Nalini Malani's latest installation, *Of Woman Born*, opens at the Magazzini del Sale in Venice during the Venice Biennale. Commissioned by the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art, the work projects hand-drawn animations onto the crumbling brick walls of a 15th-century salt warehouse, creating a cave-like environment where images flicker like ancient cave paintings. The installation draws on tens of thousands of drawings and incorporates mythology, literature, and sound, with a central focus on the myth of Orestes to explore themes of violence, displacement, and gender politics. Malani has also extended her recurring 'Skipping Girl' figure across Venice via posters and public signage to guide viewers to the exhibition.
This project matters because it represents a major new work by one of India's most influential contemporary artists at age 80, presented during the prestigious Venice Biennale. Malani's innovative use of architecture and animation—turning a historic, environmentally uncontrolled space into a dynamic canvas—pushes the boundaries of installation art. Her engagement with ancient myth to address contemporary power structures and gender violence underscores the enduring relevance of art as a medium for political and social critique. The commission by the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art also highlights the growing international role of Indian institutions in supporting global contemporary art.