Daily Times

After the success of the first Karachi Biennale in 2017, Karachi Biennale Trust (KBT) inaugurated the Second Karachi Biennale (KB) at Bagh Ibne Qasim. As Pakistan’s largest contemporary art event, The Second Karachi Biennale KB19 presented98 instillations created by more than 100 multidisciplinary artists from over 16 countries themed around Ecology.

The event began with Ayesha Tammy Haq as the master of the ceremony as she introduced KBT Chief Executive Officer and Managing Trustee Niilofer Furrukh on to the stage. The latter welcomed esteemed guests by highlighting the importance of bringing ecology through art into the foreground followed by KB Curator Muhammad Zeeshan, who spoke about the artists and installations that are featured at VM Gallery, Karachi Zoo, NED City Campus, Alliance Francaise, Frere Hall, IVS Gallery and Bagh Ibne Qasim. Following up Muhammad Zeeshan, Mayor of Karachi Mr Wasim Akhtar extended his support for the initiative and encouraged more such activities to take place across Pakistan. Ms Bushra Hussain, Chair Person of Prize Committee distributed prizes to Rashid Rana. Following up the prize distribution, KBT team took audience members on a guided tour of some instillation that included the following artists, Usman Haque, Quddus Mirza, Sara Pagganwala, Amin Gulgee, Waheeda Baloch, Natasha Jozi, Tamrat Gezahegne, Zain Ahmed, Sheema Kermani & Qinza Najm.

The evening was attended by artists, educationalists, personalities alike including Chief Guest Mr Waseem Akhtar – Mayor of Karachi, Amin Gulgee, Atteqa Malik, Ayesha Tammy Haq, Bushra Hussain, Farzana Tunio, Imran Qureshi, Italian Consul General with Carlo Galli, Rashid Rana, RM Naeem, Shakira Masood, Stefan Winkler – Director Goethe Institut, along with Susanne Kriemann and Sacha Kaganto name a few.

Taking place from October 26th to November 12th, KB19 is supported by innumerable public and private partnerships. The Mayor and the City Government have generously made available the Karachi Zoo, Frere Hall and Bagh Ibne Qasim as venues for exhibitions. Alliance Francaise de Karachi, British Council, Goethe Institut, the Consulate of Italy and ProHelvetia Swiss Arts Council have been instrumental in the participation of artists from their countries. All other venue partners are hosting KB19 at their spaces.

Indeed, The Karachi Biennale Trust (KBT) was founded, in 2016, by a group of visual art professionals and educators as a dynamic platform to promote creativity, innovation and criticality in the visual arts. KBT -a not-for-profit organisation- has remained a citizens’ initiative supported by the corporate sector. It works closely with a network of local and international cultural, educational and philanthropic organisations.

At the opening of the 2nd edition of Karachi Biennale, a jury comprising of local and foreign members announced Rashid Rana’s art installation as the best work in the mega exhibition with 98 local and international artists with their work display at 7 different venues all over the cosmopolitan city of Karachi.

The installation unfolds in two parts; a video projection and a photo montage. In the performative video, Rashid Rana evokes reference to the iconic painting.

The event began with Ayesha Tammy Haq as the master of the ceremony as she introduced KBT Chief Executive Officer and Managing Trustee Niilofer Furrukh on to the stage. The latter welcomed esteemed guests by highlighting the importance of bringing ecology through art into the foreground followed by KB Curator Muhammad Zeeshan, who spoke about the artists and installations that are featured at VM Gallery, Karachi Zoo, NED City Campus, Alliance Francaise, Frere Hall, IVS Gallery and Bagh Ibne Qasim

Wanderer above the Sea of Fog by Caspar David Friedrich, as Rana stands amidst one of the largest garbage dumping sites in Pakistan called Kachra Khundi (located near village Jam Chakro about 20 kilometres away from the main city of Karachi). The structure of work reminds of a painting from past but it also repeats/relates to one’s own reality. Of being exposed to waste, especially in the port city of Karachi.

In the second part of the installation viewers come across a photo montage that appears to be seascape from distance but on closer inspection reveals images of trash and waste plastic bags in great numbers, giving the illusion of sea waves with pictures of sailing ships inserted within. Seascape, images of garbage and illustrations of vessels are three chapters of the same story which refers to colonialism and then consumerism that produced affluence (as well as ‘refuse’) far beyond its need or control.

Widely considered to be one of the leading artists working in South Asia today, Rashid Rana emerged in the early years of this century as the most energetic and productive representative of an entirely new kind of art from Pakistan. He has shown extensively at various at various galleries and museums in Pakistan and abroad. His works are in prestigious collections such as British Museum London, Metropolitan Museum New York and Fukuoka Museum Japan.

He is the founding faculty member and currently the dean of the School of Visual Arts and Design at the Beaconhouse National University, Lahore. Rana is a recipient of the 2017 Asia Art Award presented by the Asia Society, and was awarded International Artist of the Year by South Asian Visual Arts Collective (SVAC) Canada in 2003.