STORIES WE TELL
A Project by Beaconhouse National University (BNU), School of Visual Art and Design (SVAD) Center for Culture and Development (CKU) Lahore Biennale Foundation (LBF)
Edited by Rabeya Jalil and Bilal Sami Published by the Beaconhouse National University School of Visual Art and Design, SVAD ISBN 978-969-7716-00-5 STORIES WE TELL Printed in Lahore, Pakistan Topical Printers, Street no.2, Attari Industrial Estate, 18-KM Ferozepur Road, Lahore-54670, Pakistan
Cover photograph by Ahsan Asghar
A Project by Beaconhouse National University (BNU), School of Visual Art and Design (SVAD) Center for Culture and Development (CKU) Lahore Biennale Foundation (LBF) Designer: Ali Murtaza Editors: Rabeya Jalil, Bilal Sami Edited by Illustration Designer: Komal Naz Rabeya Jalil and Bilal Sami Editor, Talking Stories: Mina Arham Contributor, Talking Stories: Nour Aslam Video Content Specialist: Waleed Zafar Video Content Specialist: Jawad Hussain Photography: Ahsan Asghar, Zeeshan Khalid TABLE OF CONTENTS
Rashid Rana: Foreword Storying The City page 7 page 27
About 100 Multi-Colored Stories page 9 page 81
Rabeya Jalil: Educators as Storytellers Talking Stories page 11 page 107
Bilal Sami: Today I Had to Talk About Freedom Of Fables, Rhymes & Songs page 13 page 133
Quddus Mirza: Stories We Store & Restore Project Team page 14 page 150
Adnan Madani: A Choir of Fictional Voices: Contributors The Allegory of the Public page 156 page 17 Acknowledgements H.M. Naqvi: Podna Podni and Other Stories: page 158 Thoughts on the Moral Mode of Storytelling page 20
Durriya Qazi: The Truth About Stories Is That’s All We Are page 23 FOREWORD
The School of Visual Arts and Design (SVAD) at BNU Stories We Tell is an integral part of a four-day was established in 2003. In the past decade, the school Symposium in December 2016. The project will has ushered in a new era in the way art and design are culminate in an Exhibition and a finale artSPEAK practiced and understood. Beyond the several degree seminar that will feature discussions with eminent programs offered at SVAD and which are designed to writers (including our publication contributors), encourage a progressive approach, it has been our aim educators and artists to reflect on the audio-visual to engage in activities that explore alternate means of stories collected during the course of the project. knowledge dissemination and thus seek to expand the very notion of education. Stories We Tell is a project in Rashid Rana the same direction that takes the SVAD vision beyond Project Director, its walls. It is a project that sees the entire city as a Dean, SVAD classroom and turns all its participants into teachers and students simultaneously. The case for supporting artistic endeavors in Pakistan The Vice Chancellor, BNU, Mr. Shahid Hafiz Kardar, is not an obvious one, particularly at a time when has been extremely supportive in facilitating this the country is ravaged by poverty, disease, natural project. Lahore Biennale Foundation (LBF) happened disasters and conflict. Yet one could also argue that to be a natural partner. Its involvement added supporting the Arts has never been more important tremendous value to the project’s smooth progression than in turbulent times. Investing in the arts and and audience interaction. The team’s expertise of humanities helps build tolerant and humane societies, public programming and social media outreach an aspect we ignore only to our peril. made the project visible and accessible to a wider community. The Lahore Biennale Foundation is grateful to our partners, the Centre of Culture and Development Bilal Sami, with his background as a filmmaker, (CKU), a self governing institute under the Danish storywriter and producer, proved to be the perfect Government and Beaconhouse National University, team lead. The project, for him, began with a School of Visual Art and Design (SVAD) for coming commemoration of the idea of listening to Cassette together to create a dialogue between various Kahanis back in the day, and has taken it to a communities around Lahore with “Stories We Tell dimension that explores and expands the definition (Aao Sunnayein Kahani)”. A special thanks to Rashid of storytelling in a broader sense, providing the public Rana, Dean of SVAD, for his hard work in creating with means to voice their concerns, views and ideas. He a space for the arts in our public narrative, and to saw the project through, assured and assertive, form its Qudsia Rahim, Executive Director of LBF, for her conception to its planning and execution. efforts to create a sustained conversation between the Public and the Arts in line with the Foundation’s The initiative was designed to give it a life beyond its vision. end. An enhanced website for the project, housing the recorded conversations, will operate for the next two Osman Waheed years. This publication is an attempt to develop an Chairman, LBF academic resource with meaningful outcomes, rather than serving as a mere archive of activities. It features notable writers and critics who have interpreted a selection of stories and have deliberated on various aspects of storytelling. Our project team has earnestly reflected on the project process, analyzed its outcomes and has created a section of this book as a resource of public testimonies and narratives.
7 ABOUT
Stories We Tell: Aao Sunaiyein Kahaani
Stories We Tell ‘Aao Sunayein Kahani’ is an audio/ As part of this initiative, educators and visual storytelling project of The School of Visual undergraduate students from the discipline of Visual Art and Design (SVAD) at Beaconhouse National Communication Design at SVAD, BNU, collaborated University and the Lahore Biennale Foundation with the Mirasi community (the gatekeepers of the (LBF), made possible with the support of the Centre musical storytelling tradition in Punjab) on short for Culture and Development (CKU). narrative videos/animations that aimed to give a voice to the community’s take on storytelling as well as their The art of conversation and storytelling has played profession’s interaction with it. an important part in suturing together the cultural fabric of South Asia. This was how, for the longest The project culminated in a symposium that consisted time, histories were transferred between generations, of panel discussions and presentations by various survival narratives were created, exchanged and thinkers, practitioners and academics, along with a passed down generations, and instructional anecdotes final exhibition of audio-visual stories and a musical to sustain everyday life were passed on. The act of performance titled Loki Kehnday - a collaborative listening and hearing created collective wisdom and performance between musicians from the Mirasi a sense of commonality between classes and across community and the renowned vocalist Ali Sethi. social divides, thereby sustaining intercultural and interclass dialogue.
With public spaces becoming more and more stratified and co-opted by specific classes, the interaction between classes has become minimal - most of it happening in a space where the power and class dynamics dictate how stories will be shared, as well as who will tell and who will listen to them.
Ao Sunnayein Kahaani aims to bring conversational storytelling and sharing back to common public spaces in the hopes of making the act of storytelling and experience-sharing a democratic one.
For several months twelve storytelling booths (shaped like rickshaws) were placed around the city, with the purpose of recording and disseminating stories and conversations. A defining monthly theme that encapsulates a particular aspect of Lahore’s quintessential everyday life dictated not only the locations at which our storytelling booths were placed, but also the narrative theme of the stories being played and recorded.
These themes were also used as trigger narratives for discussion and conversation sessions. The sessions titled artSPEAK, were focused on themes that emerged from the project and invited academics, thinkers and practitioners to contribute to a discussion.
9 EDUCATORS AS STORYTELLERS Rabeya Jalil
Tales and oral histories become the carriers of cultural of storytelling (qissa-khwani) as a method for exchange codes, morals and values. A story told, therefore, is of ideas. We, a group of art and design educators, a representation of a community - or an image of it. wanted to connect stratified and insular communities Baudrillard’s (1988, 170), interpretation of an image is of Lahore with each other by facilitating an engaged, that “it is the reflection of a basic reality, it masks and innovative process of dialogue and eventually examine perverts a basic reality, it masks the absence of a basic the art of storytelling in public spaces. During this reality, it bears no relation to any reality whatever: eight-month project, twelve storytelling booths were it is its own pure simulacrum”. Thus, a story as an placed around the city to record and broadcast stories image becomes an interpretation of an experience. and casual conversations. In the earlier part of the This story then becomes fiction; one account as one project, a particular theme representing a stereotypical perspective. Over time, many such narratives tend image of Lahore, guided the locations of the booths. to store information, contextualize knowledge and As the project evolved, the process of storytelling flatten, or simplify, reality. Local, indigenous wisdom became a play of free association; people listened to and survival guides are created and carried across a story or monologue on the interactive recording generations through informal ways of sharing. screen in a storytelling booth and recorded a story in response to it. They picked any aspect of the recorded Formal schooling tries to do the same. talk and used it as a stimulant to share an anecdote, incident or news that connected with its context. School of Visual Art and Design (SVAD) at the We recorded about 8000 narratives from twelve Beaconhouse National University (BNU) in storytelling booths placed across a range of socio- collaboration with the Lahore Biennale Foundation economic settlements in Lahore every month. The (LBF) and the Center for Culture and Development broad themes that emerged as a result of these virtual (CKU) partnered to create Stories We Tell, an conversations were gender, language, semiotics, audio-visual storytelling project, to create a crossover religion, minority, government, humor, prejudices, between communities, by offering a space for patriotism, food, festivals, education, literature and exchange of ideas and virtual conversations. film.
