The Kiran Nadar Museum of Art (KNMA) has revealed an architectural model of its new building during the 18th International Architecture Exhibition - La Biennale di Venezia, as part of the Curator’s Special Projects, titled Mnemonic, presented at the Arsenale - Artiglierie in Venice. The building, designed by Ghanian-British architect Sir David Adjaye in collaboration with S. Ghosh & Associates as the local architect of record, is set to become India’s largest cultural center. The project is scheduled to open in Delhi in 2026.
Established in 2010 by one of India’s most well-known art collectors, Kiran Nadar, the KNMA is a private museum exhibiting modern and contemporary works from India and the subcontinent. The new building designed by Sir David Adjaye will be located on a 100,000 square meters site near the National Highway in Delhi, in close proximity to the Indira Gandhi International Airport. The structure will house the museum’s growing collections, as well as provide spaces for temporary exhibitions and performances in visual arts, music, dance, and theater.
Besides the unveiling of the design, the exhibition presented as part of the Mnemonic Special Project also includes works from the museum’s collection by major Indian artists. Painters like Tyeb Mehta (1925-2009), belonging to the first generation of post-colonial artists in India, explore through their art the pain and historical burden of the Partition of India and Pakistan in 1947 and the subsequent rupture of a unified sense of place and being. Zarina (1937-2020), an artist known for her geometric abstraction in prints and sculptures, also highlights themes of memory and displacement through her personal experiences.
Additionally, the exhibition also includes a movie by contemporary filmmaker Amit Dutta that highlights the vision of Nasreen Mohamedi (1937-1990), an artist that was inspired by architectural forms and explored them through monochromatic abstractions drawn with graphite and ink on paper. The presence of KNMA at the Biennale Architettura 2023 aims to display the rich creativity of India and create a space for cultural discovery and diverse conversations.
KNMA provides an opportunity to embolden the rise of contemporary Indian art, releasing a new cultural offering for both the people of India, as well as for the wider global arts landscape. Its location in Delhi–one of the oldest cities in the world with a lineage of habitation that stretches to the 6th century BCE – gives new context to its position as a dynamic, living cultural force. As such, its specific location within the city directly influences the new building's form, rhythm, and landscape. - Architect, Sir David Adjaye
This year’s edition of the Venice Architecture Biennale, titled The Laboratory of the Future, officially opened on Saturday, May 20th, and will remain open to the public until November 26th, 2023. Created in collaboration with curator Lesley Lokko, the Special Projects section includes exhibitions and projects that aim to further develop the theme and explore new perspectives. This section includes the exhibitions Force Majeure, where 16 practices represent a distilled image of African and Diasporic architectural production; Dangerous Liaisons, staged at both the Arsenale and at Fort Maghera to display interdisciplinary works; Food, Agriculture & Climate Change, exploring the relationship between land practices, food production, and climate; Gender & Geography, providing a glimpse of future practices at the intersection of architecture and performance, Mnemonic, focused on the interdependency between memory and architecture; and Guests From the Future, presenting projects made by emerging practitioners.
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