Navjot Altaf's 'Waste Archives as Landscape' Examines Toxic Waste Inequality

Artist Navjot Altaf's exhibition 'Waste Archives as Landscape' at the Jehangir Nicholson Art Foundation in Mumbai (12 March – 10 June 2026) confronts the unequal burden of toxic waste on marginalized communities. The show includes gouache paintings, a video installation, and an animated video, all stemming from Altaf's field visits to landfills near Mumbai and Ahmedabad after encountering e-waste in a forest. Her practice, rooted in documenting mining impacts in Chhattisgarh since the 1990s, now addresses global waste trafficking, as seen in paintings tracing the route of the Khian Sea, which dumped ash from Philadelphia near Haiti in the 1980s. The animated video 'Instinct' (2024–25) depicts a dog vomiting on a landfill, symbolizing the visceral effects of pollution. The video 'Chhalbal' (2024-25) features actors from Budhan Theatre discussing Dalit perspectives on the Durga myth, referencing the book 'Mahishasur: Ek Jannayak' and campus clashes at Jawaharlal Nehru University. The installation 'Take-Make-Waste' (2026) uses PVC pipes to release electronic chips, critiquing consumer complicity. Curated by Puja Vaish, the exhibition is presented by Volte Gallery and runs until 10 June 2026.