# K. M. Madhusudhanan

Madhusudhanan (born 1956 in the coastal district of Alappuzha, Kerala, India) is an Indian film maker and artist, also known as K. M. Madhusudhanan. His debut feature film, Bioscope has received many awards. He is working with different media in art, including sculpture, printmaking installation art and film.

## Early life and education

K. M. Madhusudhanan was born in 1956 in Alappuzha, a coastal district in Kerala. He studied painting at College of Fine Arts Trivandrum, Kerala, and print making at the Faculty of Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda.

## Work

He lives in his home state of Kerala. Madhusudhanan's artistic practice flows seamlessly across media. His fascination with images, especially the advent of the moving image and its place in human history, is reflected in a series of films, paintings, drawings, video art and sculptural installations. The feature film Bioscope (2008 film) (2008) is one of his foremost works. It is based on the journey of the then new art form of cinema during the colonial India.He is deeply concerned with issues of war, colonisation, India's film history and manmade borders. Marxism and Buddhism have been decisive influences on his art. 'The Marx Archive: The Logic of Disappearance' is an ongoing project consisting of drawings, sculptural installations and video. From this series, 90 charcoal drawings were shown at the Kochi-Muziris Biennale, 2014, curated by Jitish Kallat. Selection from the same series and a new series called The Penal Colony' were shown at the Venice Biennale, 2015, curated by Okwui Enwezor. His films have been awarded international and national awards and have been shown extensively in film festivals, art galleries, museums, including Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), New York
* 2014- The Marx Archive - The Logic of Disappearance (installation) collection: Kiran Nadar Museum of Art, New Delhi
* 2014- 2015- Penal colony (Installation) Collection : collection: Kiran Nadar Museum of Art, New Delhi
* 2008- Bioscope (2008 film): Feature Film, produced by National Film Development Corporation of India
* 2007- History is a Silent Film (Video Art)
* 2018- Rage, rage against the dying of the light (Light Installation)

## Exhibitions
### 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

* 56th Venice Biennale, Italy: 'All the World's Futures', Curated by Okwui Enwezor: 9 May 2015 - 22 November 2015
* Kochi Muziris Biennale, Noida, India: 'Whorled Explorations', curated by Jitish Kallat: 12 December 2014 - 29 March 2015
* Kiran Nadar Museum of Art, Noida, India: Pond Near the Field: 25 November 2015 - 29 February 2016
* Delhi Art Fair, Vadehra Art Gallery: 28 January 2016 - 31 January 2016
* 2016 Penal Colony, Vadehra Art Gallery
* 2016 Meanwhile, What About Socialism? Solo booth at AV Festival, New Castle, UK
* 2017 Babel, The Guild Art Gallery, Alibaug
* 2018 Granite lamp and mirror, Vadehra gallery, New Delhi
* 2019 Gandhi between borders, 1+1 gallery, Dubai.
* 2021 Mynaakam - in touch edition 5- Vadehra gallery, New Delhi

### Group

* 2021 Lokame tharavadu- curated by Bose Krishnamachaari, organised by Kochi Muziris biennale, Alappuzha, Kerala
* 2020 Abudhabi Art fair, 1+1 gallery, Dubai
* 2018 Collection of undoing, 1+1 Gallery, Dubai.
* 2018 India Re-worlded: Seventy years of investigating a nation, Curated by Arshiya Lokhanwala, Gallery Odessey, Mumbai
* 2018 India Re-worlded:seventy years of investigating a nation, Curated by Arshiya Lokhan wala, Gallery Odessey, Mumbai.
* 2020 Abudhabi Art fair, 1+1 gallery, Dubai.
* 2021 ‘Lokame tharavadu’ curated by Bose Krishnamachaari, organised by Kochi Muziris biennale, Alappuzha, Kerala

### Select group shows

* 2017 Horses in the Air, Vadehra Art Gallery
* 2016 Art Basel, Hong Kong, Vadehra Art Gallery
* 2013 Fighting Against Electric Bulbs, India Art Fair, New Delhi
* 2012 Aesthetic Bind, Citizen Artist: forms of address, Chemould Prescott Road, Mumbai, curated by Geeta Kapur
* 2011 You Don't Belong, Curated by Ashish Rajadhyaksha
* 2011 VAF @ The Guild
* 2009 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 Jersey, USA
* 2009 High Museum of Art, Atlanta, USA
* 2008 Everything, Willem Baars Project, Amsterdam
* 2008 Osian's Cinelan Asian & Arab Film, India
* 2008 Thrissoor International Film Festival, India
* 2008 São 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 Intonational 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

## Filmography

* Balamaniyamma- Documentary, English, Malayalam, 1997
* O.V. Vijayan- English, Malayalam, Documentary, 2000
* Self Portrait- Short Fiction, Hindi, 2001
* History is a Silent Film, Short Fiction, Silent, 2006
* Mayabazaar- Documentary, Telugu, English, 2006
* Razor, Blood and Other Tales- Short Fiction, Silent, 2007
* Bioscope, Feature Film, Malayalam, Tamil, 2008
* Theeppanakkam, Short Documentary, Malayalam 2024

## Awards and recognition

* for Self Portrait, 2001
* Best Film, Thessaloniki Festival, Greece
* Outstanding Film from International Festivals, MoMA, New York
* for History is a Silent Film, 2006
* Outstanding Film from International Festivals, MoMA, New York
for Bioscope 2008' Osian Cinefan International Film Festival, NETPAC Jury Award for Best Asian Film Special Mention Jury Award, Mannheim-Heidelberg International Festival, Germany Best Cinematography Award, SAIFF, New York 5 Kerala State Film Awards
* Special Jury Award for Direction
* Best Cinematography
* Best Editing
* Best Background Score
* Best Film Processing Lab
Special Jury Award, National Film Awards

## Books and articles

* 2017 - The Registry of Things Past: Neither you are aware, nor the police', English, Nancy Adajania, The Guild Publication.
* 2011 - On Bioscope: Rhythm of Light, Malayalam, Dr. V. Sanil
* 2011 - The Gaze of Cinema, Malayalam, Dr. K. Gopinathan
* 2011 - K.M. Madhusudhanan's Bioscope, English, Shekhar Deshpande
* 2011 - Scholars Watching Elephant, English, Leo Bankersen
* 2011 - Bioscope Script, Malayalam, Published by Mathrubhoomi Books
* A Turning Point, Interview, Screen India