The Hayward Gallery, the Durjoy Bangladesh Foundation and the Kochi Biennale Foundation have announced artist Amol K Patil as the first winner of the Durjoy Bangladesh Foundation/Kochi-Muziris Biennale (DBF-KMB) Award, collaboratively launched to highlight emerging South Asian artists participating in the Kochi Biennale. The Award consists of a multi-year solo exhibition and a lecture programme which will be held at Hayward Gallery’s HENI Project Space.
Patil was selected for his installation The Politics of Skin and Movement which was mounted at the fifth edition of the Biennale that ran from 22 December 2022 to 10 April 2023. The installation consists of a constellation of drawings, sculptures, objects and moving images – including those from Patil’s family archives – to address issues of labour, casteism and access in his community.
‘The installation looks like a disjointed sequence of still images, but when you get closer, there are subtle movements. These movements are like meditations on the body’s senses; touch, sound, breathing, and other working processes, engaging with ideas of touch and skin politics,’ the artist said in a statement.
The exhibition will run from 9 October through 19 November 2023.