Scenes from Partition recreated at ‘HOME1947’ installation

Exhibition by Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy to continue at Dolmen Mall till January 15

KARACHI: Two-time Academy Award winner Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy is showcasing an immersive exhibition titled ‘HOME1947’ for the second time in Pakistan at Dolmen Mall, Clifton in Karachi. Following a phenomenal response to the installation at the Heritage Now Festival in Lahore, HOME1947 will be open to public till January 15.

The exhibition was first showcased at the Manchester International Festival earlier this year. The installation was co-commissioned by the British Council as part of its initiative to celebrate 70 years in Pakistan and its work to strengthen cultural ties between the United Kingdom and Pakistan.

‘HOME1947’ is a deeply personal exploration of the lives and stories of the millions of people that were displaced during the partition of the subcontinent. Through a series of short dramatic and documentary films, a gallery installation and a reimagining of a century-old house, recreating the long-lost sights, sounds and smells of what millions once called home, it explores a world not through the words of historians and politicians, but through the eyes of those who lived through it.



“As you walk through the installation, think about the journeys people made, the conversations that were interrupted, the broken friendships and promises, the playgrounds children left behind, the empty corridors of their homes and those suitcases of memories locked away forever,” said Chinoy at the opening of the exhibition.

British Council Pakistan’s Sindh and Balochistan Director Christopher Hunt said, “HOME1947 has really moved audiences and its opening at Dolmen Mall is a testament to our efforts to make this powerful experience accessible to as many people as possible.” He added that the people of Karachi will appreciate and embrace the nostalgia that ‘HOME1947’ offers.