Newsmakers: Nalini Malani Lets the Walls Speak with a New Installation in Venice

Why It Matters

The installation shows how historic architecture can be repurposed for digital immersive art, amplifying dialogues on gender, displacement and the role of technology in contemporary cultural discourse.

Key Takeaways

• Nine animation channels project across three uneven brick walls.
• Tens of thousands of hand‑drawn images animate the myth of Orestes.
• Skipping Girl appears on Venice posters, guiding visitors via QR codes.
• 30‑minute sound loop blends voices, poetry, and music for immersive experience.

Pulse Analysis

Nalini Malani, a veteran of Indian contemporary art, leverages the 15th‑century Magazzini del Sale’s weathered brickwork to stage a dialogue between past and present. By eschewing conventional gallery lighting in favor of nine projection channels, she transforms the warehouse into a living fresco, where each flicker of pigment recalls ancient cave paintings while employing 21st‑century digital tools. This spatial strategy not only honors the building’s trade‑laden history but also redefines how immersive installations can inhabit and activate heritage sites.

The thematic core of *Of Woman Born* rests on the myth of Orestes, a narrative that exposes the historical devaluation of women. Malani juxtaposes this ancient tale with contemporary references to gender‑based violence, displacement, and memory, weaving in excerpts from the *Oresteia*, T.S. Eliot, Hannah Arendt and Adrienne Rich. The recurring “Skipping Girl” serves as a visual anchor, appearing on city posters and QR‑linked signage, guiding audiences through the exhibition while symbolising hope and resilience. A 30‑minute sound loop, layered with voices and poetry, deepens the sensory experience, making the work a multisensory meditation on power and its persistence.

In the broader context of the Venice Biennale, Malani’s project exemplifies a growing trend where artists fuse analog drawing practices with digital animation to comment on sociopolitical issues. Her use of an iPad app and finger‑drawn animation underscores a democratized approach to technology, challenging the hype around AI while emphasizing intentional human agency. As museums and biennials seek immersive, site‑specific works that engage diverse audiences, *Of Woman Born* offers a blueprint for integrating historic architecture, mythic storytelling, and contemporary concerns into a cohesive, participatory experience.