Connecting beyond boundaries through art

Speakers discuss significance of art and internet in helping people to connect

KARACHI: To grasp culture and cultural movement, we need to live in the genre of contemporary art, said media artist and curator Patrick Lichty on the second day of Karachi Art Summit on Thursday.

Lichty was addressing the audience through Skype at a session, titled 'Connecting Beyond Boundaries', at Goethe Institut, Pakistan. The experts at the event discussed how internet, social media and mainly art play a significant role in connecting people beyond boundaries.

Speaking at the session, Lichty shared with the audience how he understood the virtual world better when he moved to Sharjah recently. Referring to the growing use of social media in Pakistan, Lichty said that people need to move beyond using Facebook.



"Internet is redefining the global sphere and it channels our personal relations," Lichty said. "Facebook is giving free airtime to Pakistani consumers but you don't find the clear roots of colonialism in there. [Internet] is mainly an American invention. I wonder what it would have been like if [Pakistanis] invented it."

"There are dangers surrounding the world of internet but it offers freedom and space to mediate as well," said Jeroen Van Paassen, who is a curator. Paassen added that internet is where everyone creates social structures and has conversations.

He was of the opinion that what happens on internet affects the artists because they share their work on social media for the world to see. Paassen added that what they are dealing with in the virtual world are big issues of life.

Goethe Institut, Pakistan, Director Stefan Winkler spoke about how art connects the people. "It was through projects of Marvi Mazhar's Pakistan Chowk and German Miro Creamer researching on Cords of Desires project that one understands the Baldia factory tragedy," Winkler said.

Addressing the audience, Dutch Ambassador Jeannette Seppen said that internet is really the key to life and to address issue of human rights. "We at the Dutch Embassy in Islamabad are actively promoting and protecting human rights. The art we see is to promote it in an active way," Seppen said.