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LUHRING
AUGUSTINE

531 West 24th Street
New York NY 10011
tel 212 206 9100 fax 212 206 9055
www.luhringaugustine.com


"54th Venice Biennale: Zarina Hashmi (India)"
ART iT, June 2011

ZH: Neither my family nor I suffered physical harm as a result of the Partition. However, when the country was divided, many families on both sides of the border were separated in a shuffle. The pain we collectively suffered from this dislocation had to do with losing our sense of belonging to India. At this stage of my life, one more group show is of little interest. However, on an emotional level to represent India is finally an acknowledgement of being a member of the nation, after following a kind of "middle passage" for most of my adult life.

ART iT: Entitled "Everyone Agrees: It's about to Explode," the India Pavilion will address themes including the idea of a nation-state as something unitary or territorial. What works will you be showing in Venice, and how do you see them relating to the overall concept of the Pavilion?

ZH: Of my works, Ranjit Hoskote has selected: Home is a Foreign Place (1999); Noor (2008); and Blinding Light (2010). The exhibition is an attempt to address the issues of migration and displacement. So far few of the Indian shows have included artists of the Indian diaspora, and it goes to Ranjit's credit that he has chosen artists who are part of a larger global dialogue.

[[2 images]]
Left: Blinding Light (2010), 22-carat gold leaf on Okawara paper, 185.42 x 100.33 cm. Courtesy Zarina Hashmi and Luhring Augustine, New York. Noor (Divine Light) (2008), maple wood with formulated gold leaf and leather cord, 13 sets of 3 units each (39 units total), each approx 10.8 x 6.35 cm. Courtesy Zarina Hashmi and Gallery Espace, New Delhi.