The National Pavilion of India returns to the Venice Biennale, presenting Geographies of Distance: remembering home, a group exhibition that explores the concepts of memory, identity and the meaning of “home”.
The show gathers five artists whose works span regions and practices. Alwar Balasubramaniam (Bala), Sumakshi Singh, Ranjani Shettar, Asim Waqif and Skarma Sonam, whose practices are rooted in India’s ancient material culture, to explore emotional landscapes of home.
Each artist interprets home through a personal lens. Bala engages directly with the landscapes of rural Tamil Nadu using clay and soil, Singh transforms thread into installations that make memory tangible, Shettar handcrafts sculptures from natural materials, Waqif repurposes discarded organic matter to interrogate sustainability and public space and Sonam works with recycled materials and traditional techniques from Ladakh to shed light on ecological fragility and the importance of cultural preservation.
Curated by Dr Amin Jaffer, the pavilion reflects on contemporary India in the midst of swift urban change and global movement, examining how the idea of home shifts and transforms in an ever-evolving world.
“The 61st International Art Exhibition, themed In Minor Keys, offers a poignant opportunity to explore the nuances of distance and the enduring power of memories of home. The India Pavilion brings together artists whose practices reflect the experience of a world in constant change. The pavilion explores home not as a fixed physical location, but as an emotional space carried within the self, a repository of culture, personal mythology and emotion. Using materials associated closely with Indian civilisation, the chosen artists create a singular meditation on the fragile nature of home, which is both personal and universal, quiet and resolute. Through this work, our artists come together to form a collective Indian voice that resonates with Koyo Kouoh’s vision for the 61st International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia,” shares Jaffer.
The exhibition is commissioned by the national Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA), Ministry of Culture and presented in collaboration with Nita Mukesh Cultural Centre (NMACC) and Serendipity Arts Foundation.
The 61st Venice Biennale will run from 9 May to 22 November 2026
