Est. 2004 Guwahati, India

Mriganka Madhukaillya
Born 1978, Jorhat, India
Sonal Jain
Born 1975, Shillong, India
Live And Work In Guwahati, India

Desire Machine Collective was established in 2004 by Mriganka Madhukaillya and Sonal Jain. They create films, video, photography, and sound and multimedia installations that consider space and time, with particular reference to human habitation, natural environments and their occupation. Many of their works are based in remote parts of India including Kashmir and their home state of Assam in the far north-east. The style of their videos often incorporates still or slow panning images with only the memory of human presence. Long-term engagement, research and dialogue with local individuals or communities are important components of their works. Residue 2011 was shot in a disused thermal power plant outside the artists' hometown of Guwahati in Assam. The 39-minute film shows the abandoned power plant being gradually overcome by the surrounding forest, with decaying industrial forms and nature merging into one entity. The work forms a poetic reflection on the cycle of creation, destruction and memory.