Written by: Nayha Jehangir Khan
Posted on: November 22, 2019 | 
The Women of my Mohenjo-Daro by Jamil Naqsh (photo credits to the writer)
Islamabad Art Festival (IAF) is a powerful showcasing of cultural diversity, hosted by the enthusiastic and dedicated art fraternity of the capital. A thirteen-day art extravaganza that has multiple locations, meticulously curated art exhibitions with works that span across all disciplines including, but not limited to, painting, photography, sculpture, installations and print.
The program also has a host of music and dance performances from countries like France, China, Denmark, Turkey, Palestine, USA, Iran and Japan. A global village is forming at the heart of the city, with these iconic locations such as Pakistan National Council of Arts (PNCA) and Sir Syed Memorial being the main hubs for the majority of events and workshops.
Director Jamal Shah has orchestrated a treasure trove of national and international artists together with his passionate team. Supportive art gallery collaborators have also highlighted photography and installation art from Iran, France and Japan. The Installation artists Eliane Rutishauser and Francoise Craco are displaying their work “Unhidden Secrets” in the Mezzanine of the PNCA building, while simultaneously Elena Minaeva is showing her Video Installation titled “Frieze” at The Sir Syed Memorial.
Many writing, dance, art installations and painting workshops are being offered by various groups and artists at multiple locations. The Arts & Craft Village near Lok Virsa, has been hosting a Turkish Art workshop, teaching the dying ancient practice of Ebru painting.
Performance at the Arts and Crafts Village (photo credits to IAF)
12.0 Gallery has been hosting an artist’s residency with artist Behzad Khosravi-Noori, who is based in Stockholm and is originally from Tehran. Noori’s talk was part of the inaugural programs at the IAF. He presented his research-based art project that included films, photography and installations. Layered with elements of storytelling and contemporary archaeology, Noori explored his own personal and the collective past of his origins. Through a DIY camera, he created a series called “Roh Kitch” that is an amalgamation of documentation and commentary, to create a dialogue on identity, culture, history and cross-cultural associations of the larger diaspora.
The IAF is creating overlapping cultural crossroads by hosting evening concerts that bring together “Ava-E-Barbod” a traditional Iranian musical group with dance performances by Farah Yasmeen Sheikh, Amna Mawaz and Feryal Aslam at the Shamdan Hall, Serena Hotel. The fusion band “Rocqawal” also culturally intersects as a Pakistani and Danish collaboration with Qawali style vocals and a Danish rock band that creates its own unique musical language. A dance troupe called “Les Deformes” erupted into the PNCA stage as a surreal theatrical conversation that focused on relatable emotional language and interactive discussion with the audience.
Ava-E-Barbod (photo credits to the writer)
Moreover, IAF is focusing on highlighting art forms that are yet to be fully actualized in Pakistan, with photography exhibitions and numerous films being showcased. "Darling", directed by Siam Sadiq was screened at the Sir Syed Memorial and was followed up with an extensive panel discussion, highlighting the importance of alternative cinema. Foreign films like “Autumn” from Turkey, were screened at the Millennium Universal College for students and at the National Library, by the US Embassy.
The PNCA has several curated exhibition spaces provided to national and international artists under the supervision of Amna Ismail Pataudi, the Executive Director of PNCA. The heartfelt tribute to recently deceased painter Jamil Naqsh, can currently be seen in Gallery 1. The "Fisher Woman of My Mohenjo-Daro" brought to Islamabad by Jamil Naqsh Museum, Karachi is an extensive showcasing of some of the maestro’s last paintings.
Tanzara Art Gallery’s owner, Ms. Noshi Qadir curated a colourful array of Najmi Sura’s painting works in Gallery 3. Sura is a bold and fierce female painter, whose works are miniature styled with dramatic narratives surrounding opulence, love, relationships and ethnographic cultural symbology. Parallel to Qadir’s curation is Aasim Akhtar’s curated show “Confirmations / Contradictions - new trends in Contemporary Photography”, with lyrical figuration, strokes and movement that are mirroring modernizations of painterly language in Sura’s artworks.
Paintings by Najmi Sura (photo credits to the writer)
The cultural bridges being made in the IAF, are also present in the Art Exhibitions with the series “Pakistan Through the Gaze of French Wanderer” by photographer, Oriane Zehra being showcased next to “Japan Through the Lens” arranged by the Embassy of Japan. These photographs are scenes of daily life in both Pakistan and Japan, with both landscape and portraiture, together creating a familiarization with each country.
Pakistan Through The Gaze Of French Wanderer by Oriane Zehra (photo credits to the writer)
A string of dark abstract paintings is opposite the recognizable Goya’s “Los Caprichos” creating the show “The Critical Look” by the Spanish painter Carlos Garcia Lahoz. The two distinct visual languages of centuries past representational interpretation of nightmares and horror can be felt in the works of Lahoz.
The Critical Look (photo credits to the writer) - Carlos Garcia Lahoz
In the same gallery is the group show titled “The Eighth Garden” curated by Dr. Sadia Pasha Kamran, which is a collection of works from the Institute of Art & Culture, Lahore. It is a modern interpretation of the art & craft of Pakistan, with works that highlight the unique practice of jewelry design, ethnic embellishments and craftsmanship in a neo-colonial subversive context.
Usman Saeed's Painting at the Eigth Garden (photo credits to the writer)
The IAF is warming up for its second week, starting 25th November. There are numerous cultural happenings, workshops, talks, film screenings, music, theatre and dance performances every evening. Remember to download the schedule to keep track of the time and location; it can easily be found on their Facebook page and website. I would like to thank the Organizer of the IAF, Mariam Saleem Farooqi for her generous efforts to help us cover this mega art festival. The IAF is a gateway to the infinite possibilities for Islamabad’s vibrant art scene.
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