Looking back with… Monali Meher, the winner of the NN Art Award 2023

During Art Rotterdam, NN group will present the NN Art Award for the eighth time: to a contemporary art talent with an authentic visual language and an innovative approach. NN Group has been a partner of Art Rotterdam since 2017 and has been awarding an incentive award every year since then. An annually changing jury of art professionals makes a selection of four promising talents, from which a winner is ultimately chosen. The conditions are clear: it concerns artists who have been trained in the Netherlands and who show their work during Art Rotterdam. NN Group will purchase one or more works from the nominees for its corporate collection. Last year, the NN Art Award (worth €10,000) was awarded to Monali Meher, who is represented by Lumen Travo Gallery. Art Rotterdam interviewed her to find out what winning the prize has meant to her and what her best advice is for young artists. Read more about here work here.

How did it feel to win the NN Art Award? Are there any particular things you were able to achieve thanks to the prize money? 
"In December 2022, I had just arrived in Pune, India, visiting my mother and the family when I heard about the nomination. Marianne, my gallerist from Lumen Travo Gallery, called and gave me this fantastic news that I was one of the nominated artists for the NN Art Award. I was really happily surprised to hear the news amongst my family. It was a double joy! In the two following months, I settled with this news within me and felt very grateful and grounded. The actual announcement of winning the award at Art Rotterdam 2023 brought tears, not only to my eyes but to many who were present there. The tears of joy, wisdom, acknowledgment and freedom. I felt great honor, enthusiasm and gratitude. Since winning the award, I have been experimenting with new materials and processes. And I published my first book, ‘Unknown Landscape’ in October 2023. Of course, big thanks to the sponsors but also the prize money of the NN Art Award. It’s been greatly appreciated. You can find more information about the book on my social media."

How did the works that you showed during Art Rotterdam come about? Do you follow a specific process? Has that process changed in any way since?
"The selected mixed media works (intricate drawings with black Japan ink and threads on digital photos) were from the time of pandemic, in the intense and unprecedented sequence of lockdowns the world has recently experienced. Through a new series of mixed media drawings and assemblages, I reflected on the pandemic period just gone by, highlighting the relentless cycle of ‘multiple beginnings’ we, as humans, are enduring in the hope to find a renewed and positive perspective for the world. 

The other glass assemblages and recent new body of site-specific installation with soil, sand, hay, bark, coal, shells, dry plants, branches, turmeric, food colors, natural pigments, copper and glass has been developed since my residency at ‘Gent-Glas’, Ghent, Belgium in 2018/19 where I first time experimented with glass. But I could only create this site-specific installation, ’Unknown Landscape’ after the pandemic in 2022 in ‘Het Atelier’ residency in Brugge. Since then it has been continuously evolving. Then in a group show at Lumen Travo gallery, followed by Art Rotterdam 2023 and soon this site-specific installation will be viewed in the group show ‘NICC x 25’, at museum SMAK in Ghent. This exhibition was on view until 28 December 2023."

"My ongoing research-oriented installation 'Unknown Landscape' (2019-2023) contains several natural elements. They are combined together with the glass works created during the artist’s residency at Gent-Glas. The result is colorful & dynamic assemblage which is laid on the floor. Like the natural landscape, this installation is alive, evolving silently but persistently. The materiality of the soil, pigmented fluids and other unique textural properties of the landscape emerge in each aspect of the installation. This hybrid installation is a sort of spread out terrain of various combined components and blended elements. I juxtapose the materials from my earlier body of works with new recycled glass objects, to create a new/ transformed identity by re-shaping, re-arranging, re-cycling, re- assembling various materials, that keep the process of transition growing in the space. This diversified, surreal installation of solid, fluid, cracked, repaired, fragile structures of melted glass forms, that serve as a multi-layered ambiguous landscape, an immersive, extended, breathing field to interact, to observe and to explore the changes it went through. This hypnogogic installation explores the geological observation of nature’s traces, its ruins, mutating landscapes and the survival of holding onto what’s left to protect. 

'Unknown Landscape' stimulates questions about sustainability, identity, migration, boarders, barriers, loss, and the endless cycle of exploitation of natural resources. At the same time, paradoxically, this installation takes us through organic, peaceful and healing trail that is interventive & interactive where people can walk through to approach different areas of the installation closely and observe details. The smell of natural materials as well as the aroma of strong yellow turmeric spice punctuates the exhibition space."

Do you have any specific rituals or routines that you follow to stay creative?
"I think ‘creativity’ or ‘being creative’ lies in every aspect of our life, our surroundings and daily life rituals and its nature. For example, when cooking I don’t follow a standard recipe but my own way of mixing a combination of spices. There is no such thing as ‘the best creative routine’. It is a journey of self-discovery, following your instinct, taking risks and being open to changes. It is necessary to have a specific rhythm, balance and discipline in life, forming our own routine or ritual. We are human beings and we all lose it once in a while but to bring back that balance is being creative too."

As the winner of the previous edition, you get to join the jury for this year’s edition. What is it like as an artist to ‘judge’ the work of other artists?
"Every process is an interesting and learning journey. I would say it is more like ‘reviewing’ the works of artists than ‘judging’. It is about carefully seeing, discussing and observing with other juries who are part of this process. To experience the ‘other side’ or ‘back stage’ is important in life."  

What is your ultimate piece of advice for young artists?
"Follow your heart, keep the balance! Stay focused, curious, true to yourself and to your creativity. Persistence and discipline are important. There is no beginning or end to this creative journey. It’s about life and death and everything in between."

By Flor Linckens