While preparing a retrospect for Stories We Tell, The data gave way to an understanding of how anything and everything I thought of eventually people responded to a virtual or hyper reality, converged to one thing: Education. Watching while making connections with a digital interface academic TedTalks, reading research papers and and recording themselves in a space that looked observing teachers has led me to believe that educators like a rickshaw. Soliciting responses through free and academics are in a way, disciplined storytellers. association and arbitrary conversation at a mass They curate their words, pauses, ideas, sounds (voices) level and then analyzing the stories that emerged, and gestures in a classroom or in front of an audience exposed Lahore in a unique way. Free association is to generate responses, solicit dialogue, contextualize a cerebral process where an image or word suggests knowledge and facilitate learning. another, spontaneously and without reservation. This psychoanalytic system originally devised by So what did this one-year initiative have to offer in Sigmund Freud involving a connection without terms of knowledge creation? Like any initiative, this conscious effort or logic gives way to an investigation project had a set of objectives and projected outcomes of the unconscious or subconscious mind, and hence and subsequently, a sequence of planned strategies becomes a way to solicit candid responses from the to achieve them. Our impetus behind Stories We city through a series of prompts; to observe how Tell (and as rhetorical as this may sound) was to people connect to other people’s stories, how they revitalize the historic, regional and indigenous form articulate their immediate concerns, and how they
11 TODAY I HAD TO TALK ABOUT FREEDOM Bilal Sami sketch their reality. “Today I’ll talk about freedom” says the young adult The sermon verses the confession. The mind verses in Urdu, adjusting his sitting position. He fidgets. the heart. All present in one short 90 second clip. All Although we imagined this to be a story telling His eyes dart in all direction and he talks in a didactic authentic. All true. Representative in some small way experience, the participants tended to record monotone that, after watching thousands of these at least thematically of the length and breadth of what anecdotes that were didactic, moralizing and recorded stories, has become all too familiar to me constitutes collective wisdom. preaching. These prescriptive clippings subtly as the preferred tone that a large part of Lahore’s disclosed the city’s anthropology, especially revealing citizenry considers normal. The stories (which is a word we have used in this what people had to share when they were voluntarily project to encompass stories, anecdotes, narratives and in front of a camera. Another way to criticize, or “I’d like to say that freedom is a blessing and only the memories) we collected are colored by the paradoxical justify, the abundance of one kind of data, could be lucky get it. We should talk to those who are not free. nature of confessions. Unless it is to oneself, the to re-look at, and be skeptical of the stimulants or Pakistan is a free country. But I want to say something. authenticity of what is said depends on a host of environment provided in the booths. These booths To get real freedom…” he drones on ad nauseam about factors including the setting, the perceived audience, could be metaphors for schools and classrooms. how happy he is about being in a free Islamic atomic the provocation or trigger, and of course the subject. Effective learning happens only when the right kind state. Unaware of his lack of charisma, unprepared The results we have seen are therefore naturally of prompts are created. Institutional curricula are for this sudden assignment and unencumbered by the varied, multifarious and expectedly non-uniform in developed this way. Developmental goals are set need to say something original, the young man layers the way human stories and experiences are supposed keeping in mind the enduring ideas and the 21st on the jingoism until he runs out of steam. to be. century skills to sustain life. One of those key skills or enduring ideas is the art of making connections in And then something magical happens. A wry smile What was unexpected was not the substance of the an age of endless information, to understand people takes over his face for a fleeting moment and in a recordings but a peculiarity in the way people chose and the notion of reality better and to respect and hushed tone he adds ‘Can I tell you a secret? I think to address the camera. Using a tablet in a booth to accommodate difference of opinion. I’ve fallen for a girl here.’ The confession is honest broadcast and record stories is of course a uniquely and unexpected, and the boy finally looks like the twenty-first century take on collecting spoken Stories We Tell facilitated interaction across vulnerable, young, very human Lahori that he is. narratives - a method devoid of immediate human communities. It called to attention the importance of contact, yet comfortably familiar to even the least tech asking the right kind of questions to shape learning, to Then his eyes start to wander away from the camera. savvy of the city. develop meaningful narratives and to rewire orthodox His face visibly dons a look of concern as he realizes structures of knowledge creation and dissemination; what he has just said. This was clearly not part of But this electronic buffer between the listener and all this to eventually develop effective curricula and the planned narrative. His mind jumps into action the teller triggered a sort of non-inclusive speak that resources for education. The art of monologue, or and suddenly… he starts singing “Yeh watan hamara is just as new as the gadgetry being used to record it. a conversation then becomes crucial. The stories hai. Hum hain pasbaan is kay…’. This most familiar People often started their recording with pleasantries we receive, the stories we deceive and the stories we of nationalistic anthems ends this young man’s aimed at the public at large and presupposed a large perceive, ultimately converge into the stories we tell. recording. listening captive audience - the result no doubt of an overactive electronic media landscape. People In one year of taking around our dozen storytelling also tended to be far more comfortable narrating and recording booths (that look like rickshaws) to external and collective narratives rather than personal different public spaces in Lahore, this is one of my experiences. And perhaps most surprisingly, people favorite stories we have collected. Not just because presumed that the narrative being recorded will it is funny or unexpected, which it decidedly is on somehow end up with the entity (the government or both counts. But because it bridges a gap between the media usually) that they were addressing, despite the dichotomies that are emblematic of the Lahori explicitly being told that the stories will only reach experience. The rehearsed versus the spontaneous. people like themselves. Masculine posturing versus youthful vulnerability.
13 STORIES WE STORE & RESTORE Quddus Mirza
Books, perhaps were invented by married couples: and amnesia. To him the power of state operates to about the number of early listeners of Homer’s tales? all the ammunition, weapons and nuclear devices People, who preferred to keep their independence, delete and damage the memory of a public, while to Or the audience of Shakespeare’s plays? A handful one is not too optimist about the future of a nation, privacy and individuality intact, because books suffice retain memory is a means to resist the institution of may be, but due to the power of narrative, their texts any nation, that thrives on the rhetoric of identity, a nice and undeniable excuse – or right for an exclusive oblivion. Something possible through story or history. survived time and territories and are now part of world nationalism, and patriotism. In that atmosphere of space, in spite of all sorts of domestic demands. Not Because both history and story (two similar sounding literature. Solely because every person can identify confining human beings in ethnic, linguistic, cultural only do books take a person away from his immediate terms) in their nature refer to the past - a past, that with a text that tells the episodes from a Greek hero’s and geographical spheres, literature helps to free a surroundings, they also elevate a human being from once penned down, cannot be altered no matter how voyages; a Danish prince’s self doubts; the tragedy person. Even though a story is communicated in one his own self. A reader submerges in a story to an extent unpleasant or unacceptable. However, a human being of Italian lovers; or the case of a Venetian merchant. language, and in a sense is bound to that tongue, it that he merges with the main protagonist, immerses in possesses the power to reconstruct a new past: an Incidents, encounters and interactions between a few transcends it through translation. Imagine if there were the narrated events, experiences the unseen, unheard amalgamation of dream and reality, a combination of individuals can become narratives others can relate and no translators in this world, how limited our exposure locations, hence each turn of the page is a twist in his desires and failures – in/through fiction. Since stories – associate with. and experience of literature (and the world) would own fate, and its only after the book is finished that he in whatever formats they are, form the personal history be, having read only what is produced in one’s own returns to his time and space. of an individual, therefore everyone who breaths, In that sense everyone amongst us is an author as language. speaks (even if their has never been trained in the skill well as a reader of their life. Told in words often not A piece of fiction works as magic, it transforms the of reading or writing) is still able to create and convey formulated in a professional scheme, but full of Artists also work as translators. They convert their reality of a person into something imagined by another a tale; and interestingly after the popularity of blogs, passion, imagination and fascination. People coming visual experiences, observations and ideas into images, human being: the author. Our ancestors in prehistoric there is hardly a difference between a professional to various booths installed in the city and recording into tangible forms. The process of art making presents times started telling stories, since this craft did not author and an individual with something to say. their stories is a way of believing in the sanctity of an interesting series of chain actions. A creative person require any other prop or tool but the medium of voice the word and in the power of imagination. The act of thinks (and thought as we know is clad in words) and and the material of imagination. Probably the earliest If everyone has a story to tell, fabricate or forge, narrating a story, whether based upon facts or fibs, then transforms his concepts into pictures, which once form of language (mankind’s greatest invention) had then what about truth? After reading newspapers, empowers an individual in communicating with the observed, are perceived through words, or discussed no other structure than the story telling. Thus today, watching news channels, going through social media world. Like a visitor or tourist who scratches his name and described in text. So no matter how far we reach in when a child begins to speak, he starts sharing simple one wonders about those interested in truth. But what on historic monuments, or on tree trunks - satisfying our attempt to liberate the realm of pictorial art from facts