Karachi, 3 November 2022 (TDI): The third Karachi Biennale (KB), which prioritizes technology, officially opened to the public on Monday across 9 locations. Up until November 13, the biennale will be open for two weeks.
This year’s theme, “Collective Imagination: Now and the Next,” has brought together local and foreign artists to create pieces that primarily focus on the fusion of art and technology.
Nilofer Farrukh, CEO of Karachi Biennale, discussed some of the exhibits, describing how each work has its appeal and uses a variety of media and technologies to examine broad environmental issues.
Farrukh declared, “The exploration is quite hesitant. The majority of Pakistani artists in this country lack access to this area of study because new media sections in art institutions are still in their infancy.
A biennale like this encourages development at home, where artists and audiences are exposed to technology first-hand and allowed to be innovators”.
The curator Faisal Anwar picked artists who especially work with technology like Augmented Reality (AR) and similar ones. Indeed, this was clear from several works.
In a piece titled “Remembering You The City of Lights,” Austrian artist, Herwig Scherabon showed a diptych video installation of the landfill at Jam Chakro on the outskirts of Karachi.
He also displayed the ancient ruins of Bhambore from the first century BCE at the Mahvash & Jahangir Siddiqui Art Gallery at the Alliance Francaise Karachi.
Swiss artist, Marc Lee presented social media in real-time while navigating a map in his installation titled “Echolocation” at the Indus Valley School of Art & Architecture (IVSAA). The piece simultaneously informs and makes social criticism while also acting as a news aggregator.
In his VR piece “The Terrarium,” renowned UK-based artist, Shezad Dawood examined the future. The piece transports 300 years into the future and is located in the Alliance Francaise.
Asma Arshad Mahmood, a Canadian/Pakistani visual artist, curator, and jury member, praised this year’s works as great and competitive with those from other countries.
Karachi Biennale Trust
To foster innovation, originality, and critical thinking in the visual arts, a group of art professionals and educators established the Karachi Biennale Trust (KBT) in 2016. KBT is a legally recognized trust that runs as a nonprofit.
KBT has excellent ties with a community of donors as well as national and international cultural and educational institutions. The business world generously supports it.
The Karachi Biennale, which serves as a temporary museum presenting prominent artists in Karachi, is KBT’s flagship project that connects art, the city, and its residents. In order to introduce the concept of the upcoming
Biennale in educational institutions, schools, and public forums, the activities typically begin a year in advance. Exhibitions are held all around the city during the two-week Biennale, including historic sites and open spaces.
It draws tourists from all around Pakistan and overseas who are eager to view museum-caliber artwork through exhibitions, free guided tours, and artist discussions.
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