“My goal is to make the invisible visible,” says Indian artist Nalini Malani, whose work is inspired by her childhood as a refugee from the war-torn province of Kashmir. Alongside a dozen artists from all over the world, Malani’s work is featured in the Louisiana Museum's new exhibition, "Homeless Souls".
The exhibition tackles themes of exile and expatriation, with the artists presenting both personal and collective interpretations of subjects like demarcation, citizenship, cross-border movements, secret journeys and identity.
Coming from countries as diverse as Iraq, Nigeria, Algeria and Kosovo, the artists work from their own stories and experiences, which they examine in art that is both topical and timeless, universal and highly personal. What all the artists have in common is that they bring us closer to the reality of living in exile through their work. They also point to art’s ability to provide new and different images of a reality that is brought to us daily through photojournalism and news media.
Two UBS Art Collection artists feature in the exhibition; Nalini Malani and Ramin Haerizadeh, with Haerizadeh forming part of an Iranian-born, Dubai-based artist trio, also including Rokni Haerizadeh and Hesam Rahmanian. The trio’s new immersive installation, "Where To? Wherever it Chances"(pictured), merges news photographs with expressive painting and traditional Iranian folk art, in a work depicting Europe’s refugee crisis.
Issues around exile and migration have deep roots in human history, but they are particularly dominant in today’s world. This exhibition confronts us with pressing global issues such as the sustainability of our cities and communities; accessing quality education; the need for peace, justice and fair institutions within our societies; as well as the importance of decent work and economic growth. Many of these concerns and more are addressed by the global goals developed by the UN, where the objective is to create the conditions for everyone to live in societies and environments respectful of human rights. UBS’s new campaign, #TOGETHERBAND, supports this and all of the 17 global goals. You can help too - buy a #TOGETHERBAND to wear in support of your chosen goal and help spread the word. Click here to find out more.
"Homeless Souls"will be open from 27 June to 22 September 2019 at the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, Humblebaek, Denmark. UBS supports the programs and exhibitions at the Louisiana.
