About

Amir Zainorin is a Malaysian artist working between Denmark and Malaysia whose interdisciplinary practice spans installation, performance, sculpture, and sound. His work explores migration, cultural memory, and identity through transmaterial processes that transform everyday materials such as maps, passports, traditional vessels, percussion instruments, boots, and gauze into poetic spatial arrangements. By reconfiguring these objects, Zainorin reflects on how identity is carried, negotiated, and reshaped across geography and time.

Presented internationally across Europe and Southeast Asia, his work bridges personal memory with broader histories of movement and cultural exchange. It is held in the collections of the National Art Gallery Malaysia and the Danish Immigration Museum. Zainorin is also the initiator of Jambatan, a platform for cross-cultural exchange, and the founder of Stateless Mind Pavilion, a nomadic framework for artistic dialogue beyond national borders.

Selected Solo Exhibitions

 

2026: Gravity of the Wall @Museo Della Mura, Rome, Italy- Curated by Camilla Boemio

2025:  Rhythm of Identity @Kunstpakhuset, Ikast, Denmark -Curatorial text by Dalida Maria Benfield

2024: In Between Worlds @Kapallorek, Perak, Malaysia-Curated by Anna Cuomo 

2024: ‘Ephemeral Echoes’, Gudskul, Jakarta Indonesia 

2020: ‘Covid Surreality’, Artemis Art, Kuala Lumpur Malaysia

2014: ‘Dear Helle...’, Immigrant Museum, Farum, Denmark

2011: ‘Subject to Change’, MAP Publika, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

2007: ‘The Opening’, Gallery Pelita Hati, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

2005: 'Art, politics and Power', @Peti Seni, National Art Gallery Malaysia

2026: E.gallery Multi Media University, Malaysia(Two Man Show with Niranjan Rajah)-curated by Cheryl Thiruchelvam and Qusyairi Bin Zazili

2026: Wrong Biennale - 60 Seconds Festival, Copenhagen, Denmark

2025: Out of Nowhere, Semerak Gallery, Jakarta, Indonesia

2023: ‘Cotidianidad freedom’, Pilotenkueche, Leipzig, Germany

2023: ‘In from the Margin’, Edinburg Print, Edinburg, Scotland2019: ‘Climate’, IPOH International Art Festival, Malaysia

2019: ‘Minta Perhatian- New Media’, National Art Gallery Malaysia

2018 : ‘Di Antara Itu dan Ini’, National Art Gallery, Malaysia

2018 : NORDic Islands Action, Gothenburg, Sweden

2017 : ’Dream’, Fresh Winds Art Biennale 5th Edition, Gardur, Iceland

2017 : ’ Belas’, KL Biennale, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

2016 : ’ Art in Exile’, Museum of Contemporary Art Roskilde, Denmark

2016: ‘ A Fact Has No Appearance, Art beyond the Object’, National Gallery, Singapore

2014: ‘ Bela Biennale’, Museum of Historico, Rio De Janeiro, Brazil

2012: ‘Power, Hope and Land’, National Art Gallery, Malaysia

2011: ‘Generous Gestures’, Den Fri Contemporary Art, Copenhagen, Denmark

2010: ‘Invitation to the possible’, Overgaden Institute of Contemporary Art, Copenhagen

2009: ‘Uncut’, Museum of Contemporary Art Roskilde, Denmark

 

Curated exhibitions

2023: Calling it Home-Stateless Mind Festival-Copenhagen
2022: Pera+Flora+Fauna, Port Perak 59^th Venice Biennale, Italy
2022: Stateless Mind Festival, Archivi della Misericordia, Cannaregio, Venice, Italy
2021: Space Between-Stateless Mind Festival, Laterna Magica, Museum for Visuel Kunst Copenhagen
2019: Stateless Mind Festival, Sorte Firkant, Copenhagen
2019: Ipoh International Fim Festival, Ipoh, Malaysia
2019: Stateless Mind Festival, Laterna Magica, Museum for Visuel Kunst Copenhagen
2008: Malaysian Arts Festival, Gallery Shambala Copenhagen and Museum of Contemporary Art Roskilde, Denmark

Awards and Grants

2026: National Art Gallery Malaysia-Residency at Gallery Filamen, KL, Malaysia 

2026: Goethe Institute-Mobility grant for Residency at Circolo Skandinava, Roma, Italy

2025: One year working grant-  Danish art Foundation

2025: Production grant for Rhythm of Identity -Danish art Foundation           

2024: Production grant for 'In Between World' -National Art Gallery Malaysia
2023: One Year Working Grant- Danish art Foundation

2022: Curation for Pera+Flora+Fauna Port Perak 59th Venice Biennale- Perak State Government

2020: Production grant for Gudskul, Jakarta- Danish Art Foundation
2019: ‘Climate’, IPOH International Art Festival, Malaysia – Perak State Govt, Malaysia

2017: Production grant for ’ Belas’, KL Biennale, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia -National Art Gallery Malaysia

2014: Production grant-Bela Biennale, Museum of Historico, Rio De Janeiro, Brazil-National Art Gallery Malaysia
2011: Production grant – Criss Cross ‘ at, Poetisk Bureau, Copenhagen- Danish Art Foundation
2011: Production grant -‘Generous Gestures’, Den Fri Contemporary Art- Danish Art Foundation
2010: Production grant for  ‘X Box’, Performance Art at National Art Gallery, Kuala Lumpur- Danish Art Foundation