Nalini Malani's Gamepieces exhibition at AGSA presents political art blending mythology, violence, and beauty
The Art Gallery of South Australia in Adelaide is hosting Nalini Malani's solo exhibition, Gamepieces, until 22 January, representing the first significant retrospective of a South Asian artist at the venue. This exhibition showcases more than 30 pieces, including the 1996 Mutant drawings, which respond to the tragic Bhopal gas leak of 1984 that claimed over 20,000 lives. Born in Karachi in 1946, Malani examines the female form as a canvas for historical trauma. Featured works include Can You Hear Me? (2018–20), Unity in Diversity (2003), and Stories Retold (2002). Her techniques of reverse painting on mylar and Kalighat styles establish her as an internationalist artist intertwining poetry and politics, drawing inspiration from Baldwin, Kundera, Rilke, Albers, and Correa.
Key facts
- Nalini Malani's exhibition Gamepieces runs through 22 January at Art Gallery of South Australia in Adelaide
- This is AGSA's first solo exhibition dedicated to a South Asian artist
- The exhibition features over 30 works, mostly from AGSA's collection
- Malani created Mutant drawings in 1996 responding to the 1984 Bhopal gas disaster
- Can You Hear Me? (2018-20) comprises 88 stop-motion animations about an eight-year-old girl murdered in Kashmir in 2018
- Unity in Diversity (2003) references the Gujarat riots between Hindus and Muslims
- Stories Retold (2002) reinterprets Hindu mythology from female perspectives
- Malani uses reverse painting on mylar, a technique embraced by Indian artists in the mid-nineteenth century
Entities
Artists
- Nalini Malani
- Josef Albers
- Charles Correa
- James Baldwin
- Milan Kundera
- Rainer Maria Rilke
Institutions
- Art Gallery of South Australia
- AGSA
- Queensland Art Gallery
- Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art
- Union Carbide
Locations
- Adelaide
- Australia
- Karachi
- Pakistan
- Bhopal
- India
- Brisbane
- Kashmir
- Gujarat
- Calcutta