Daily Times

LAHORE: AAN Foundation (Amna & Ali Naqvi) in collaboration with Lahore University of Management Science (LUMS) has introduced the first long-term of art from a private collection to an institution in Pakistan; the ceremony was held at the Suleman Dawood School of Business (SDSB) of LUMS on Saturday.

Under this intuitive called, “AAN Collection at LUMS”, 17 works from AAN collection were handed over to LUMS for public display and hung on the wall at SDSB for a year (12 months).

The works include works from modern masters like Sadequain, Guglee, Jamil Naqsh. The project also includes works of contemporary artist Imran Qureshi, Aisha Khalid, Nazia Khan, Faiza Butt and Muhammad Zeeshan.

Artists have used Oil and Canvas, Water Colour on Paper, Tempera on paper, Gouache on Wasli, Gouache on paper, mixed Media on canvas, Digital C-type print, Mixed media weave, Graphite on Sand paper, Coffee and Ink on paper and Acrylic on Canvas as a medium to express artistic approach.

A large number of renowned personalities and art lovers have participated including, Pakistani Businessman and former Finance Minister of Pakistan Syed Babar Ali, LUMS Vice Chancellor Prof Dr S Sohail H Naqvi, Ali Naqvi and Amna Naqvi (co-founder of AAN Foundation and Trustees of the AAN Collection, Chairman and CEO First Capital Pace Group Aamna Taseer, Pakistani painter and artist Saleema Hashmi, Nusrat Jamil COO Latitude PR and people from different walks of life.

Speaking on the occasion, LUMS Vice Chanellor Prof Dr S Sohail H Naqvi said, “I am delighted at this partnership between LUMS and its accomplished alumni Amna and Ali Naqvi who are bringing selected artworks from the AAN collection to the University and allowing the entire LUMS family to benefit from it over an extended period of time.” He said that LUMS would like to express their heartfelt thanks and appreciation to the AAN Foundation for enabling this landmark exhibition from the AAN Collection at the SDSB of LUMS.

Ali Naqvi said that they have received great respond and feedback from Lahoriites. We have been presented artwork in many foreign countries and now it’s time to show work in Pakistan especially for the academia sector. This artwork will help to enhance and improve the creativity, idea, inspiration and vision of students we have showcased them to at the University. He said, “We are delighted to collaborate with LUMS on this project and to share works from the AAN Collection with the public. Work from the AAN collection has been shown extensively in a prestigious institution as significant and as respected as LUMS”.

According to Amna Naqvi, co-founder of AAN Foundation and Trustee of the AAN Collection in Occula, “Culture defines who we are and if that is not shared, disseminated and hence preserved, it can get lost. Art and culture always fall prey to rampant homogenization and we felt that there were ideas, philosophies, voices and opinions that needed to be discovered and explored.”

The guests thoroughly appreciated the collection on display. Believed to be the largest and most comprehensive collection of Pakistan visual art to date, the AAN collection itself is a private collection of Asian art primarily focused on Pakistani Modern and Contemporary art. The collection consists of works ranging from third century Gandhara sculptures to works of art by contemporary artists.

Through this project, AAN Foundation has brought the global practice of providing on loan and works of art from significant collections to the public through collaboration with large and prestigious institutions such as LUMS.

The AAN Collection now comprises of over 800 works of art ranging from third century Gandhara sculptures to 17th century Mughal miniatures to contemporary artworks

The title of the collection, ‘AAN’, is derived from an Urdu word (Aan) and literally means both ‘honour’ as well as ‘a moment’. The word ‘AAN’ perfectly describes the spirit behind the collection, on multiple levels. The collection is an attempt to honour the rich tradition, creativity and ingenuity of Pakistani artists and the collectors are honoured to be the trustees of this most comprehensive collection of its time. Above all, with contemporary art at its core, it is an attempt to capture the specific ‘moments’ of history within which these artworks exist.

The AAN Collection now comprises of over 800 works of art ranging from third century Gandhara sculptures to 17th Century Mughal miniatures to contemporary artworks by artists such as Shahzia Sikander, Ai WeiWei, Takashi Murakami, Aisha Khalid, Imran Qureshi, Rashid Rana, Khadim Ali and Zhang Xiaogang. Works from the collection have been part of major exhibitions at institutions such as The Metropolitan Museum of Art New York, Belvedere Museum Vienna, Singapore Art Museum, Asia Society Museum Hong Kong, Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum Michigan, The Aga Khan Museum Toronto, The Venice Biennial, The Sharjah Biennial, The Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, MAXXI Museum in Rome amongst others.

Amna Naqvi further said that AAN Foundation focused on developing and supporting art and cultural activities in Asia with a focus on Pakistan. The Foundation also supports education and health related initiatives.

The AAN Foundation (along with its founders) have seeded and supported over 40 organizations, projects and exhibitions in the past ten years, locally and internationally.

Published in Daily Times, November 12^th 2017.