Karachi Art Summit to begin on March 21

More than 80 local and international artists will be taking part


Our Correspondent March 06, 2017

KARACHI: To celebrate art and bring it into public spaces, the tourism and culture department, in collaboration with Faysal Bank, launched the Karachi Art Summit (KAS) 2017 on Sunday, which will be held from March 21 till April 8.

The summit is scheduled be held at 14 separate venues, announced the curator of the summit, Mehreen Hashmi, at the launching ceremony organised at Flemish restaurant. It is the brain child of Zainab Jafri, who felt it is necessary to have such a summit for the artists to showcase their work.

KAS will host more than 80 artists, including 34 international artists. Sculptors from different cities, including Lahore, Hyderabad and Faisalabad, will also be participating in the summit. According to the schedule, three talks and five performances will be held at different venues.

The opening ceremony of the summit will be held at the National Museum on March 21 and will feature artisans and a performance by artist Amin Gulgee. The closing ceremony will be hosted by Mohatta Palace.

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With the aim to bring visual arts into the lives of the common people and encourage artists, the summit will create interaction between viewers and performers or artists. KAS will specifically focus on curatorial projects, performances, screenings and talks.

The venues where the event will be held include the Arts Council of Pakistan, Fomma Art Trust, State Bank Museum, Commune Artist Colony, Kothari Parade, Goethe Institute, Alliance Francaise de Karachi, University of Karachi, Iqra University, Frere Hall, Quaid-e-Azam House, Free Mason's Lodge, Mohatta Palace and National Museum. The venues have been chosen for their historical valye and the summit will be open to the public.

The summit also has an editorial committee, comprising four members. Addressing the launching ceremony, Faysal Bank president Nauman Ansari said KAS is a one of its kind event and he has a personal interest in promoting arts.

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"Art is important for us, just like education and health. Faysal Bank supports education and other initiatives and believes art should be promoted too," he said. He added that they have always extended their support for such events, just like they supported the Karachi and Lahore eat festivals too.

Ansari was of the view that the summit will create a lot of opportunities for young artists, who will be able to engage with the artists' community and connect with many other artists.

United States consul-general Grace Shelton appreciated the idea of the summit and said the event is an opportunity to showcase all that Karachi has. Shelton said she liked the theme of one of the talks, 'Connecting beyond boundaries', which will be held during the summit. She believes connecting beyond boundaries is what people around the world are trying to do.

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