Art exhibition: Installations, pictures represent society’s disrespect for places
Artists says it took her eight months to prepare the exhibits.
LAHORE:
An art exhibition by Saba Khan began at Rohtas 2 on Wednesday.
The artist says she spent eight months on the works for the exhibition, titled Encroachment.
Khan, a 2005 National College of Arts graduate, is displaying her work in an open exhibition for the second time.
Two pink frames of wooden chairs stuffed with polyester are placed in the centre of the hall besides an embellished jumping castle. Thirteen photographs, taken at Davis Road, The Mall, Gulberg’s Main Boulevard, Ferozepur Road and Defence, are displayed on the walls.
She says photographs of buildings with a small jumping castle lying in front symbolise ugliness and disrespect for places. She says she was very careful in choosing buildings built for use by religious minorities that had been “encroached” or modified.
The pictures show the Gosha-i-Aman Church, built in 1887, that was demolished in January 2012; prints of British Army Barracks near Mian Mir; Dawat-i-Islam Mosque on Upper Mall; Sukhah Talaab on Waris Road built in the 17th century; Bhai Ram Singh dome at Charing Cross; Jamatud Dawa Building at Chauburji; Cadet College at Kalma Chowk; some houses in Defence Phase V and some encroachments on Davis Road.
Khan says placing a jumping castle in places of historic significance or posh areas represents the society’s disinterest in upholding respect for history or a religious minority.
“The jumping castle is usually placed in a space not meant for it …In places I have pictured with the jumping castle, one can see an ugly makeover or a structure that is utterly distasteful,” she said.
For most spectators, the installations symbolised a lazy lifestyle. Some saw them as ‘rich, lazy and obese’ women with no interest in pursuing a career.
“I see these as representing high society culture,” said Saad, an art student.
Art teacher and critic Qudoos Mirza said the artist had made a sublime and indirect comment on two extremes of Lahori culture – intrusion of extremist Islam and its impact on city’s old architecture and the decadent elite culture.
He said the ‘flow of the exhibit making a joke of the elite and conveniently transiting into the digital prints’ had impressed him.
He also liked the use of foam for filling the sculptures and the ‘strong use’ of red, green and black colours to represent shades of minority Islamic sects. “We are so caught up with our busy lives that we ignore the ugly appeal our spaces have acquired with time. The exhibit makes a strong statement about the increasing disassociation,” he said.
The works are for sale and the exhibition will continue till September 22.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 14th, 2012.
An art exhibition by Saba Khan began at Rohtas 2 on Wednesday.
The artist says she spent eight months on the works for the exhibition, titled Encroachment.
Khan, a 2005 National College of Arts graduate, is displaying her work in an open exhibition for the second time.
Two pink frames of wooden chairs stuffed with polyester are placed in the centre of the hall besides an embellished jumping castle. Thirteen photographs, taken at Davis Road, The Mall, Gulberg’s Main Boulevard, Ferozepur Road and Defence, are displayed on the walls.
She says photographs of buildings with a small jumping castle lying in front symbolise ugliness and disrespect for places. She says she was very careful in choosing buildings built for use by religious minorities that had been “encroached” or modified.
The pictures show the Gosha-i-Aman Church, built in 1887, that was demolished in January 2012; prints of British Army Barracks near Mian Mir; Dawat-i-Islam Mosque on Upper Mall; Sukhah Talaab on Waris Road built in the 17th century; Bhai Ram Singh dome at Charing Cross; Jamatud Dawa Building at Chauburji; Cadet College at Kalma Chowk; some houses in Defence Phase V and some encroachments on Davis Road.
Khan says placing a jumping castle in places of historic significance or posh areas represents the society’s disinterest in upholding respect for history or a religious minority.
“The jumping castle is usually placed in a space not meant for it …In places I have pictured with the jumping castle, one can see an ugly makeover or a structure that is utterly distasteful,” she said.
For most spectators, the installations symbolised a lazy lifestyle. Some saw them as ‘rich, lazy and obese’ women with no interest in pursuing a career.
“I see these as representing high society culture,” said Saad, an art student.
Art teacher and critic Qudoos Mirza said the artist had made a sublime and indirect comment on two extremes of Lahori culture – intrusion of extremist Islam and its impact on city’s old architecture and the decadent elite culture.
He said the ‘flow of the exhibit making a joke of the elite and conveniently transiting into the digital prints’ had impressed him.
He also liked the use of foam for filling the sculptures and the ‘strong use’ of red, green and black colours to represent shades of minority Islamic sects. “We are so caught up with our busy lives that we ignore the ugly appeal our spaces have acquired with time. The exhibit makes a strong statement about the increasing disassociation,” he said.
The works are for sale and the exhibition will continue till September 22.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 14th, 2012.