Nalini Malani: Of Woman Born

The Kiran Nadar Museum of Art presents “Nalini Malani: Of Woman Born”, a major site-specific commission for the 61st International Art Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia. Curated by Roobina Karode, the exhibition offers a contemporary reflection on the ancient Greek figure of Orestes. For the artist, the myth resonates with the present moment, where violence is often perpetrated in the name of self-defence without accountability.

The exhibition employs an “animation chamber” to construct an immersive environment using sound and multiple projections of hand-painted and digitally rendered animations. Presented at the Magazzini del Sale, these images are projected directly onto salt-crusted brick walls, integrating the building’s material history into the work. The project aligns with the curatorial theme “In Minor Keys” by attuning to subtle frequencies and quiet signals.

A central figure in the installation is “The Skipping Girl”, a recurring symbol of freedom and a witness to conflict who embodies a feminist perspective. This figure extends beyond the exhibition site onto posters and banners across the city, transforming the urban environment into an expanded animation chamber.