AMAR KANWAR CREATES A MEDITATIVE VISUAL AND SONIC ENVIRONMENT AT SERPENTINE NORTH

Serpentine will present a major solo exhibition of new and existing works by Amar Kanwar that will transform the building of Serpentine North into a meditative visual and sonic environment.

For over two decades, Kanwar has developed a distinctive body of lyrical films that move between documentary, travelogue and visual essay to explore the specific conditions of the Indian subcontinent. Having produced and directed numerous films and multi-video installations, Kanwar’s poetic and contemplative works are frequently marked by the history of his country, tracing the legacies of decolonialisation and the Partition of India and Pakistan.

Amar Kanwar, Such a Morning, 2017. (Film still). Digital video, 4K, colour, sound, 85 min. Courtesy of the artist and Marian Goodman Gallery.

Whilst charged with a regional specificity and deeply personal histories, Kanwar’s work grapples with some of the most pressing issues of our time. Reckoning with the past as a means to better comprehend the present, Kanwar bears witness to social upheaval, displacement, power, violence, justice and memory, ultimately revealing what unites – rather than differentiates – us, regardless of geography or context.

Within the darkened galleries, visitors will encounter a trilogy of transfixing films by Kanwar: the feature-length Such a Morning (2017), the multi-screen installation The Peacock’s Graveyard (2023), and a new multi-screen installation titled The Charcoal Man (2026), which will premiere at Serpentine.

Amar Kanwar said: “Our capacity for evil is not new and yet the last decade has twisted this knife deeper into our souls. On our knees, face to face with our own selves, the bottomless well reflects the sky. I cannot remember anymore, said the patriot to the traitor. For I have forgotten what I have forgotten. That ’s not a problem he replied, as I have forgotten too. I am grateful to Serpentine for this very special invitation. I am also deeply grateful to a small set of friends who have helped me make these film installations. And for the support that I have received. Everyone has shared a part of themselves while making this possible .”

Amar Kanwar, The Peacock's Graveyard, 2023 (film still). Digital video installation, 7 screens, dimensions variable, 28 min., 16 sec. Courtesy of the artist and Marian Goodman Gallery.

The exhibition continues Serpentine’s ongoing dialogue with the artist that started with the group exhibition Indian Highway in 2008. Presented at Serpentine South, the exhibition was the culmination of extensive research across India that offered a snapshot of a dynamic generation of artists working across a range of media. Since then, Kanwar contributed to Serpentine’s Map Marathon in 2010, and in 2018 was included in On Earth, Structure and Sadness : a Serpentine cinema programme that presented the work of artists who address machines, infrastructure and their impact on landscapes and the biosphere.

Opening: 23 September 2026 - 31 January 2027