and events by weaving them into tales. Even the is truth any way? The distance or difference between the urge to be noticed by others and attain immortality language, we do end up in this web of words. Along mere presence of verb indicates the origin of story in truth and fiction hardly matters because every piece – a story told by an ordinary citizen has the potential with this link of language and art, a number of artists the structure of language. of truth is actually an individual’s statement and what to make their life longer, even after he/she leaves this are producing works with strong and predominant we perceive as fiction may be used to understand and world. narrative elements. Images that refer to stories which Intizaar Hussain, the grand man of Urdu literature assess the reality of a milieu. History books are works like blood, have been circulating in our veins. In pointed out that story telling was a way of combating of fiction, whereas history of an era and area can be Like all arts, the art of telling tales is a way of that league, the art of Tassadaq Suhail is significant night and to overcome the danger of unknown animals deduced through the literature of that time. prolonging one’s life and fighting against death. If for various and obvious reasons. His inclusion of associated with darkness. In ancient times groups of recalled, one of the most widely referred tomes of narratives is not merely a pictorial necessity, but an people circled around fire, which provided light and However a greater question arises on the distinction tales, The Thousand and One Nights, essentially is a attempt to bring the visual closer to the verbal. Apart kept beasts and frightening creatures (both real and between a ‘writer’ and an ordinary person with a story, young female’s attempt to survive death. By imagining, from the relevant detail about the painter being a short from the realm of imagination) away. Thus art’s earlier nurturing his tale for a long time like a precious item. fabricating and recounting a new story each night story writer, his way of approaching reality – like his – the earliest, function was to survive and to resist The division between an author and an ordinary for two years eight months and twenty-eight days contemporary Intizaar Hussain - to look at the world the forces of darkness. This device helped in forming storyteller is about the size of the audience. A writer Scheherazade managed to postpone impending threat through the lens of fables. This screen of fable is not a collection of human experience, imagination, who prints his work reaches millions, while an – forever, by converting Shahryar, the king who used to feeble, but provides a reference point to recognize fascination and fantasy into a corpus that served to see individual who is not in the business of literature can kill each night a newly wed virgin, from this cruel act whatever is happening in front of our eyes as part of a one’s limited life short in the context and comparison communicate with a few - people of his acquaintance into believing the magic of fiction. bigger, universal and eternal script – in which we are of generations lived centuries ago. and from his immediate surroundings. merely participants without our consent or knowledge. So if fiction had rescued a medieval maiden, it Perhaps the biggest proof of this mysterious plan is Milan Kundera in The Book of Laughter and Do we determine the worth of a piece of fiction on the can also save several in the third millennium. our birth. We are born in a language, race, religion Forgetting reflects on the conflict between memory basis of its receivers/readers/consumers. Who knows Particularly, societies with suicidal streaks. With and nation – purely by accident, yet we support, fight
15 A CHOIR OF FICTIONAL VOICES: THE ALLEGORY OF THE PUBLIC By Adnan Madani and often annihilate others (through our words or other. Infusing multiple meanings in a singular event, 1. – from the university lecturer in Art Theory to the weapons) for defending these – chance obligations/ narrative; as well as striving to find meaning regardless immigrant builder, all are welcome, and the only associations. of whether it is a written word, spoken expression A recording device left in a public space: a park, a thing preventing such perfect communion between or image made in a physical form. Whether stories, museum, a square. Interactive touchscreens and art and its potentially unlimited public is class Apart from these points, posts or pegs of identities, histories, gossip or a set of beliefs, every human being microphones in booths inviting visitors to record their convention or social restrictions. This belief, rooted other matters such as meetings, encounters, love regardless of class, age, profession, race, language or voices, memories, stories, ideas. Walls to be painted in the remarkable Victorian ideals of munificence affairs, fateful events and death are usually considered religion, has to tell a story – from his birth to death. over with the drawings, graffiti and confessions that gave birth to the modern museum, is not exactly beyond any plan, but every step in our life is maybe And it doesn’t matter if we follow the technique of passing people. ‘Become visible’ is a command democratic - relying as it does on enormous public already devised, designed and designated without our of cinematography or the tradition of narrative today, a burden as much as a freedom and ‘Speak’ and private investment in projects devoted to a very awareness or control. Many a times when I am at home description, at the end it is human contact (if not the is an even more impossible imperative perhaps select kind of public education - but is in line with the thinking about a friend, suddenly the phone rings content) that connects generations, and creates new than ‘recite’: prophets have the benefit of eternal common view that culture is something ameliorative, and the person calling is the same that I was thinking layers of meaning in these fables – like we do everyday, texts and revelation. The untethered, stammering which works at the level of raising consciousness about. This has happened so many times, now it all the time, everywhere, in our feeble existence. ordinary voice is commanded, recorded, classified, and unifying people, questioning accepted truths to ceases to surprise or perplex me. I feel that, like the stored – and then what? Where do these voices go? replace them with refined inquisitiveness and so on. Internet, there may be another networks which joins Will they become ghostly like the first gramophone I will refrain from spending too much time pointing people beyond their consent or comprehension. These recordings, or the first photographs; will they out just how limited such a view of culture or art is: connections can be built in terms of space or in terms one day become uncanny and so transcend their it should be clear that there is very little room in this of time. For years I felt that people who lived prior to everydayness? “My name ¬¬ – is Gauhar Jaan” comes universe for work that is violent, difficult, obscene or recording devices, have lost their words – as they spoke to me over the reproduced crackle of an early cylinder incomprehensible. There is, in short, no space for the initially, originally and really; but who knows that in recording, algorithmically dulled on the Internet, kind of modern or Modernist art and literature that the future we may have a machine that may retrieve yet provoking an instant recognition of sheer, convulsed the world in the 19th and 20th centuries and revive those lost voices. Voices of prophets, bards, embodied contingency. The new voices I hear now, (but was only seen or read by a relatively small philosophers and reformers who lived hundreds of snatches from recordings of ‘members of the public’ number of people). Violence and obscenity are now years ago and their words are documented through the around Lahore, are also meant to provoke me into an best taken to a public when they have settled into a hands of others. So what happens if we – through an engagement. But how exactly? more comfortable shape as historical events on a neat invention – re-record their voices and hear the actual timeline of linear Art History. tales: Odysseus crossing the seas, Sinbad traveling to far off lands, or Don Quixote fighting with windmills. 2. I’ve just suggested that the peculiarity of the In a sense the stories made these characters more real relationship between Pakistani art and its public and eternal than ordinary mortals. Which reminds one The engagements between the world of art and its is important: but what is this public and why does of the most respected calligrapher/painter of China, audience (or ‘public’) have become a regular feature of it need us artists and our art at all? Significantly, who according to Simon Leys lived in 3rd century BC. contemporary curatorship in many parts of the world, Pakistan has never had a developed network of None of his work has survived except in reproductions. often in the guise of outreach – a gruesome word that support or patronage for modern art outside of Yet these replications have confirmed his status as the can barely conceal the condescending bureaucracy the handful of art schools in the largest cities, greatest artist of China. that deploys it with such earnestness. In the and virtually no (successful) publicly oriented developing world, in places such as Pakistan, however, representative collection of modern art. Museums Likewise, words uttered hundred of years ago are still reaching out has a slightly different inflection than are conspicuously absent in cities like Karachi and alive, and offer a new way of looking at the world it might in London or New York or Tokyo. In the Lahore, with their massive sprawl and populations. with each new contact; because every new narrative latter instances, there is in operation a more or less Therefore, reaching towards a public has involved, encompasses a different view of reality. As valid as any benevolent idea that given sufficient effort, all art historically, bypassing accepted channels of and indeed all culture can be accessible to everyone
