Lahore Biennials - promoting art to catalyse societal change

Dear Lahoris,

This letter is to all of you out there; the keen, fun-loving and pleasant-natured people of Lahore, once called, 'the city of the Gardens and Collages'. Frankly, your city has outlived its legacy of both. Neither your gardens blossom in that preeminent way nor do the educational institutes extend quality. But there is something unique in the city's configuration that despite the commotion of centuries has lent it a personality and an attitude that captivate its occupants and visitors alike. The Biennials, since 2018, have added to this charm. Hence, congratulations are due as you welcome the 3rd edition of Lahore Biennial. Celebrating life; art and literature has been your second nature. Biennial as a large-scale art exhibition hosted by the city, usually organised by a NFPO in collaboration with the government, museums, galleries and philanthropists is a niche event that aims to draw broad audiences. Pakistan's rising art scene, exemplified by Biennals and Art Festivals, reflects a quest for cultural self-discovery and urban revitalisation. These events empower artist communities, positioning art as a catalyst for societal transformation and embodying the vision of a much sought-after naya Pakistan, facilitating expression and awareness and empowering communities to own public spaces. Formal art spaces giving way to public venues reflect a shift in the role and status of art within society promoting social harmony, peace and tolerance.

LB-03 focuses on ecologies and a sustainable future; ENVIRONMENT, POLLUTION and DEGRADATION. For those who seek the meaning Of Mountains and Seas, it is about the prevailing situations, societal settings, toxic behaviours, ruthless upbringing, directionless education and perhaps the disgrace and humiliation of mankind. It is about ignorance of history, deception of development and the end of civilisation. LB-03 offers impactful projects that engage both creative practitioners and the broader public. To effectively cultivate civic awareness, the event moves beyond passive observation, embracing participatory, inclusive and interactive approaches. The beekeeping workshop at Nasir Bagh is one example. You can live the National Geographic experience. An otherwise bland Orange-train ride, from the GPO, introduces the commuter to splashes and splatters in Blue; colour of life and existence, reminders of which are given at intervals until you reach the Shalimar Gardens. At the garden complex, the artworks co-exist in perfect harmony with the celebrated Mughal aesthetics. They revitalise the inherent elements of light, water, plants, fragrance and music of Shalimar in contemporary idioms. Studies of snow-clad mountains done in traditional inlay technique, abstract in nature, perfectly resonate the white marble of the terraces where once the emperor indulged in the pleasures of a utopian paradise conceived in terms of the symmetry of a chahar bagh design. Kite-shaped wind chimes installed in the hall reinforce this lesson of geometry. At the Pak Tea House the artist talks of the concept of upcycling and appreciates indigenous jugaad approach towards ordinary objects. Bradlaugh Hall joins an international community to reconsider plastic bags in our lives. One can learn to become a rock and witness a river dying in the sea at Lahore Fort Stables. There, the Royal Kitchen is serving videos and installations while Akbari Mahal allows thinkers to share their experiences and stories employing visuals, light, and sound along with the silence, enigma and conundrum of the space. (Check out the LBF website for more projects.)

To the curator and organisers: The collateral events should be planned throughout the year before the Biennial for more consistent involvement of the publics else these rituals may start resembling the politics of publicity found in aesthetic capitalism at large. It goes without saying that LB-03 has surpassed its previous editions in planning, execution, relevance and clarity of the message. More power to you all and may Lahore never lose the spirit of art, adventure and learning that the biennials are all about!

Yours Bano

Nov, 24