Monali Meher

Monali Meher’s practice explores themes of identity, time, memory, hybridity, site-specificity and transformation. Often through performance and installations.

Meher graduated from Sir J. J. School of arts, Mumbai. Received the ‘Unesco -Aschberg’ residency, Vienna in 1998, Rijksakademie Van Beeldende Kunsten, Amsterdam in 2000- ‘01, KHOJ New Delhi in 2004, VASL residency, Karachi in 2008, ‘Casa Masaccio’ Italy in 2012.

She performed and exhibited internationally at Tate modern, Sinop Biennale Turkey, Rijksmuseum Twenthe, Art Dubai, ‘Rebelle’, Museum Arnhem, NRLA Glasgow, Prague Biennale 5th, MAXXI museum Rome, Guangzhou Live, China, Infr’action Sete, France, LA 7 Gothenburg Sweden, IPA Istanbul Modern Museum, 4th Thessaloniki Biennale, University UFO & Sustainability 2014, Ghent, Venice International cinema and performance art, Bochum kunstmuseum Germany, ICASTICA ’13, Arezzo Biennial, where Meher received the prestigious ‘Golden Chimera Award’ for innovation and originality. In 2016 ‘Ritual Traces’ SAWCC New York, Beijing Live, Biennale Arte Dolomiti, Italy and Dakar biennale, 2016. In 2017 Kathmandu Triennale and Manifesta HQ Amsterdam, in 2018 ‘Connecting Threads’ BDL museum Mumbai, in 2019 Stedelijk kunstakademie, Kunstroute Waregem, and ‘Walking’s New Movements’, conference at University of Plymouth, UK. In 2020 she participated in a group show, ’Living, Forgiving, Remembering’, De Kerk, Museum Arnhem & ‘ben Cobra’ at Cobra museum Amstelveen. In 2021 exhibited in Kunsthall 3,14 Bergen, Norway, performed at museum SMAK for Art Ghent, Kunsthal Gent, & Arctic Action VI in Longyearbyen, Spitsbergen. In 2021- 22, she was part of online ‘Upcycling’ Sinop biennale 8, Turkey. In 2023 she received NN art award at Art Rotterdam, performed at Trouble #12, Brussels, part of ‘De Vierkante kilometer: Ledeberg at museum STAM Ghent & exhibited in ‘NICC x 25 at museum SMAK Ghent. In 2024 Meher performed for VIVAAR Venezia in Venice, LA 19, Live Art Gothenburg, Sweden, ‘Rebel Garden’, Bruges Belgium and in Ubud, Bali for Indonesia Bertutur festival. Her site-specific installation, Terra Incognita was part of sculpture park walk at Art Mumbai in 2024.

In 2009, Meher received LIVE Funds, BKVB Amsterdam. In 2011 manifested ‘The Bridge Is Open’, public Space installation under Willem’s bridge, Haarlemmerpoort, Amsterdam; funded by AFK, Fonds BKVB, co-operated by DIVV, DOCK Stadsdeel West. This installation can be viewed untill 2025. From 2000 -2015, Meher lived in Amsterdam. Since 2016 she lives and works in Ghent, Belgium.