'Hamletmachine is an adaptation from Shakespeare's
Hamlet by the German writer Heiner Muller. The character of Hamlet
is according to Malani very pertinent to the Indian political climate
today. The video installation manifests the rise of Hindu fundamentalism
in India, which reached its peak with the frenzied violence of fanatics
who brought down the 16th century Babri Masjid (mosque) in December
of 1992. The growing unrest that followed this destruction provided
the Hindu fanatics with an opportunity to attack and pillage the
shanty- towns of the minority Muslim population in a clear case
of land grab in Mumbai. Overnight slum colonies were burnt to cinders.
Hamletmachine was produced on a residency program in the Fukuoka
Asian Art Museum, between 1999 and 2000, with the Butoh dancer Harada
Nobuo. The work has been shown in Text & Subtext, Singapore,
Sydney, Stockholm, in Century City, London, in the Hoopoe Curatorial
project Montreal and Vancouver.
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