Michael Armitage and Amar Kanwar Dual Exhibitions at Palazzo Grassi, Venice
The Pinault Collection presents two major exhibitions at Palazzo Grassi in Venice: Michael Armitage's 'The Promise of Change' and Amar Kanwar's 'Co-travellers', running until January 10, 2027. Armitage, born in Nairobi in 1984, showcases 45 paintings and over 100 studies, including works on lubugo bark cloth. His paintings, such as 'Conjestina' (2017) and 'Curfew (Likoni March 27 2020)', explore themes of violence, memory, and resistance, often referencing Gauguin and Kenyan realities. Kanwar, born in New Delhi in 1964, presents two installations: 'The Torn First Pages' (2004-2008) about Burma/Myanmar's democracy struggle, and 'The Peacock's Graveyard' (2023), a 28-minute immersive piece with music by Utsav Lal. The exhibitions highlight shared concerns with power, violence, and resistance through different media.
Key facts
- Exhibitions at Palazzo Grassi, Venice, until 10 January 2027.
- Michael Armitage's 'The Promise of Change' includes 45 paintings and over 100 studies.
- Armitage uses lubugo, a traditional Ugandan fabric made from fig tree bark.
- Amar Kanwar's 'Co-travellers' features installations 'The Torn First Pages' (2004-2008) and 'The Peacock's Graveyard' (2023).
- Kanwar's installations address democracy in Myanmar and themes of power and resistance.
- Both artists explore violence, memory, and resistance.
- The exhibitions are part of the Pinault Collection at Palazzo Grassi.
- Armitage's work references Gauguin and Kenyan social realities.
Entities
Artists
- Michael Armitage
- Amar Kanwar
- Conjestina Achieng
- Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o
- Utsav Lal
- Lorna Simpson
- Paulo Nazareth
- Francisco de Goya
- Édouard Manet
- Paul Gauguin
- Ousmane Sembène
- Meek Gichugu
- Peter Mulindwa
- Olúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò
- Daniel arap Moi
- Indira Gandhi
- Shankar Guha Niyogi
- Bhagat Singh
- Paṇḍit Jawaharlal Nehru
- Tim Harper
- Partha Chatterjee
- Amrita Sher-Gil
- Maqbool Fida Husain
- George Lilanga
- Manthia Diawara
- Salman Rushdie
- Ocean Vuong
- Hans Ulrich Obrist
Institutions
- Palazzo Grassi
- Pinault Collection
- Slade School of Fine Art
- Royal Academy Schools
- White Cube
- Punta della Dogana
- UNESCO
- Ramjas College
- Jamia Millia Islamia
- Mass Communication Research Centre
- People's Science Institute
- Chattisgarh Mukti Morcha
- Union Carbide Corporation
- NERO Editions
- Haus der Kunst
- Serpentine Galleries
- New York University
- Marsilio Arte
- Los Angeles County Museum of Art
Locations
- Venice
- Italy
- Nairobi
- Kenya
- New Delhi
- India
- London
- United Kingdom
- Myanmar
- Burma
- Indonesia
- Uganda
- South Africa
- Bhopal
- Madhya Pradesh
- Delhi
- Wagah Border
- Pakistan
- Saudi Arabia
- Jeddah
- Kochi
- Muziris
- Brooklyn
- United States
- Brazil