Feature Image Credits: Haya Faruqui
Karachi Biennale is the celebration of colours, diversity, innovation, and so much more is Pakistan’s largest contemporary art event.
Each Biennale revolves around a theme that is anchored in the host city and also has international relevance. This year’s theme is ‘Collective Imagination: Now and the next’ with its focus on art and technology.
Engro Corp is the lead partner of the Third Karachi Biennale (KB22), which focuses on the intersection of art and technology.
Art enthusiasts will get to enjoy 26 projects (Virtual Reality (VR), artificial intelligence, sensory, kinetic and creative computing) by 45 artists belonging from 13 countries at 9 different venues.
Curated by Faisal Anwar, this year’s preview was a display of magnificent imagination for the city to witness. The event kick-started at the NED University of Engineering and Technology.
The exhibition venues have been divided into clusters (A, B and C) with 9 different venues (cultural and heritage sites). After NED University, the next location is NJV School. It will officially be open to the public from 31st October till 13th November.
Shedding light on the selected venues, Mr Anwar said, “We wanted it to spread out as much as we can. Karachi has many cities within one city. The idea is to stretch and reach out as much as we can in diverse communities.
The other angle is: picking out heritage sites like this [NED University] one or like Hamid Mansion, Jamshed Memorial or NJV. All these buildings have a really interesting historical perspective. They contain memories and real narratives. Bringing that kind of experimental effort within that framework is a really interesting intersection — the juxtaposition of the landmark and the work itself.”
For KB III, I am inviting artists, designers, technologists, engineers, and researchers to collaborate and seek engagement with technology by galvanizing dialogue, awareness, critique and a sense of possibility. Harnessing the transformative power of technology, time, arts and the imagination, KB III will present innovative ideas, projects and practices that articulate and visualize new connections between the real, the physical and the virtual world. – Faisal Anwar
There are a number of local and international artists whose artworks were on display. Moreover, some of the art experiences and wellness workshops by these artists will leave you blown away.
KB22 Artists
The artists for Karachi Biennale 22 are:
- Alecia Neo
- Amin Gulgee
- Amin Rehman
- Andreas Lutz
- Audio Placebo Plaza
- Bilal Jabbar
- Cosmic Tribe
- Dennis Rudolph
- Giselle Beiguelman
- Herwig Scherabon
- Imran Qureshi
- Invisible Flock
- Justine Emard
- KCR Studio
- Madyha Leghari
- Marc Lee
- Nobumichi Asai
- PluginHUMAN with Lorraine Brigdale
- Rabeeha Adnan
- Rashid Rana
- Second Practice
- Shezad Dawood
- Syeda Sheeza Ali
- Soliman Lopez
- Yasir Darya
Invisible Flock, Faqir Zulfiqar & Allah Jurrio – Microtonal
Rashid Rana – It Lies Beyond
This in particular blew us away, especially when we realized that indeed the images were videos and the people in them were moving. Let us completely mind blown.
WOW360 is at #KB22
Artist: Rashid Rana
Installation: It Lies Beyond‘It Lies Beyond’ challenges the viewer’s perception of what is inside and outside, close and distant, within and without, real and fictional while bridging and dismantling these binaries simultaneously. pic.twitter.com/dALlB3Ni5F
— WOW360 (@WOW360PK) October 29, 2022
Amin Rehman – Water Wars
This installation highlights the scarcity of water which has become political and bounded by national ownership and boundaries. The Indus River Delta increases, the Arabian Sea encroaches on the sweet water of the Indus River, which is in turn polluted by our sewerage. The Karez water system in Balochistan is drying up.
River Ravi in Lahore is choked with waste. There are water mafias in different parts of the country. Water Wars addresses the changing climate in the Indus River basin regions by 2040. Like water defies the boundaries of land, video and photo meet to defy location through augmented reality through an app called ‘Artivive’.
— WOW360 (@WOW360PK) October 29, 2022
Audio Placebo Plaza
‘Audio Placebo Plaza’ is a participatory work that invites everyone to take appointments to discuss how an audio placebo could help improve their lives. Daily issues that people may struggle with can be brought to the table. Through this, a variety of audio techniques are developed to provide care. Music is made to create repair.
WOW360 is at #KB22
Artist: Audio Placebo Plaza
‘Audio Placebo Plaza’ is a participatory work that invites everyone to take appointments to discuss how an audio placebo could help improve their lives through a variety of audio techniques. pic.twitter.com/0FHxgbcFdZ
— WOW360 (@WOW360PK) October 29, 2022
These are just some of the many capturing works on display. We highly encourage Karachiites to explore their city like never before at Karachi Biennale KB22.
Stay tuned to WOW360.