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M E D I A C O N T A C T
Rebecca Metzger, PR Officer
212.219.1222 ext. 394
rmetzger@newmuseum.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


NEW MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART PRESENTS
Nalini Malani: Hamletmachine

First U.S. Museum Exhibition For South Asian Media Artist
November 13, 2002 - January 12, 2003

New York, NY (October 15, 2002) - The New Museum of Contemporary Art will
present South Asian artist Nalini Malani in her first solo museum exhibition
in the United States. From November 13, 2002 - January 12, 2003, the Zenith
Media Lounge will feature Hamletmachine (2000). A highly visceral
examination of the recent rise of Hindu fundamentalism in South Asia,
Malani's Hamletmachine (2000) incorporates text from German playwright
Heiner Muller's play of the same title with fragmented images and sounds.

Four video projections explore feelings of alienation and disassociation
from society-contributing factors in the development of the fanatic or
fundamental person. One of the projected videos will cover a large mound of
coarse salt that will be installed in the center of the gallery. Mixed in
with text from Muller's play, images and sounds from current-day riots in
India and Pakistan are spliced with images and sounds from fascist-era Japan
and Europe.

Nalini Malani (b. 1946 Karachi, now Pakistan) is a Bombay-based media artist
who is known for installations that combine traditional imagery with new
technology. By appropriating fragments of Muller's play and transforming
them into a parable of the contemporary Hindu-Muslim conflict in South Asia,
Malani focuses on the human and universal aspects of the conflict, rather
than on religious or nationalist concerns. Malani's work has been exhibited
in India, Japan, Australia, France, England, Germany, Switzerland, Cuba, and
South Africa.

PUBLIC PROGRAMS
Digital Culture Evening and Opening Reception, Nov. 12 6:00-8PM
Coinciding with the opening of Hamletmachine at the New Museum, Senior
Curator Dan Cameron talks with artist Nalini Malani about her use of
traditional and new media practices, as well as about the religious and
political issues raised by Hamletmachine.

About the New Museum of Contemporary Art
The New Museum of Contemporary Art, founded in 1977 and located in the heart
of Soho, is the premier destination for contemporary art in New York City.
With an annual schedule of dynamic exhibitions, the Museum presents the most
innovative and experimental work from around the world. Debate and
discussion about contemporary culture are encouraged through a broad range
of educational programs, publications, performances, and new media
initiatives. Visit www.newmuseum.org for more about the New Museum.

About the Zenith Media Lounge
Zenith Media Lounge is a digital and media arts technology collaboration
with Zenith Electronics Corporation. Zenith Media Lounge exhibitions and
public programs are supported by the Jerome Foundation and the New York
State Council on the Arts.



New Museum of Contemporary Art
General Information

Location583 Broadway, New York, NY 10012
(between Houston and Prince Streets in SoHo)

Web Sitewww.newmuseum.org

Telephone212-219-1222

Fax212-431-5328

Emailnewmu@newmuseum.org

Museum HoursTuesday - Sunday: noon - 6:00PM
Thursday: noon - 8:00PM*
Closed Monday

New Store Hours Monday - Sunday: noon - 6:30PM
(Open on Mondays beginning Sept. 30, 2002)
Thursday: noon - 8:00PM

Admission$6.00 general; $3.00 students/seniors
Free for members; visitors 18 and under free
*Thursday 6:00-8:00PM $3.00
Zenith Media Lounge free

DirectionsSubway: 6 to Spring Street or Bleecker Street
N/R to Prince Street
C/E to Spring Street
F/S to Broadway Lafayette
Bus: #1/#5/#6/#21 to Houston Street or Broadway

The exhibitions at the New Museum of Contemporary Art are made possible by
the Producers Council and members of the New Museum. The New Museum of
Contemporary Art receives general operating support from the New York City
Department of Cultural Affairs and the New York State Council on the Arts.

The New Museum has received important stabilization support for 2002
operations and programs from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the Booth
Ferris Foundation, the Carnegie Corporation of New York, the Nonprofit
Finance Fund, the Andy Warhol Foundation, Agnes Gund and Daniel Shapiro,
Philip Morris Companies Inc., and the Peter Norton Family Foundation.

For more information please contact the Public Relations Office at
212-219-1222 ext. 394 or email press@newmuseum.org or visit the press office
online at http://www.newmuseum.org/Press_Office/index.html. Information
about the New Museum's exhibitions and public programs is also available
online at www.newmuseum.org.