee of the India partition, Nalini’s work explores the boundaries of gender, displacement, violence and religious fundamentalism  comprising of cultural imagery through mixed media installations.

“Video projections filter across five suspended, rotating Mylar cylinders featuring reverse painted imagery of both Hindu and Western icons to create a shadow play in In Search of Vanished Blood. As the cylinders revolve on motorized mounts, images move at different speeds on the walls, like a frieze of moving images, crossing one another in shifting scale and fleeting clarity. Like fast paced theater in the round, gaining a visual grasp on the whole eludes the viewer. Amplified sound furthers a fully immersive experience. This aesthetic choice to use overlap and simultaneity supports Malani’s intention to offer different perspectives from which to examine the complexities and challenges of cultures meeting.”

For more information about the exhibition click here.

The Shadow Play as Medium of Memory

Ipshita Sen announces the newly released book on Nalini Malini and William Kentridge’s art of shadow play

William Kentridge Nalini Malani: The Shadow Play as Medium of Memory by Andreas Huyssen

William Kentridge Nalini Malani: The Shadow Play as Medium of Memory by Andreas Huyssen

New York: “The Shadow Play as Medium of Memory”, is an enchanting book, featuring works by two prominent artists of our time; William Kentridge and Nalini Malini. It is an exquisite comparison of their art works incorporating the use of shadow play as a medium of memory. Emphasis is placed on two significant installation pieces created by the artists for dOCUMENTA (13) Exhibition in Wassel, Germany 2012. These works were considered to be epitomes of their artistic careers; William Kentridge’s “The Refusal of time” and Nalini Malini’s “In Search of Vanished Blood”.

In Search of Vanished Blood, Nalini Malani @ Documenta 12

In Search of Vanished Blood, Nalini Malani @ dOCUMENTA (13). Image credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/g_i_r_a_f/7690241934/sizes/h/in/photostream/

“In search of vanished blood” a colossal installation by Nalini Malini highlighted the prestigious 100-day exhibition. Being a refugee of the India partition, Nalini’s work explores the boundaries of gender and displacement, comprising of cultural imagery through mixed media installations. The installation involves light projecting onto painted acrylic cylinders that revolved, creating dramatic shadows on the wall. The imagery used on the cylinders was off Hindu Goddesses along side western icons creating an interesting juxtaposition between the two cultures. The installation had fantastic aesthetic dynamism stressing on the aspects of the social issues of gender, feminism, violence and religious fundamentalism.

William Kentridge’s “The Refusal of Time” was envisioned through the artist’s several encounters with composer Philip Miller and scientist Peter Galison. This video art piece explores the concept of different perspectives of time and the complexities associated with changing time. It combines drawing, music, dance, movies and concepts creating a dynamic theatrical performance, which brings Kentridge’s notion of questioning time on the pedestal.

The Refusal of Time by William Kentridge @ dOCUMENTA (13)

The Refusal of Time by William Kentridge @ dOCUMENTA (13). Image credit: http://documenta13blog.noz.de/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/890_0008_5505908_32040413.jpg

Both artists independently have works that share similar themes of traumatic pasts, partition, apartheid, expressing these aspects of their being in their own unique but aesthetically complex ways. They have been instrumental in creating a dialogue between modernism and the historical Avant-grade, which is appealing and encourages an audience to see things through the lens of a fresh new perspective.

The Shadow Play as Medium of Memory is definitely a must read!