Listening to the Shades
In 2013, the Museum had exhibited the work Listening to the Shades, in honour of Malani having received the prestigious Fukuoka Prize for Art and Culture 2013. It showcased 42 facsimile prints on archival paper, that the artist gifted the Museum.The dominant element in this series of paintings is the human brain. This organ appears in a conundrum of scenes, where it changes into boxing gloves, a rehearsal chamber acts as a space for thought or flying objects, high in the sky with two fighter jets. In the key image of the storyboard, the lower part of a spinal column comes out of Cassandra’s mouth, while jets battle and explode in her head. Although apocalyptic in approach, Malani ends the story in a more optimistic tone where she finds space for, as she calls it, gendered thought.The work was featured as part of the exhibition
Nalini Malani (1946 –)
Nalini Malani is a pioneering Indian artist renowned for her innovative video art, installations & paintings exploring themes of identity, displacement, feminism, and the Partition of India. Her work features stop motion & reverse painting techniques.
Dr. Bhau Daji Lad Mumbai City Museum (Mumbai, Bharat)
Explore Mumbai’s artistic heritage at the Dr. Bhau Daji Lad Museum! Discover Victorian architecture, historical artifacts & contemporary art exhibitions – India's oldest museum awaits.
About this artwork
- Title: Listening to the Shades
- Artist: Nalini Malani
- Year: 2013
- Format: Landscape
- Copyright status: Under copyright
- Where to see it: Dr. Bhau Daji Lad Mumbai City Museum
- Color intensity: Monochromatic
- Perceived brightness: deep_shadow

