Karachi is a prime example of what in urban studies is termed as an “instant city”.....
COVER STORY
Karachi is a prime example of what in urban studies is termed as an “instant city”. The visual and textual narratives about this city are numerous. But do these accounts portray this unique and multilayered metropolis in a manner which is honest, truthful and more importantly real, or are more of these stories imbued with nostalgia and steeped in romance? By examining the city through multiple lenses – historical, geographical, political, economical – one can have a better and more holistic understanding of how all these factors are interconnected and the influence they have in creating this unique milieu called Karachi.
Artists and other visual practitioners play a crucial part in defining the complexities of the city. Art in the public realm can be a catalyst in not only presenting those complexities to the larger audience but simultaneously, brings joy, interaction and inspiration to the masses.
The International Public Art Festival (IPAF) 2020, an initiative by I Am Karachi (IAK), was recently held at NED University, City Campus. More than 60 artists participated in the festival under the curatorial supervision of Sohail Zuberi, Humayun Memon, and Ali Reza Dossai.
Sheema Khan and
Noman Siddiqui | Untitled
We have heard from our ancestors that Bundar Road used to be washed every day. But now that ownership has somehow faded. We recall and reiterate these nostalgic statements through our work. Karachi was once peaceful, clean, and was called The City of Lights. Our work comprises of “leaflets” – drawings engraved on ceramic pieces in various sizes.
The imagery is the old part of the city juxtaposed with a flower and/or garbage. Some pieces have details painted on top of the surface to add layers of complexity to the composition.
Hameed Moinuddin | Art of war
Giuseppe Percivati | Karachi
What is left of the old Karachi? The future becomes present, then soon it’s a memory. What is of the building that were considered modern and futuristic, in an ever changing metropolis like Karachi?
Jean Claude Brutsch | Untitled
These photographs of billboards in Karachi, taken over a period of 40 years, demonstrate the many changes that have taken place in the field of advertising, changes that have not only modified images and symbols, but also revealed changes in mentalities and a conscious effort towards westernisation. During the 1970s, billboards were hand-painted in a style reminiscent of the popular visual universe of cinema posters.
They prompted simple local products used by everyone. Over time, the billboard painters slowly disappeared and their paintings gave way to digital images. In the 1990s, modern advertising posters presented a new visual portrayal of commercial objects based on western presentations, but still covered a local dimension. They presented international products of famous brands and slowly took over every available visible space until Supreme Court banned them in 2017.
Emaan Rana | The city and its longing to escape
Sadia Safder | Shehr-e-Karachi
My work represents my experiences of travelling through the city. The installation encompasses movement and change of landscape, historical buildings, and streets of Karachi.
Sarmad Hashmi | Karachi on a Canvas
As inhabitants of Karachi, we all add our unique colour and flavor to the city. The viewer is invited to add colour to the six canvases depicting various facets of Karachi. The idea of many people colouring the canvases not only represents the coming together of a diverse group of people but also the emotional connection they have with the visual and the city at large.
Ali Hamza | The iconic ludo
In a world where money is worshipped, the kids of the streets managed to reincarnate a better version of the iconic game of Ludo. You never really realise your creativity unless you lack what you want.
Obaid Ur Rehman | Untitled
The idea is to depict the theme “Karachi ki Khoj” through the toys or games of past and present. The work aims to generate a dialogue between adults and young people regarding how the toys or play/games have evolved over the years.
Lujane Vaqar Paganwalla | And then there were none, All.
What does space mean to us in Karachi, and how do we define it? My investigation/confrontation is of a seemingly volatile oscillation between multiple realities.
A process Karachi has lived, re-lived, and re-created so abundantly that it begins to interfere in the frequency of belonging, between space and place.
In a world of nostalgia, memory, dreams, culture, reality, and imagination alike, the work demonstrates three levels of space, including physical space and experienced space.
Noreen Ali | Pushcart
Pushcart, to look at on the street, seems like a feeble object but carries strong characteristics. The aim is to elevate the meaning of this object and highlight those characteristics. The idea is to use a pushcart as a sculptural object and juxtapose it with selectively carved drawings, blurring the boundary between both the mediums. The drawings portray the street animals we see around us. A tabby that lives by our door or stray dogs we usually barely notice. The cows which casually stroll about on the road or corpses and carcasses of animals lying around which we walk past by nonchalantly. The display of three pushcarts, in different orientations juxtaposed with selectively carved drawings of street animals. Each display showing a different characteristic of the object.
