Amar Kanwar review: unflinching Indian artist dares you to step into the darkness (literally)

Serpentine North, London Making lyrical films for over 40 years, about everything from the end of empire to sexual brutality, Kanwar focuses on the parts of gruesome stories that are often missed The exhibition begins in darkness. A darkness so complete, in fact, that I’m forced to wait at the threshold while my eyes adjust to it. To my left, images flash up on screens that seem to float in the gloom: a peacock preens its wet feathers; dried flowers in a wooden bowl; sunlight scatters on water.

When the room has resolved to the point that I can identify a chair to sit on, I realise that these pictures are combined with snippets of text telling stories like parables: about a landlord punished for breaking a promise to a beggar; about two friends who survive a massacre because they are down by the river, arguing over the moon. Welcome to the world of Amar Kanwar: if you want to find beauty and truth, you must be prepared to step into the darkness. Over 40 years making increasingly lyrical films about stories ranging from the collapse of empire to endemic sexual brutality, the…