17 communication and enculturation: setting up in the and mobile practice and by trying out various tactics to join in a fictionalisation of their own collective “The Storyteller who Listened to Stories”. It is an midst of urban activities, addressing marginalized and strategies.” identities that must surely be exposed at the seams. It allegory of the everyday, the vernacular – and of populations (marginalized in discourse, that is), is this tremendous re-organisation, collaboration and power and resistance to power. interrupting and dividing the flows of recreational As seen by Dadi, ‘the everyday’ becomes a language confrontation of distinct forces and of imaginations activities (Islamic and un-Islamic) in parks, dhabas for art to draw on, a site for something like what that must be accounted for, and that remains and beachfronts. For a thrilling moment in the 1990’s Wittgenstein might call a ‘grammar’, a set of unexplored still. 4. it seemed that Karachi had developed something conceptual resources ultimately linked to a ‘form of of a distinct idea of contemporary art practice as life’. In opposing this everydayness to the affective Nor are these voices in any way related to ‘oral I wonder where these voices have gone. Barthes was something that happens in the midst of ordinary life, and intellectual ambitions of modernism, Dadi is tradition’ and storytelling cultures. The essence of struck by the realization that in photographs we with all the problems attendant on such an endeavor. also marking a separation from ‘pop art’ to some oral tradition lies in the inheritability of forms that can meet the gaze of dead people. Today we might A neutralization of the notion of taste allowed artists extent, and more absolutely from any kind of modern lend themselves to allegorical techniques; these stories be pricked by another realization, that the surfeit like Durriya Kazi, Iftikhar and Elizabeth Dadi and ‘sublime’ (although he does not explicitly use that or images can then be explored with a seemingly of images, voices and stories in the world represent David Alesworth to produce sensibilities that were term, it certainly follows from his stated ambitions endless yet often predictably positioned set of devices an overflowing of the archive to a point where the otherwise invisible at even the margins of culture in regarding the place of the vernacular or quotidian that reveal the constructed-ness of the narrative. The individual is insignificant, where even individual colonial and postcolonial South Asia. Something of in his practice). Here, art and history, Art History personal story or confession is the exact opposite death is no longer a punctum. There are digital files the provisional and experimental nature of this time is are all bracketed off in an act of genuine subversion, of this kind of speaking, since it is destined to be that will one day be lost, faces and sounds that will revealed in an interview where Dadi explains: the compression of the temporality of art into the lost rather than repeated and ceaselessly enriched. vanish in an immeasurable multitude of information event of its encounter. A gesture towards leaving Islamic allegory, including famous examples such even if they are in some way always there and always “We were deeply interested in urban vernacular behind the colonial chains of influence and origin, as Ibn Sina’s (and later Ibn Tufail’s) Hayy ibn accessible. The voices of a true oral tradition on the technologies — not traditional craft — but a kind it could only be a temporary one, resisting as it did Yaqzan (‘Alive, son of Awake’!), is predicated on other hand, of allegorical tales and thinly disguised of ‘plastic popular.’ This is not pop art understood in commodification or historicization in any meaningful the axiomatic understanding that true knowledge histories, point to a cosmology that is iterable, its usual sense as arising from full commodification way. In drawing on the voices of a public and non-art (Haq) must be conveyed variously to different groups reiterated and amplified across history. They are in an advanced capitalist society. But it does have a audience and their tastes, stories and imaginations, a of people, from an elite who deal in philosophy part of a firmament through which trans-historical sense of everydayness and affirms aesthetics that are counter-force to the genetic narrative of art history was to a public that understands the significance of friendships and connections can be made, rupturing frowned upon by adherents of high culture. The claim formed: an open window to let street noises drown the narratives. Indeed, Ibn Sina in his Miraj Nama the vulgar history of progress that we would otherwise is that everyday experience does provide adequate sound of the authoritative speaker inside. even ‘translates’ the famous prophetic journey be subject to. ground for artistic exploration. You draw upon your from allegorical terms to metaphysical ones, where recent past and what you experience around you, each step of the way represents a stage of increased from an urban experience full of plastic, stainless 3. knowledge. Leaving aside the possibility that there steel, lights, vernacular architectures, and print and is a majazi or allegorical Haq that is irreducible or electronic media. And from tensions of tremendous I use these metaphors of force, noise and violence unsystematizable, one is still left with the fact that the contestation in Karachi streets, disjunctive claims because I am suggesting that the kind of recording oral tradition works top down, crafted by a specialized based on commercial competition, and political, and listening that we have engaged in here is not in caste and consumed by a wider audience. religious, and ethnic divisions. The art scene was any way an enterprise that might provide insight or so much smaller then, and our projects were quite knowledge, in the way anthropology or sociology Will the circle of listeners speak to the storyteller, as new to Pakistan, so the work was all more or less claim to do. This data is not strictly organised enough she listens attentively? I am trying to imagine this experimental. An important and open question to produce patterns, nor perhaps even interesting scene, but I cannot place it literally in a possible was, how does art address this conflicted and dense enough to exercise the creative imagination. When time and space. Yet very faintly now, I begin to see experience of the city. We wanted to find some way, Pakistani artists have asked people to become it as a scene, a comical and satirical story in a larger literally with the idea of ‘chalo kaam karo’, by on-going representatives of a public, they have asked them narrative, following the venerable trope of reversal:
19 PODNA PODNI AND OTHER STORIES: THOUGHTS ON THE MORAL MODE OF STORYTELLING H.M. Naqvi
We’re born storytellers. We tell each other about Roused by empathy for the plight of the Podni, the what happened yesterday, the week before, years cat, ants and the river volunteer to accompany the ago, stories about who we are, why we are here, how Podna to the palace. But aas soon as he arrives, he is the sun traverses the sky and cedes to the moon by unceremoniously locked up in the dreaded chicken dusk. Take Dreamtime, the oral traditions of the pen by royal decree. Cool as a cucumber, the Podna Aboriginal peoples of Australia: in the orange glow sets the cat on them. The following day when he is of flickering fires, men, women and children listen to thrown in with the elephants, he releases the army tales about a mighty serpent that slithered down from of ants. They crawl up the trunks of the elephants, the stars and across the inchoate landscape to create driving them mad. Finally, the raja orders that he will rain and rainbows and underground tunnels. But finish off the gustakh parinda, - the insolent bird – the creature, known in anthropological argot as the himself. But then the Podna unleashes the river and Rainbow Serpent, did not always play a benign role: the palace is inundated. As a result, the raja pleas for it was also known to swallow tribes, whole. Indeed, mercy and releases the Podni. Presumably, they lived most epics from antiquity, whether Gilgamesh or the happily ever after. Mahabharata, the Odyssey, tend to be cautionary, didactic, fundamentally, in the moral mode of Podna Podni had resonance for me then and has storytelling. resonance for me, perhaps for us all, today: the newspapers are rife with miscarriages of justice. Indeed, we have all been weaned on the moral mode Bankrupt leaders everywhere have fashioned a of storytelling, from Cain and Abel to the Cave of sociopolitical ecosystem that routinely marginalizes the Seven Sleepers, from Aesop’s Fables to Hans the proverbial common man. It is as if the Podna is a Christian Anderson. I would listen to Podna Podni surrogate for us all. It’s as if the story is the same, but night after night - the tale of a wily, plucky, pint-sized the moral has changed. sparrow who takes on a villainous raja on cassette, until the cassette wore out and the cassette player was ∞ ultimately phased out. Recall that the Podna learns that his wife has been seized by the king’s guard The stories of the proverbial common man are because she was pecking grain in the royal estate. Our featured in a project organized under the auspices intrepid hero, not unlike Ulysses, decides to set out on of the Lahore Biennale called “The Stories We Tell.” an expedition to rescue his love. On the way he comes Video recording booths (that, it might be noted in across a cat, a colony of ants and a river. Asked about passing, recall the inside of a rickshaw) were set up in the objective of his quest, the Podna inevitably replied: different parts of the city, from the Inner City to Mall Road. One can watch people flit in and out, chattering Sarkandon ki garri bannay, do maindak jotay jain/ about shopping for groceries, clothes, about the price Raja maray podni, hum larnay marnay jain! of melons. Some use the opportunity to stand on a soapbox, expressing patriotism, religious fervor, or What earnest indignation! What fighting words! What political disenfranchisement. Indeed the “stories” a catchy jingle! that comprise the project recall the moral mode of
21 storytelling. I happened to watch, in no particular ago when a fellow thrust his card into my hand. It so the teenager accounting for the afterlife just yet? Is he often wonder about the stories we tell about ourselves. order, the following clips: happened that this guy worked at my brother’s office. parroting his austere father’s worldview? Will he rebel I wonder what really happened yesterday, the week When my brother found out, he took the fellow to in years to come? before, years ago. A teenager with close-cropped hair and large teeth task. I was very happy”; recites a surah from the Holy Book before proceeding A fair, plump, lady with expressive, kohl-lined eyes Why does the seven or eight-year-old girl’s friend to deliver a sermon on the benefits of fasting and avers her feet are sore. “I should ask my mother-in-law attempt to hush her? Is she temperamentally shy or is prayer; to press my feet,” she jokes, “or my sister-in-law, my worried that her friend has somehow said too much? An eight or nine year-old girl holds forth about husband.” As her friend laughs hysterically next to Which particular advertising campaign caused our celebrating Eid even though she’s a Christian. At one her, she adds, “maybe he might have broken my legs if flinty-eyed narrator to question the role of religion on point, her friend attempts to stop her from talking by I asked him.” Turning to her friend, she says, “I love television? Is he merely upset by ostentatious displays placing her hand on her mouth. But our storyteller you”; of piety that are characteristic of the time or is his persists, chatting about her friends, and jaunts to the A twenty-something fellow with his hair combed to epiphany causing him to question his beliefs? zoo; one side narrates a story about a lovely old woman What sort of chaos is our heavyset friend escaping A middle-aged, flinty-eyed, mustached man wearing who people would go for advice. One day some rascals in the park? Is it personal? Financial? A conflict with a cap clears his throat before wondering whether decided to put her to the test: one of them took a family? Problems at work? religion should be used in advertising on TV. “Is butterfly to her, clenched in hand. “Is the butterfly in nothing sacrosanct?” he asks; my hand dead or alive?” he asked. If she answered the Which small liberties is the dupatta swathed girl A heavyset, pear-headed character sporting a goatee former, he would let it go; if she answered the latter, alluding to? Is it the freedom to watch the birds and magenta T-shirt says that he walks in the park he would kill it. The old woman said: The butterfly’s settling in the evergreens? The sunset? Ambling men? because he needs to lose weight and considers the park life is in your hand. You can do the right thing or the Why has the flat-nosed lady become disillusioned to be a refuge from the chaos of urban life. His mind, wrong thing. The narrator sums up the moral of the with the country? Were her forefathers, her family he adds, is “refreshed” by his evening constitutional; story in the following manner: “We have ABCD. A is forced