The contribution of Nilofar Akmut to this year's Lahore Biennale’s edition provided an introspection into the artist’s own practice of engaging wider
The contribution of Nilofar Akmut to this year’s Lahore Biennale’s edition provided an introspection into the artist’s own practice of engaging wider community which defied borders while underscoring the significance of artworks made from salvaged materials and techniques through a number of workshops. Apart from these community-based interactive sessions and their by-products, Akmut’s project consisted of video installations and collaborative works from global creative practitioners.
The video installation titled “Plus Minus One” offers a compelling exploration of contemporary issues, combining a non-linear performative narrative with elements of experimental film. In this work, Akmut utilizes her works to draw inspiration from satellite imagery provided by the European Space Agency, which captures the profound impact of human development on the environment. These images serve as a stark visualization of the progression of civilization and its dire consequences on global warming, underscoring an existential threat that humanity imposes on the planet.
Screening alternately to it, Water Water is a compelling film compilation resulting from the collaborative efforts of five international artists (Anca Dimofte, Reiko Aoyagi, Nilofar Akmut, Sakunthala Galanga, Farida Batool) of coral reefs, underscoring the fragile balance of underwater ecosystems and the urgent need for conservation efforts. Another film portrays the haunting aftermath of a tsunami, capturing the devastation it inflicts and the resilience of communities that work to rebuild their lives.
The series also explores the complex relationship between humans and wildlife, emphasizing the fierce competition for dwindling water resources that threatens both. One film specifically addresses the destruction of a lake’s ecosystems, illuminating the biodiversity lost due to pollution and climate change. The compilation culminates with a powerful visual narrative focused on melting glaciers, drawing attention to the critical implications of climate change on freshwater sources.
In addition to the films, the compilation is interspersed with “Activist Insights,” which are video summaries of discussions from the Re-Use Re-Work Re-Consider exhibition and workshop held at NCA, Lahore, in October 2023. Her body of work was displayed in the YMCA, Mall Road which is perceived as a testament
to inclusion in differing communities. Akmut also designated a space to showcase the prints made from salvaged material in several workshops conducted at the Department of Printmaking at the National College of Art, Lahore, and Hausprint and Morley College, London for a year. The first pitch of the project was grounded in the city of Lahore where Akmut worked with the students of NCA. They were given to research any aspect of climate change of their choice and to visualize their findings on sustainable materials through techniques of printmaking. Simultaneously, the student body at Morley College in London researched the materiality of sustainable surfaces and explored the implications of their content
rather than its durability. For the final stage, the prints collected from both cities were given in the custody of Sakunthala Galanga who is also a collaborator in the project in Sri Lanka. Galanga attached a local artisan to each of the prints produced in the precursory workshops to embroider upon them according to their interpretation of the artwork. This practice not only provided grounds for artisan’s inclusion to broaden the boundaries of the creative community but also extended the dialogue concerning diversity by bringing citizens of three localities i.e. a provincial city, a metropolitan city and a village, on the same plane.
