A different perspective: The road to nowhere

Artist Fahim Rao discusses his latest exhibition on lawlessness and lack of accountability

KARACHI: 'Shab-o-Roz', an exhibition being hosted at Koel Gallery, is an effective commentary on the theatrics that take place on the roads in our country, focusing on the state of lawlessness and unaccountability. Around two years ago, artist Fahim Rao hosted a similar display, 'Panchwaan Period'. According to Rao, his latest exhibition is a continuation of the last one.

Rao has taken a thread from his childhood to construct white sculptors bowing down as 'murghas [chickens],' a form of punishment practiced in seminaries and schools in Pakistan. Speaking to The Express Tribune, the artist recalled how it was normal to be punished as a 'murgha' when students failed to do their homework or committed some other mistake. "Kids were and are still punished like this in schools. How about those who don't follow traffic rules on roads? Who is to punish them?" he asked.

Rao's concept revolves around the concept of inequality when it comes to access to justice in Pakistan. His criticism is on the dual face of society that favours the rich who have so many resources available to them that they believe they are no obliged to follow road rules. At the same time, the poor are considered weak and are penalised for not obeying the law.

In this particular exhibition, Rao has solely made use of installations to get his point across to the viewer. Apart from sculptures, he has crafted myriads of forms made out of brass, fibre glass, stainless steel and iron. Explaining how these abstract figures represent the concept of lawlessness and injustice, he said, "You can call them as my memories." Talking about one of the brass pieces designed in concentric circles, which Rao refers to as 'moon shape', he said that it represents morning to him.

"There should be a way of penalising them, some form of punishment," stressed the artist, all the while keeping the 'murga' analogy in perspective. 'Shab-o-Roz' seems like the artist's way of describing the metropolis.

The exhibition is on display till May 19.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 10^th, 2016.