Karachi Biennale artists enthrall audiences at London's Land Body Ecologies Fest

The Land Body Ecologies Festival, held at London, featured a performance of Microtonal, the prize-winning artwork from Karachi Biennale 2022. The collaboration between UK-based Artists Collective Invisible Flock and two artists from Badin, Pakistan, enthralled audiences and highlighted the power of music in transcending geographical borders to create exceptional and internationally acclaimed art.

A press release issued by the Karachi Biennale Trust expressed great pride for Pakistan's representation at the festival and emphasised the role of music in producing “unique and futuristic artistic expressions” of the highest global standards. The festival brought together teams from India, Uganda, Kenya, Thailand, the UK, and the Arctic to explore the deep connections between health and the ecosystem through various mediums, including performances, workshops, food, music, film, and storytelling.

The journey leading up to the Land Body Ecologies Festival began prior to the Third Karachi Biennale, KB22, held in November last year. Artists Collective Invisible Flock collaborated with Faqir Zulfiqar, a Sindhi folk musician, and Allah Jurio, a potter and one of the few living makers of the Borindo – an ancient wind instrument from Sindh. These artists have played a significant role in preserving and reviving the Borindo, a clay instrument resembling an insect's nest, “known for capturing the emotions, sorrows, and joys of the people of Sindh.”

As per the theme, the team expanded the sound of the Borindo through technology. The resulting artwork, Microtonal, took the form of an interactive, data-driven sound sculpture created from 200 Borindos. The medium incorporated microtonal notes, clay, circuitry, generative sound, and performance. Invisible Flock, an award-winning arts studio at the intersection of art, technology, and the environment, crafted an immersive environment that prompted individuals to reestablish an emotional connection with the natural world.

The unique tech-based exhibit, Microtonal, won the prestigious KB22 Engro Juried Art Prize. Facilitated by the Karachi Biennale Trust and supported by the British Council, Faqir Zulfiqar had the opportunity to travel to London in June 2023, reuniting with Invisible Flock for the Land Body Ecologies Festival.

The enchanting sound of the ancient Borindo was much appreciated in London, and so was Faqir Zulfiqar’s performance during the Inaugural Ceremony at the Wellcome Collective on June 21. Meanwhile, the art installation Microtonal was showcased at The Crypt Gallery of the St Pancras Parish Church. The chosen crypt, previously used for burials in the 19th century, was an ideal space to capture the immersive sounds of the art installation, merging harmoniously with the crypt's acoustics, atmosphere, and architecture.

Similarly, at KB22, Microtonal found its exhibition space in a 19th-century chimney room within the NED Engineering College.

The Karachi Biennale Trust, a platform promoting creativity, criticality, and innovation in the visual arts, organised the Karachi Biennale, Pakistan's largest international contemporary art forum and KBT's flagship project. Listen to Faqir Zulfiqar playing the Borindo in collaboration with Invisible Flock here.

Have something to add? Share it in the comments below.