Category: In Focus
The Nation and the Modern Myth
When one reflects on the concept of the modern mythology in itself, one must turn to the seminal text of Roland Barthes dealing with this issue. Barth [...]
Disparate Strokes
Artistry, in many ways, is akin to wizardry. It is exclusive to those naturally blessed with talent and seemingly requires laborious apprenticeships b [...]
Double Entendre
For centuries, visual artists (painters, printmakers, sculptors, draughtsmen, architects) have been known to hold a parallel practice, alongside their [...]
The Cloak of Culture
In this age information is accessible with just a few clicks, experiencing virtual 3-dimensional walks through corridors of art spaces while enjoying [...]
Art Seminars and Conferences
A question I am a little too frequently asked by my students is ‘Does art really have to be talked about?’. I co-teach a course at the National Colleg [...]
The Return of the Diaspora: Some Scattered Remarks
“Diasporist art is contradictory at its heart, being both internationalist and particularist. It can be inconsistent, which is a major blasphemy again [...]
Lights, Camera, Smile!
it is a familiar scene. An exhibition is opening. Another in the turnover of exhibition openings, and openings, and openings. Friends, patrons, and co [...]
Parde Mein Rehne Do, Parda Na Uthao: Opacity and The Refusal To Represent In Contemporary Artworks In Karachi
opacity for everyone.”
Edouard Glissant, Poetics of Relation
“The veil was worn because tradition demanded a rigid separation of the sexes, but also [...]
New Voices in Art
[N.B. The following essay contains some assumptions, and many generalizations; it is based on my experiences and perceptions as a member of the Pakist [...]
Praise, Price and Prizes
Turner Prize 2013 Winner: Laure Prouvost. Installation view of Farfromwords: car mirrors eat raspberries when swimming through the sun, to swallow swe [...]