Nestled at a strategic location near the Indira Gandhi International Airport, the new KNMA will span over 100,000 square meters along the National Highway (NH8), beckoning visitors to an immersive experience like never before. With the vision of its founder, Kiran Nadar, one of India’s eminent art collectors, KNMA has been a pioneering private museum since its establishment in 2010. Presently boasting branches in New Delhi and Noida, the museum showcases modern and contemporary works from India and the subcontinent.

The heart of the exhibition features an exquisite collection of works by Tyeb Mehta (1925-2009), Zarina (1937-2020), and Nasreen Mohamedi (1937-1990), spanning more than a century of artistic brilliance. As visitors engage with the architectural model as the centerpiece, they are immersed in the world of “Mnemonic.” This theme reverberates throughout the exhibition, weaving together images, text, architecture, and moving images to explore the profound relationship between memory and the museum. It evokes the haunting echoes of the Partition of India and Pakistan in 1947, a seismic event that fractured a unified sense of place and being.

Tyeb Mehta’s masterful use of the diagonal line within his imagery captures the painful and burdensome nature of history, as it simultaneously splinters and mends the pictorial space. Zarina’s poignant reflections on home, memory, and displacement resonate with themes of separation and belonging, seen from a feminine and nomadic perspective. Amit Dutta’s evocative film, “Touch AIR,” draws inspiration from Nasreen Mohamedi’s personal notes and unique artistic vision, inviting viewers on a metaphysical journey that transcends physical borders, blurring the boundaries between the known and the unknown.

Kiran Nadar, the visionary Founder and Chairperson of KNMA, expressed her excitement, stating, “The newly built space of KNMA has been conceived as a world-class cultural center—a state-of-the-art building and a cultural powerhouse open to all. At the heart of KNMA is the notion of giving back to society, preserving treasures of the cultural past, and nurturing a young generation of creative practitioners and thinkers while bridging the gap between art and the public.”

Architect Sir David Adjaye, inspired by the historical depth of Delhi, emphasized the museum’s potential to enrich the contemporary Indian art scene, both locally and on the global stage. He noted, “Its location in Delhi… gives new context to its position as a dynamic, living cultural force. As such, its specific location within the city directly influences the new building’s form, rhythm, and landscape.”

Roobina Karode, Director and Chief Curator of KNMA, emphasized the museum’s commitment to exploring new horizons and confronting the question of memory and history in the post-Partition subcontinent. She noted, “The upcoming complex provides an opportunity for KNMA to chart novel grounds… unraveling the mechanics and structures of remembrance along the fault lines of time and space.”

The architectural model of KNMA’s new building was also showcased at the Curator’s Special Projects during the 18th International Architecture Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia, further affirming the museum’s global significance. The exhibition, titled “The Laboratory of the Future,” running from May 20 to November 26, 2023, serves as a testament to KNMA’s pioneering spirit.

KNMA extends its gratitude to the Tyeb Mehta Foundation, Imran Chishti from Zarina’s family, the Estate of Nasreen Mohamedi, and Deepak Talwar for their invaluable cooperation and support.

As the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art embarks on this ambitious journey, it sets the stage for an unparalleled cultural destination—one that embraces the past, stimulates the present, and ignites the imagination of future generations. The new KNMA will undoubtedly shape the landscape of India’s artistic and intellectual legacy, fostering a space where art and memory intertwine in captivating harmony.