to flee at the time of Independence? A girl, face swathed in a dupatta, avers that she feels Allah, B birth, D death. In between we have C, which Did the political science student enjoy the attention of free in the park. Her friend, face exposed, chimes in: is choice.” her admirer? Will she change her mind in the days and “We see things,” she maintains, “when we are free.” weeks to come? “Whether you’re married,” the former interjects, “or ∞ unmarried, it’s incumbent upon you to enjoy small Why does the plump lady joke about her family? Is liberties”; The moral mode of storytelling does not allow for her husband a demanding oaf? Has he driven her into A broad, flat-nosed lady in white sporting manicured much latitude: the world is binary, black and white; the arms of her friend? eyebrows and a dupatta over her head declaims the Podna is good, the Raja, a villain. But real life Pakistan should not have been created: “We all lived is messy. We are both good and bad, heroes and Could the twenty-something narrator be one happily together before Independence. What have we villains. And since we are not merely narrators but the of the rascals who teased the old lady with the achieved since? We shed the yoke of colonialism but protagonists of our own stories, the stories we tell are butterfly clenched in his fist? Or did the old lady, his we now are at daggers drawn”; embellished. We prevaricate; we lie. Consequently, the grandmother perhaps, tell him this story? A political science student in purple-and-green outfit text, as it were, is as telling as the subtext. declaims that the atmosphere in parks has changed in Questions, manifestly, beget questions. Questions, recent years. “Respectable people avoid parks now… Surveying the video clips, one realizes that the story manifestly, open up possibilities. And a good story is I was at Racecourse Park with my friends not long is the storyteller: why, for instance, one wonders, is pregnant with possibility. Consequently, perhaps, I
23 THE TRUTH ABOUT STORIES IS THAT’S ALL WE ARE Durriya Qazi
At some point, we all become conscious of our lives and instantly modified by responses. own story is healing. ways in which artists today engage narrative through as a story in which we are spectators: paper boats Jeremy Hsu, Scientific American found: “Personal installation, painting, photography, sculpture, video, in a river. This needs not be a position of despair, stories and gossip make up 65% of our conversations.” Alfred Adler, an early psychotherapist, believed our and performance. For these artists, storytelling does but could be one of curiosity. One waits for the next However, written cyberspace conversations and stories earliest memories develop personal myths about not necessarily require plots, characters, or settings. confluence of events to reveal itself. Do we have have, to some extent, replaced face to face storytelling. ourselves, myths that will continue to shadow our Rather, narrative potential lies in everyday objects and agency? Can we really direct our lives when we have Not only are these stories often tailored by the desire attitudes until we face that they were finite events materials, and their embedded cultural associations.” so little authority to navigate with in this flow of to present a persona, but they lack those other clues amongst many others. At any given time, we may conversely visit an complexities we are barely aware of? such as body language, voice and tone, and expression exhibition that requires us to put on headphones that are crucially important in contextualizing the Ben Okri, Nigerian storyteller says: One way or and listen in to a conversation or sounds. The image It seems all humans have is to develop ways of story and evoking empathy. another we are living the stories planted in us early becomes a text and a narration evokes images. narrating stories with hindsight, of locating the events or along the way, or we are also living the stories we Stories We Tell is a crossing of literature and art. in some context that may be family, community, Sherry Turkle is her book Reclaiming Conversation planted “knowingly or unknowingly” in ourselves. We This collection of narratives of ordinary people professional life or largest metaphysical realities. says that while the world is more talkative now than live stories that either give our lives meaning or negate from the streets of Lahore is just that, a collection of Historians, journalists, researchers are all essentially it’s ever been, with texting, e mail, Facebook and it with meaninglessness. If we change the stories we narrations unembellished by an accompanying art attempting to find the plot of a story. Philosophers Twitter, we are not talking to each other. All of this live by, quite possibly we change our lives. work. A team of motivators persuades people to step establish theories by making an inductive leap based talking is at the expense of conversation. We’re talking The telling of a story is really a re-telling of inside a rickshaw and record a personal story of their on past observations. at each other rather than with each other. We miss out experiences. Professional story tellers, the Greek epic choice. They had no preparation time to gather their on the pauses, the interruptions, the switching from writers, the ravis, the dastan go made story telling their thoughts. Like a psychologist’s free association test, its At an individual level, some are overwhelmed, some one topic to another. art, but all creative works are essentially story telling, interesting to note what story was selected to tell: the just take it as it comes with little introspection, while just as all ordinary conversations are. This is one of first thing to come to mind? Something meaningful to others are conscious of being aided or directed by Leo Widrich writes in The Science of Storytelling the appeals of creative works: in the telling of their share with the world? Something to get off one’s chest? some higher authority: yeh sab tera karam hai aaqa ke “When we relate stories or have conversations that are personal stories, they tell ours. Some needed prompts, like the lady who related her baat abtak bani hoi hai. full of metaphor and where we can absorb expression The stories don’t even have to be real – they must regular visits to a shopping mall, while others are and preferably body language, we activate a part of the enter our imagination. Anne Marie Schimmel, in clearly anxious to share an experience such as the Why do we need to tell a story? How is it different brain called insula, which helps us relate to that same one of her lectures in Karachi, spoke of how it is young survivor of a kidnapping. from a narrative, or a conversation? experience of pain or joy... The frontal cortex (the irrelevant that Mansur Hallaj was assassinated for area of your brain responsible to experience emotions) political reasons. What mattered is that the Sufis and A story can be published, as in novels or children’s can’t be activated with phrases used in most digital the mainstream religious thinkers believed he was bedtime stories; they can be given great cultural communication” murdered for saying “un al Haq” I am God. significance as the oral Aboriginal Dreamtime or A story is ours to tell. We can decide what to select, Native American stores to be carefully passed from In the traditional sense of telling stories, we expect what to leave out, when to stop. A story is simply a one generation to the next. They may be simple stories to assign meaning and emotional significance. conduit to which we can attach meaning. accounts of the day or a summary of one’s life to a We expect to encounter a moment of truth. We want Living in a time of narratives, political, journalistic, new friend. them to deepen our lives. Stories mediate between our digital public space narratives, where anyone can have inner and outer worlds. their say, the art world has also acknowledged this A narrative occupies a larger scale: it can be the shift. Art itself ultimately hopes to be a conversation. collective cultural narrative of a people, an ideology to The narrating of a personal story gives the narrator a Art and literature have porous boundaries: illustrated be disseminated in a country, an imposed narrative by distance from the emotion of having lived through the texts, titled works, artworks that are text based and hegemonic international forces to classify the world events, rationalizes the experience, creates catharsis, audio elements to art have become familiar to the for their own purposes. is an opportunity for intimacy and sharing, that visitor to galleries. counterbalances a sense of isolation. When we re-visit A conversation is considered the most authentic form our experiences through narration, we are more likely Last year Katherine Brinson, curated Storylines at of communication as it is spontaneous, in real time to be able to move on. Psychologists say telling your the Guggenheim “Storylines examines the diverse
25 STORYING THE CITY ARCHIVING ANECDOTES FROM 12 RECORDING BOOTHS ACROSS LAHORE
During this eight-month project, twelve storytelling booths were placed around the city to record and broadcast stories and conversations. In the earlier part of the project, a specific theme that encapsulated a particular aspect of Lahore’s quintessential everyday life, guided the locations of the booths as well as the narrative of the stories being played and recorded. As the project evolved, the process of storytelling incorporated free association - allowing people to just listen to a story or a monologue on the interactive recording screen and record their testimony as a pure response (unencumbered by a theme) to the story. ALHAMRA ART CENTER
29 31 ANDAROON LAHORE
33 35 37 39 BEACONHOUSE NATIONAL UNIVERSITY
41 43 GULSHAN -E-IQBAL
45 47 JINNAH PARK
49 51 53 LAHORE FORT
55 57 59 61 LIBERTY MARKET
63 65 LAHORE UNIVERSITY OF MANAGEMENT SCIENCES
67 69 RACECOURSE PARK
71 73 THE NEW SCHOOL BSS
75 77 79 100 MULTI- COLORED STORIES INTERPRETED
Eight thousand recorded conversations were categorized and tagged into sixteen emergent themes by our video content specialists. Out of the eight thousand, a hundred interesting narratives were later shortlisted. This section analyzes and illustrates those hundred monologues.
Billions of visuals, millions of memories, thousands of people and hundreds of stories are stored in one blink. And that blink gives limitless possibilities to an individual to see things through different perspectivesv. If we see closely we realize that each story is connected to someone else’s story and we become part of a hundred other stories while living our own story. These 100 stories are not just a hundred stories of a hundred people. They are a reflection of thousands of people who are interlinked through these stories.
- Komal Naz STORY STORY CATEGORIES TONE
1 16 1 2 15 2 8 14 3
4 13
3
5 7 12
6 11
4
10 7
5
9 8 6
1 God 5 Education 9 Freedom 13 Government 1 Doubtful 5 Flamboyant
2 Language 6 Food 10 Films 14 Stories 2 Poetic 6 Didactic
3 Festivals 7 Current Affairs 11 Parks 15 Religion 3 Aggressive 7 Journalistic
4 Sermon 8 Shopping 12 Other Cities 16 Music & Songs 4 Humorous 8 Complaining
83 “ There was a time when a Rupee could get you a lot. Now even a beggar doesn’t take a Rupee.
85 We scholars,“ illiterates, doctors, thieves, burglars are all one under this FLAG
87 We don’t raise our voice against tyranny. That’sfreedom .
“PLAY FOR PAKISTAN Don’t play with Pakistan! 89 “We don’t raise our voice against tyranny. That’sfreedom . Those who do not “have the freedom to
We sell ourselves for a ten rupee bottle of juice. think, That’sfreedom . those who do not have the ability to give If that is freedom, freedom to others, then we are they can never not free! be called free.
