k m madhusudhanan
A highly-regarded filmmaker on the international scene, Madhusudhanan is best known for his evocative films and documentaries that explore the history of cinema, historical events, memory, and dreams. He is also an accomplished painter, draftsman, and graphic artist. His practice, which flows smoothly from one art form to another, is foregrounded by a certain poetics of forms and narratives, reflecting his deep interest in the constitution of the image, both still and moving. As Madhusudhanan once stated, he has made drawings consistently since childhood, and therefore drawing remains fundamental to his work. Even in his work as a filmmaker, he relies on drawings to help formulate his work, from outlining basic concepts to scripting and shooting.
1956 Born in the coastal district of Alappuzha, Kerala
Studied Painting at Fine Arts College, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, and Print Making at the Faculty of Fine Arts, M.S. University, Baroda, Gujarat.
museum and Institutional shows
2017. Part Narratives, curated by Gayatri Sinha, Dr. Bhau Daji Lad Museum, Mumbai.
2016. Pond Near the Field: Five Artists from Kerala, collateral event by Kiran Nadar Museum of Art with Kochi Muziris Biennale at Madhavan Nayar Foundation, curated by Roobina Karode.
2015. Pond Near the Field: Five Artists from Kerala, Kiran Nadar Museum of Art (KNMA), curated by Roobina Karode
2015. The Penal Colony, and The Marx Archive: The Logic of Disappearance, 56th Venice Biennale
2014-15. The Marx Archive: The Logic of Disappearance, Kochi Muziris Biennale, curated by Jitish Kallat
solo shows
2017. Babel, The Guild Art Gallery, Alibaug,
2016. Penal Colony, Vadehra Art Gallery
2016. Meanwhile, What About Socialism? Solo booth at AV Festival, New Castle, UK
2017 Horses in the Air, Vadehra Art Gallery,
2017 Art Basel, Hong Kong, Vadehra Art Gallery;
2016 Art Basel, Hong Kong, Vadehra Art Gallery;
2016 Fighting Against Electric Bulbs, India Art Fair, New Delhi
2013 Aesthetic Bind, Citizen Artist: forms of address, Chemould Prescott Road, Mumbai, curated by Geeta Kapur,
2012 You Don't Belong, Curated by Ashish Rajadhyaksha,
2011 VAF @ The Guild,
2011 New Indian Film and Animation at ICA, LASALLE Singapore, in collaboration with The Guild, Mumbai
2009 Shrine Empire Gallery, New Delhi
2009 Video Wednesday, Gallery Escape, New Delhi
2009 Relative Visa, Bodhi Art Gallery, Mumbai
2009 Fajr International Film Festival, Iran
2009 NJISACF, New Jersy, USA
2009 High Museum of Art, Atlanta, USA
2008 Evervthing, Willem Baars Project. Amsterdam
2008. Osian's Cinefan Asian & Arab Film, India
2008. Thrissoor International Film Festival, India
2008. Sao Paulo International Film Festival, Brazil
2008. South Asian International Film Festival, New York
2008. South Asian International Film Festival, San Francisco
2008. International Film Festival Mannheim-Heidelberg, Germany
2008. River to River Film Festival, Florence
2007. Prospects Contemporary Art from India, Rome Film Festival, Rome
2007. Berwick upon Tweed Film & Media Arts Festival, UK
2007. Outstanding Short Films from International Festival, Museum of Modern Art (MoMa) New York
2002. Uppsala International Short Film Festival
2002. International Short Film Festival in Drama, Greece
2002. Opening Film: Busan Asian Short Film Festival, Korea
2002. Tampere International Film Festival, Finland
2002. Clermont Ferrand International Short Film Festival
2002. International Short Film Festival, Granada, Spain
2001. Chilean International Short Film Festival, Chile
2001. Outstanding Short Films from International Festivals Museum of Modern Art (MoMa) New York
books & articles
The Registry of Things Past: 'Neither you are aware, nor the police', English, Nancy Adajania, The Guild Publication, 2017
On Bioscope: Rhythm of Light, Malayalam, Dr. V. Sanil
The Gaze of Cinema, Malayalam, Dr. K. Gopinathan
K.M. Madhusudhanan's Bioscope, English, Shekhar Deshpande
Scholars Watching Elephant, English, Leo Bankersen
Bioscope Script, Malayalam, Published by Mathrubhoomi Books
A Turning Point, Interview, Screen India
filmography
Bioscope - Feature Film, Malayalam, Tamil, 2008
Razor Blood and Other Tales - Short Fiction, Silent, 2007
History is a Silent Film - Short Fiction, Silent, 2006
Mayabazaar - Documentary, Telugu, English, 2006
Self Portrait - Short Fiction, Hindi, 2001
O. V. Vijayan - English, Malayalam, Documentary, 2000
Balamaniyamma - Documentary, English, Malayalam, 1997
awards
2008 - Bioscope
National Award, India: Special Jury Award
Special Jury Award for Direction, Kerala State Film Awards
Best Cinematography, Kerala State Film Awards
Best Editing, Kerala State Film Awards
Best Background Score, Kerala State Film Awards
Special Mention Jury Award, Mannheim-Heidelberg International Festival, Germany Best Cinematography, SAIFF, New York
OSIAN Cinefan International Film Festival, NETPAC Jury Award for Best Asian Film
2006 - History is a Silent Film
Outstanding Film from International Festivals, Museum of Modern Art (MoMa) New York
2001 - Self Portrait
Best Film, Thessaloniki Festival, Greece
Outstanding Film from International Festivals, Museum of Modern Art (MoMa), New York
grants
2009 To make a Film on Shambarik Kharolika - Magic Lantern, from India Foundation for the Arts.
2006 To make a Film on Venkiteswara Natya Mandali, Andra Pradesh, from India Foundation for the Arts.