The contemporary Pakistani art scene is thriving and international demand is on the rise. With exhibits
spanning the globe, talent emerging from and feeding
a strong art educational system, and an evolving internal
art culture, Pakistan's contemporary art scene is a beacon in its stormy present.
From a financial perspective, the case in point is Rashid
Rana's Red Carpet-1, a skillfully constructed photomontage
of an otherwise unassuming piece of floor covering. The piece fetched $623,400 (about Dh2.28 million) in an auction at Sotheby's in New York last May. Other contemporary Pakistani artists are experiencing similar success through sales of their work.
Previous to Art Dubai 2008, art collector Charles Saatchi purchased Huma Mulji's Arabian Delight, an evocative sculpture of a camel stuffed in a suitcase for $8,000 (about Dh29,385). Naiza Khan, Faiza Butt, Mohammad Ali Talpur and Khalil Chishtee are just some of the other contemporary artists who have recently sold their works through art auctions and sales. The survival and cultivation of Pakistan's contemporary art scene is being celebrated worldwide.
Melissa Chiu, Director of New York City's Asia Society, notes, "In surprising contrast to the social and political instability that is part of life for Pakistanis, a strong artistic community continues to thrive." The Asia Society will host Hanging Fire: Contemporary Art from Pakistan (September 10-January 10, 2010).
Hanging Fire is a landmark in that it marks the first time
that a major US museum will host an exhibit entirely devoted
to contemporary Pakistani Art. Fifty works by 15 of Pakistan's most highly regarded contemporary artists will be shown including Hamra Abbas, Bani Abidi, Zahoor ul Akhlaq, Faiza Butt, Ayaz Jokhio, Naiza Khan, Arif Mahmood, Huma Mulji, Asma Mundrawala, Rashid Rana, Ali Raza, Anwar Saeed, Adeela Suleman, Imran Qureshi and Mahreen Zuberi.
Salima Hashmi will curate the exhibit.
An accomplished painter in her own right, she has established herself as one of the most influential and well-respected writers and curators in Pakistan. Last year, she curated the successful exhibit Desperately Seeking Paradise at Art Dubai, which featured works by contemporary Pakistani artists Farida Batool, Faiza Butt, Sophie Ernst, Duriya Kazi, Naiza Khan, Huma Mulji, Imran Qureshi, Rashid Rana, Ali Raza, Mohammad Ali Talpur and Anwar Saeed.
According to Hashmi, the exhibit was "consciously provocative in the way it explores artist preoccupations and divergent practices today. Pakistan celebrated 60 years of its existence as an independent state in 2007; this history has been turbulent and politically fractured.
Interestingly, it is this very scenario which has bred a fertile and lively art movement that has matured in the last decade. This show reveals a sustained, self-critical panorama which is humorous, argumentative and innovative. It bristles with fresh ideas, ironic commentaries and musings on what it is to be a Muslim society in the 21st century".
One reason that this unique perspective has been fostered among contemporary Pakistani artists is due to a wealth of artist-teachers.
Outside her role as an artist and curator, Hashmi is also Dean of the recently established Beaconhouse National University's School of Visual Arts in Lahore, and for 30 years, she taught at The National College of Arts (NCA) in Lahore.
The NCA has been the leading institution in developing
Pakistani artists.
Other graduates who have been retained to teach there have included Shakir Ali (1914-1975), Zahoor ul Akhlaq (1941-1999), Naazish Ataullah, Quddus Mirza, Rashid Rana, and Imran Quereshi. Pakistan's other two prominent art institutions are the Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture in Karachi, established in 1989 and the aforementioned, Beaconhouse National University established in 2003.
In Pakistan: An Art of Extremes Hammad Nasar, a curator,
writer and gallerist based in London, and co-founder of Green Cardamom, a London-based non-profit, international arts organisation that promotes contemporary Pakistani artists, sheds light on why Pakistani art schools are supreme in cultivating the contemporary art scene. "In the absence of a museum culture and meaningful state support," says Nasar, "art schools have been the primary providers of an art infrastructure [in Pakistan.]" Nasar and Green Cardamom continue to promote contemporary Pakistani artists internationally.
Their ongoing, multi-city exhibit, with partner Third Line Gallery, Lines of Control launched in 2007 to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the partition of India and Pakistan with the goal of exploring the chaos and productive capacity of partitions through the practice of visual artists from
the Middle East and South Asia. It was at The Third Line Gallery in Dubai from January 15-February 8.
Green Cardamom hosted exhibits of Pakistani artists at Art Dubai 2009 and two contemporary artists that they represent, Sophie Ernst and Hamra Abbas were to be featured at the Sharjah Biennial.
The Sharjah Biennial is one of the most established and prominent cultural events in the Middle East, serving to connect artists, institutions and organisations and to foster artistic dialogue and exchange. Efforts within Pakistan to preserve and cultivate contemporary art are evolving. Nasar says, "Art collectives such as Vasl and
non-profit organisations such as FOMMA (Foundation for Museum of Modern Art) and VM Gallery have emerged as new platforms for artists to exhibit, and create a dialogue around their work."
He further points out that the long-awaited opening of the National Gallery of Art in Islamabad (2007) is a monumental achievement, but remains sceptical about the degree to which it will benefit the contemporary artists.
One of the most interesting and innovative Pakistani art resources is Grey Noise. Muhammad Umer Butt and Rehan B. Shah launched Grey Noise last April largely as a reaction to the lack of infrastructure (galleries and exhibition spaces) within Pakistan. It is a virtual visual art resource representing Pakistani artists that "aspires to provide the artists with resource and the viewer the opportunity to understand the importance of curatorial paraphernalia."
They have showcased work by acclaimed contemporary artists Ayaz Jokhio, Mehreen Murtaza, Fahd Burki and Amna Hashmi. Whether you want to purchase some of the most innovative and provocative art today, or are more preferential to appreciating and contemplating the deeper meaning of art emerging against the odds, contemporary Pakistani art is not to be missed.