91 Those whose expectations are minuscule, whose goals are expansive and whose countenance is “Those whose expectations are minusculeirresistible whose goals- those are expansive are the and ones that are always
whose countenance is irresistible - those are the ones that are always trying to
give something to the world.
“When man awakens his spirituality, that spirituality awakens a sense of peace and unity in society.
93 “ We are free Who says we aren’t free? But our thinking isn’t free it should change
95 “ They say that cities with populous parks often have abandoned hospitals
97 “ We’re Christian. We’re rich. We’re beautiful. Amen!
99 Humans have a choice in their lives. If they want t “ they can make a success of it. And if they want t they can wade into the quicksand of failure. The life of a butterfly is in your hands. You can kill it if you want. Or you could just let it fly away.
101 “How much of a difference is there in our story and people’s stories?
103 “ Stories are just stories. Nothing more!
105 TALKING STORIES DISCUSSIONS AROUND EMERGENT PROJECT THEMES
artSPEAK Series Project Launch: artSPEAK 1 artSPEAK is a series of conversations, presentations and At the artSPEAK launch, team members were able to discussions. As part of Stories We Tell | Aao Sunnayein give a comprehensive introduction of the project to the Kahani the artSPEAKs were meant to explore thematic public and answer pertinent questions regarding its dialogue in order to encourage and further academic implementation. It was made clear that there would be discussion about the project. Through these events no censorship, but hate speech would not be allowed, we were able to create a space where groups of diverse as it would be counter-intuitive to the objectives of the experts and professionals could come together and project. The audience responded positively to the idea express their points of view, share their narratives and of storytelling and sharing being reinvigorated in the engage in discussion. Keeping barriers of race, gender, city and expressed considerable curiosity regarding age and class in mind the artSPEAKs aimed to reach out its long-term implications; overall, the outcome was to individuals from all facets of life and with all sorts of highly positive, in terms of generating interest for the stories to tell. eventual launch. 109 Quaid-e-Azam Library The second artSPEAK proved even more successful, ART IN PARKS & as the team decided to change track and take the conversation to an outdoor location - Bagh-e-Jinnah, PUBLIC PLACES a park easily accessible to the general public. An artSPEAK 2 effort was also made to keep the discussion bilingual to make it more accessible. The panel consisting of cultural practitioners and academics first spoke about the importance of public spaces in Art. Project team members then talked about the connection between this discussion and the project itself - all the while inviting the audience present at the space to participate and be part of the discussion. A steady number of at least 50 people were present at all times for the discussion, with several dropping in and out, exceeded expectations.
Farida Batool: Umar Hameed: Rabeya Jalil: Maryam Zulfikar:
Working in the public space is the most direct Engaging with the Mirasi community for the Public Art is able to narrate the history of Public space itself is an illusion, as the form of engagement with a varied audience, project and going into their space allowed the society over time. boundaries of it change all the time according to which allows one to tackle wide-ranging students to go into the field and learn about how how it functions, with the functions itself being concerns. art is practiced in the public space. determined by a number of factors. Thereby, the definition of public art is also flexible.
111 113 115 Radio Station
LET’S TALK The 3rd artSPEAK took into account the blistering The experimental format was very successful. It helped month of Ramzan and it’s effect on the city’s food us get to a wider audience in a participatory platform ABOUT FOOD industry and habits - and therefore decided to relocate making it an interactive session. The program host and artSPEAK 3 to a post aftari radio show. Host Afzal Sahir decided participants steered the discussion touching various generously to hold a show about Lahore’s penchant issues ranging from tolerance for non-Muslim citizen’s for food and invited guest speakers and food experts during Ramazan to various other social, financial who could expound on the subject. Sahir’s talk and political notions related to the idea of preparing, show ‘Mauj Mela’ is broadcast live in Punjabi with a selling and consuming food. listenership extending to 4 stations (Lahore / Multan / Faisalabad/ Karachi) each covering an are of 150 square km, spreading to more than 30 districts. Mauj Mela is also streamed live on the Internet all over the world with listeners participating through a call-in segment. MastFM 103 conservatively speaking has approximately three million listeners and a Facebook page with over 204,770 likes.
Afzal Saahir: Bilal Sami: Ahmad Shafiq: Nadia Jamil:
Kuch log khaan de liye jeende ne, kuch log jeewan de Jithe kahani sunayi jaa sakti hai, jithe kahani sun Saat saal ton assi lagay de aan...fer onna nu convince Weise barhi interesting baat hai ke do-tin jerhe barhe liye khaande ne. sakte aan, jithe gal baat ho saki hai o kerni chayedi kita ke main aise shehr toh ayaan, ek aise shehr naam ne lahore wich, ek fazalehaq hai, ek khan baba hai. wich rehnaan jerha uss mulk da food capital nai hai, ek Ashraf Tikka hai, saaray jo hain gents yani hai uss pure subcontinent da food capital hai. main mardan ne hi shuru kittay, toh mere khyal may ae samajhdaan lahore hub hai, ennu iddi shanakhat tussi riwayat sai chalayi hai, assi zaada lokan nu milni chayedi hai...saat saal da assi kasht kerte rahe, gharan wich batayein ke mardon se khana banwaya lekin jithe food da competition ho uthe pakistan da kerein...i hope mere shauhar bhi sun rahe hon. flag hona chayeda hai.
117 119 Olo Junction
WOMEN The aim of the fourth artSPEAK was to bring together female professionals from varied disciplines to discuss TODAY and critically dissect the challenges and experiences artSPEAK 4 faced by women in Pakistan - specifically with reference to their careers and working environments. The overall aim was to exchange stories and spark a multi-dimensional dialogue, both across the five- speaker panel, and also between the speakers and the audience. The discussion was extremely engaging, touching on professional and personal experiences both in the work space in in the public sphere, providing an avenue for these important stories to be shared.
Laila Rahman: Zainab Chughtai: Hala Bashir: Nosheen Abbas:
Story telling is essentially an activity conducted I felt like all the male members of my chamber How stories allow us to resist conceding space Women have to work now where their previous by women in the house – some for pacifying at some point had commented on my weight to a different kind of a narrative because when generations were not working. We are urbanizing children, entertaining children, and creating for or how I was looking that day or how I was not Sabeen was murdered I remember writing in really, really fast. Women are catching up fast but their fertile imaginations a rich playing field” fit to represent that chamber because I was not anger about what had happened and for me the the systems are still where they stood ages ago. stereotypically considered beautiful, and I just narrative was that we need to stop conceding remember internalizing all this criticism and all space and the only way to do that is to be vocal. these comments.
121 123 Chai, Kaafee aur Siasat
AZAADI The aim of the fifth artSPEAK was to gather people artSPEAK 5 from different backgrounds to talk about their perception and understanding of Azaadi (freedom). It was hosted at Chai Kafee aur Siyasat with an audience of about 80 people. The panel consisted of varied professionals, including lawyers, musicians, professors and historians sharing their stories relating to Azaadi and also about the notion of Azaadi and what it means to the general public.
Taimur Rahman: 1971 ka jo fundamental sabak hai na woh yeh hai ke pakistan never was and is not even today one nation. It is a multinational state as are the vast majority of the states of the world.
Farhan Shah: Rafay Alam: Furrukh Khan: Ali Aftab: Aap sarat mujhe Mughalon ke naam bataein. It strikes me as odd that we celebrate 14th August Stories are not just of individuals. Stories are of State narrative may deviation itni ziada hai ke I’ll tell you how it will turn out, they would say wherein the time of partition in 1947 was one of communities, of religion, of your country and state narrative bananay waalon ko yeh lagna shuru ‘Babar, Humayun, Akbar, Jehangir, Shah Jahan, the great tragedies of the 20th century. Just the your family. Stories of nation, their narrative is a ho gaya hai ke shayad agar ispe koi sawal uthaye ga, Aurangzeb and Bahadur Shah Zafar - forgetting sheer number of people who were massacred grand narrative – the country that you belong to, shayad isko reformulate kerne ki koshish ki jaye gi the 150 years in between. sensely as this power vacuum was created. the state wants you to buy into their narrative. shayad iske baray may jaanne ki koshish ho gi toh is se shayad pakistan undo ho jaye ga.
125 127 Chai, Kaafee aur Siasat
TEXT & The sixth artSPEAK was held to discuss the concept The 7th artSPEAK in the Stories We Tell | Aao of text in artistic practices and how one integrates Sunayein Kahani series is looking at “Presenting THE CITY into the other. The discussion included a panel of Stories”. In collaboration with the finale artSPEAK artSPEAK 6 artists Quddus Mirza, Ayesha Jatoi and Ayaz Jokhio the 7th and 8th artSPEAK is presented as a merger, and moderated by Ambereen Karamat. The panelists “Talking Stories” and “Reading in conTEXT”. discussed their practices and the role text plays in it. Under the over arching banner “Talking Stories” The discussion arched around the role of the writer - “Presenting Stories”, speakers are invited to give versus the artist and engaged the audience consisting presentations in various forms, for example song/ of 80 or so people, including professionals, students reading/poetry/monologue in response to the and artists. audio-visual stories. Following this is a collective panel discussion with the presenters/speakers from previously held artSPEAKs. The finale artSPEAK invites writers (including writers from the publication) to elaborate on their essays and audio visual conversations collected during the course of the project,.
