Malani’s unique visual language portrays and reflects on both the beauty and the injustice in the world
Our Bureau
Montreal, CA
Montreal Museum of Fine Arts brings together fine pieces of art from three of Malani’s major relevant works, in an exhibition titled ‘Nalini Malani: Crossing Boundaries’ open for public viewing until August 2023.
This exhibition features the works of India’s noteworthy contemporary feminist artist Nalini Malani at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (MMFA), recognizing and displaying her work of over 5 decades which has addressed social inequalities and violence, especially against women. This unique exhibition is consisting of 2 video installations and a wall drawing/ erasure performance series.
Malani is a famed artist since 1960 and is known as the pioneer of video art in India, using animation, theatre arts, photography, reverse painting on glass, performance art, cinema, and video, in her art installations. All these elements will be on display at the MMFA exhibition.
The first of her major relevant works in Crossing Boundaries will be Can You Hear Me? featuring 88 hand-drawn animations with Malani’s index finger and marked the first use of digital technology to make drawings by Malani. This artwork is inspired by a tragic event from 2018 when 8 men raped an 8-year-old girl and then bludgeoned her to death.
The second work, City of Desires, is an on-site wall drawing/ erasure performance series exploring the politics and poetics of memory. For this mural at a busy junction in the museum, Malani worked together with 2 Montreal-based artists, and the drawings will be erased at the close of the exhibition.
The third work, Ballad of a Woman, is a video created especially for this exhibition. This tells the story of a woman who was murdered, protecting her killer by erasing the traces of her death, in her afterlife. This symbolizes the burden of self-sacrifice on women.
‘Nalini Malani: Crossing Boundaries’ decries complacency in the face of inequality and encourages collective engagement with the most pressing concerns of our time,” Mary-Dailey Desmarais, chief curator of the MMFA explained. “Steeped in literature, philosophy, history, and mythology, Malani’s unique visual language asks us to reflect on both the beauty and the injustice in the world. The MMFA is proud to be presenting the first solo exhibition in Canada dedicated to this boldly innovative and engaged artist,” she added.