Ayesha Jatoi: Quddus Mirza: Ambereen Karamat: Ayaz Jokhio: My father always encouraged me to listen I always read books that have been translated, Text originally comes from the word textile, to For me text is like image, writing is also like to the radio, because the radio allows you to whether I have heard of them of not. Because if weave words together. drawing. imagine and create your own world; however the they have been translated, there must have been television dictates your imagination. something worth translating.
129 131 OF FABLES, RHYMES & SONGS A COLLABORATION OF MUSICIANS, MIRASIS, STUDENTS AND DESIGN EDUCATORS FROM SVAD, BNU
As part of this initiative, educators and undergraduate students from the discipline of Visual Communication Design at SVAD, BNU, collaborated with the Mirasi community (the gatekeepers of the musical storytelling tradition in Punjab) on short narrative videos/animations that aimed to give a voice to the community’s take on storytelling as well as their profession’s interaction with it. The project culminated with a music concert by Ali Sethi and his band members, Amir Azhar, Fazal Abbas ‘Chhabba’, Anthony ‘Moon’ Soshil, Shehzad Ali, Saad Sultan. STUDENT ENGAGEMENT PROJECT
Umar Hameed and Shehzil Malik Students were given the task to work in their group and propose a design for the booth. Students: Here are some of the entries: Aman Asif Lone, Amna Imam Chaudary, Asad Tanveer, Faisal Ikram, Fariha Zulfiqar, Haiqa Rizwan, Haris Hidayat, Hasibullah, Imran Salman Zia, Isma Gul Hasan, Izza Asjad Cheema, Javeria Ahsen, Javeria Sohail,Jhanzeb Ali, Maham Iqbal Bosan, Mah-e-Nur Haider, Malik Md AzeemYar Tiwana Moosa Khan, Muhammad Ahmed Zia, Muhammad Salman Ijaz, Muhammad Umar Noor, Omaima Jahantab Khan, Rohama Akram, Saad Nadeem, Sana Khan Mamdot, Sarmad Ijaz Khan, Sarosh Athar, Shahbaz Jamil, Syed Shumyle Haider, Taalia Nadeem, Zeeshan Abid, Taiba Ashraf Taj, Imran Shahid, Zainab Aziz
Duration: 4 Weeks The winning design was by Aman Asif, Javeria Sohail Conversations in Pakistan usually occur behind and Ahmed Zia who proposed a design resembling closed doors and public interactions are limited a rickshaw. We felt they handled the brief well by within our social class structure. With this project, in looking into our cultural aesthetics, ergonomics and a small way, we are hoping to breach this barrier. By portability. An illustration of their submission in picking themes that revolve around our culture, we shown below, with renders of its final design on the are randomizing the process of who talks to whom in oppposite page. public spaces. We hope to trigger conversations and start new interactions.
Week 1 Booth Design competition A storytelling booth placed around the city is our chosen mechanism to disseminate these stories. Within the booth, the interaction is simple: someone tells you a story and by pressing a button you are prompted to record your story as a response. Every month a different storytelling theme will be set and the booths will be placed in a locations that set the context to the chosen theme. There will be 12 identical booths that will be utilized around the city for 8 months. Stories will both be heard through booths as well as on social media.
135 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Field Visit 3 (led by Umar Hameed) Field Visit Workshop (led by Shehzil Malik) Storytelling Workshop (led by Shehzil Malik) Video Editing Workshop (led by Shehzil Malik) The last field visit was a more relaxed one where all The students were briefed on how to approach their A session was held where students were introduced Techniques of video and sound editing were discussed video and audio footage that was needed to conclude interactions with the mirasi community by a field to ideas about how to tell effective stories. Precedents by a introduction to softwares, Adobe Premiere and the project was recorded. visit guide. They were instructed on how to plan like Humans of New York and Story Corps were Adobe After Effects. Examples of various kinds of an interview; to document their interaction; to ask discussed as learning points, and the challenge was set video editing were shown, and their process broken Internal Video Showcase effective questions and to practice empathy and for how to leverage the technology available to create down and explained. This included how to make An internal critique was done with both instructors listening skills. compelling stories that build human connections. animations, compositing images and text, stop and Bilal Sami where students presented their videos. Joseph Campbell’s Hero Journey was discussed, and motion, rotoscoping and the use of green screen. Feedback was given and students were instructed to A role playing game was also played where students the process of how to create a narrative was laid down. make changes before the final showcase the next week. acted as both the interviewer and the mirasi to Instructors again met with each group to see the underscore how to conduct the interview. The Instructors then met with each group of students to work in progress. Raw footage was seen alongside Week 5 students were also prompted to think about what hear the story they had thought to share with their storyboards and feedback on how to improve the Final Presentation and Collaborative concert goals they wanted to set for themselves personally, mirasis and follow up questions they would ask for the stories was given. The final presentation was held in the auditorium and as a team, from the field visit. next visit. where the final videos were screened for an audience of the mirasi collaborators, BNU students, faculty and guests. Afterwards, the students and mirasis put on Field Visit 1 (led by Umar Hameed) Field Visit 2 (led by Umar Hameed) an impromptu jam session where favorite songs were We met members of the mirasi community at the The second visit was a more targeted one where the sung together. The session was concluded by remarks Lahore Fort. students spent time recording audio and video of their from each side, and tea. interaction with the mirasi for their chosen narratives. An ice breaking session was conducted where the Looking back at our time spent with the mirasi mirasis showcased their talents: some sang, played the Final questions were asked and the storyline finalized. community, it is truly wonderful to see how the tabla and told jokes. We then broke off into groups Those who wanted to record videos/audio away from students pushed themselves to not only engage where each group of students was paired with a mirasi the fort made plans to engage with their partnered empathetically with an unfamiliar segment of of their choice. Introductions were made, questions mirasi later in the week. society but also create narratives that were true to were asked and students sang and played their their experiences. The mirasis were also asked for instruments alongside them. feedback on the students’ videos and they seemed to be delighted by what they saw. As instructors, there We ended the day with a collective lunch at the is certainly pride in what the students were able to canteen. accomplish in these past weeks.
137 139 141 143 145 CONCERT LOKI KEHNDE
Ali Sethi Saad Sultan Anthony ‘Moon’ Soshil
Pakistan’s musical traditions encompass a variety of social functions, both reflecting and shaping the discourse of the land and its people. In ‘Loki Kehnde’ (‘Folk Speak’), classically trained vocalist Ali Sethi and his band show us the evolution of some of these interconnected genres and forms. Pagan war songs, ecstatic qawwalis, rueful ghazals, rousing national anthems -- all are bound up here in an illuminating, breathtaking ensemble.
Ali Sethi grew up listening to Western pop and Saad Sultan is a Lahore-based singer, songwriter, Anthony ‘Moon’ Soshil was born in Lahore and traditional Indian and Pakistani music in Lahore. guitarist, producer and sound engineer. Exposed as studied piano notation with Griffin James. After A graduate of Harvard College, a novelist and a child to his father’s love of classical music, Sultan playing in many bands, Soshil turned to music journalist, Sethi was formally apprenticed to Ustad enjoys creating new and challenging soundscapes, production. His most recent project is the soundtrack Naseeruddin Saami in 2008. With Ustad Saami he and has created songs for a range of artistes and acts for the forthcoming film ‘Saya-e-Khuda-e-Zuljalal.’ has trained in classical and “light-classical” genres including Noorie, Jal, Quratulain Balouch, Fariha Skilled at fusing Western chords with traditional raag- such as Khayaal, Sadra, Thumri and Dadra. He has Pervez and Atif Aslam. based compositions, he plays and tours regularly with also studied the art of Ghazal and Thumri with Farida a variety of singers and acts. Khanum. He has recorded songs for film (‘The Reluctant Fundamentalist’, ‘Manto’), for TV (Coke Studio Seasons 8 and 9), and is currently working on an album.
147 CONCERT LOKI KEHNDE
Amir Azhar Shahzad Ali Fazal Abbas ‘Chhabba’
Amir Azhar plays bass guitar, mandolin, rubab and Shahzad Ali grew up in Lahore’s Bhati Gate Fazal Abbas ‘Chhabba’, son of Muzaffar Hussain, acoustic guitar. Growing up in the musical household neighborhood and plays the violin and harmonium. grew up in a family of traditional percussionists in of the Tafoo Brothers, Azhar was exposed to a host Born into the Talwandi Gharana, he comes from a Lahore. He started studying the tabla with Ustad of instruments and styles. His first concert at the age long line of traditional musicians: his father Riaz Wajo Khan in 1995 and has since played for many film of 14 was with Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. He has Hussain is credited with arranging Noor Jehan’s songs and TV projects, most recently Coke Studio Season 9. gone on to work with many of Pakistan’s best-known for the TV program Tarannum. Having spent time in A spirited and multifaceted performer, he plays tabla, artistes, including Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, Shazia the stimulating environs of Evernew and Shahnoor dholak and dhol with Noorie, Shiraz Uppal, and Manzoor, Rahim Shah and Mekaal Hasan Band. He Studios, Shahzad Ali channels an old-school Shafaullah Rokhri, among others. also played the mandolin for Coke Studio Seasons 4 melodiousness when playing the harmonium and and 9. improvising raag-based passages.
149 PROJECT TEAM
Center for Culture School of Visual Art and Lahore Biennale and Development {CKU} Design (SVAD), BNU Foundation {LBF}
Centre for Culture and Development (CKU) CKU is a BNU is Pakistan’s first liberal arts university, founded The Lahore Biennale Foundation (LBF) is a non- self-governing institution under the Danish Ministry in 2003 as a not-for-profit, private institution profit organization that seeks to provide critical of Foreign Affairs. In close cooperation with Danish providing tertiary education. BNU was granted sites for experimentation in visual expression and embassies and representations, it manages culture a degree-awarding charter by the Government of experience, hoping to challenge and expand the scope and development programs in The Middle East, Asia, Punjab in 2005. In the last eleven years, BNU has of both. Thus, the LBF focuses on the many stages West Africa, and East Africa. CKU implements the acquired a respected reputation, both nationally and of production, experience and appreciation of art in Danish strategy for culture and development, ‘The internationally. It was ranked 2nd in the General all its forms. The Foundation is committed to the Right to Art and Culture’, approved by the Danish Universities (small) Category on Quality and potential of art as an instrument of important social Parliament in May 2013. Research Based Ranking and earned the highest critique. It operates in awareness of possible public(s) category, ‘W-4’, by the Higher Education Commission and location(s) but is global in aspiration. It values (HEC) of Pakistan. public investment and considers the specificity of geographical and social context in establishing the BNU’s School of Visual Arts and Design (SVAD) is a legitimacy of its functions but does not pander to place for germinating innovative ideas and nourishing preconceived tropes of the ‘vernacular.’ them into organic initiatives. Prof. Rashid Rana has recently succeeded as the new Dean of SVAD. Prof. To this end, the LBF endeavors to actively support Rana is an acclaimed Digital Artist of international art related projects across Pakistan, and will also host repute. Deftly traversing between diverse mediums the Lahore Biennale every two years. Underlying this like painting, video, installation and photography, work will be experimentation, research, conversation Prof. Rana has emerged as one of the leading artist and publication related to the arts; collaborative of his generation, making his presence felt globally. outreach and learning opportunities; and cultural Prof. Rana was named Artistic Director of the Lahore exchange, including facilitating artist residencies. Biennale 2017, the largest contemporary art event to be staged in Pakistan. He will also be our (in-gratis) advisor to the project.
151 PROJECT TEAM
SCHOOL OF has written lyrics for bands including Zeb & Haniya and Design department at BNU and teaches courses feminism and identity constructs. She is a Fulbright and Jimmy Khan. His work has appeared on major on design theory and studio practice. Hameed is an scholar with an MFA in Visual Communication VISUAL ARTS & DESIGN Pakistani networks, in international film festivals alumnus of the National College of Arts, Lahore Design from the Rochester Institute of Technology and on the NatGeo channel. Sami’s new film Dobara and secured a Yorkshire Forward Scholarship for and is also part of the International Development (SVAD), BNU Phir Se produced and co-written with the acclaimed his Masters in Innovation for the Digital Futures, Innovation Network (IDIN). director Mehreen Jabbar releases in cinemas across later enrolling for M.A. Media Studies in the United Pakistan, US, UK and Canada in July 2016. He is also Kingdom. He has also been busy with various Rashid Rana producing a feature documentary on the life and work collaborative projects, such as the British Council’s Zeshan Khalid Project Director, Exhibition Curator of the legendary vocalist Farida Khanum with the Rivers of the World (2013- 2014) and the World Head of Logistics and Field Staff Rashid Rana lives and works in Lahore. Distinct for writer and vocalist Ali Sethi. Bank’s Right to Information (2014). Hameed’s recent Zeshan Khalid graduated from the Beaconhouse his ideas, imagery and pictorial strategies, he has involvements include consultancy for production National University with a distinction in Film and worked in dramatically different modes, such as in Independent Theatre Pakistan’s Teen Kahaniyan paintings, stainless steel sculptures, video installation, Rabeya Jalil (2015) and as creative consultant for The History Television in 2015. Zeshan has directed and written a photo-sculptures and photo mosaics. He has shown Publication Editor Project’s second publication, which highlights the bias number of short films with most of his work focusing extensively at various public and private institutions Data Analyst, Monitoring and Evaluation Officer in history curricula in Pakistani and Indian schools. on social realism. He also worked as an Associate all over the world including; Venice Biennale, Producer for the Documentary Feature Film ‘Song Rabeya Jalil is an educator and visual artist who works Mohatta Palace Museum Karachi, Singapore Art of Lahore’ for the Oscar winning director Sharmeen as an assistant professor at the Beaconhouse National Museum, Hong Kong Art Center, Cornerhouse Ammar Faiz Obaid Chinoy, and is now collaborating with University (BNU), Lahore. Jalil did her undergraduate Manchester, Musee Guimet Paris, Queensland Media Content Manager studies in Fine Arts from the National College of Arts European artists for his next feature film based on Art Gallery Brisbane, Fotomuseum Winterthur, (NCA), Lahore, in 2005 and completed her Masters in Ammar graduated with a distinction in BFA blasphemy in Pakistan. Zeshan lives and works as a Whitechapel Gallery London, Saatchi Gallery Art and Art Education (Ed.M.) from Teachers College Visual Arts in 2015 from the Beaconhouse National freelance Filmmaker in Lahore. London, Lower Belvedere Vienna, Asia Society at Columbia University, New York, on a Fulbright University. Currently he is pursuing his MA in Art and Museum New York, National Fine Arts Museum scholarship in 2013. Her art education and research Design Studies with a Graduation Scholarship from Taichung, House of World Cultures Berlin, Kemper practice involves working with school art teachers, the School of Visual Art & Design at his alma mater. Art Museum St Louis, Fukuoka Museum of Art, children with special needs, and members of low- Faiz has directed, written and acted in various short Parallel to his art career he has been associated with income families and culturally diverse populations. films. He has also conducted video art workshops in academia for last two decades. He is the founding She collaborates with children through Bachon se Lahore, taught as a visiting faculty member at BNU, faculty member and currently the dean of the School Tabdeeli, a creative education initiative to highlight and is now collaborating with street children in his of Visual Arts and Design at the Beaconhouse their marginalized experiences of living in a city. Jalil home city. Faiz has exhibited his work in various National University. He has recently been appointed has presented at Art Education and Printmaking group shows including the British Council funded as the artistic director of the inaugural conferences in Lahore, Islamabad, New York, Fort project Postcard Exhibition in Lancashire, UK. He has Lahore Biennale. Worth (Texas), San Diego and St. Louis (Missouri) also been a part of two international residencies and and has exhibited her work in Islamabad, Lahore, currently works and studies in Lahore. Bilal Sami Karachi, U. A. E., U.S.A, Spain, Portugal and India. Team Lead Shehzil Malik Bilal Sami is a filmmaker and a screenwriter known Umar Hameed Design Educator, Community Engagement Community Engagement for his work on television shows, feature films, shorts, Shehzil Malik is a designer and illustrator who runs documentaries, commercials and for writing lyrics. an independent design studio focused on design Sami was a Fulbright scholar to the U.S., where he Umar Hameed has worked in the capacities of visualizer, publishing designer, event manager, art for social change. Her passions of design and social completed his MFA in Film. His first feature Lavender responsibility result in long-term consultancy work Rocks shot in Ohio is currently in post-production. director, design manager and media researcher over a career spanning 15 years. These days he devotes his with nonprofits; and collaborative projects with He has collaborated with the acclaimed Pakistani an interest in societal issues like women’s rights, musician Mekaal Hasan on a documentary series, and time to coordinating for the Visual Communication
153 LAHORE BIENNALE Mina Arham Aziz Sohail/ Sarah N. Ahmad/ Editing Team FOUNDATION Research Associate Fatima Fazli Mina Arham is a visual artist who works as a Public Programming Manager Komal Naz (LBF) Research and Development/Public Programming Illustration Designer and Educational Outreach Associate at the Lahore Aziz Sohail is a curator, writer and arts manager based in Pakistan. Sohail has curated numerous art Komal Naz graduated from the School of Visual Arts Beinnale Foundation, Lahore. Arham did her and Design, Beaconhouse National University with Qudsia Rahim undergraduate studies in Fine Arts from the National exhibitions including a traveling initiative ‘Islam Contemporary’ in Massachusetts & North Carolina, a gold medal and distinction in 2012. She is currently Project Advisor/ Curatorial Advisor College of Arts (NCA), Lahore, in 2014. Since then teaching at SVAD. she has been part of both local and international ‘No Man’s Land’ at Gallery 39K, Lahore and ‘Imagined Qudsia Rahim MFA from Alfred University, New artist residencies. Namely, she was the recipient of Measures’, Lebanese-American artist George Ahsan Asghar York, with a major in Glass Sculpture. She has since Awde’s first solo in Pakistan. Sohail was selected as a The Charles Wallace Pakistan Trust / British Council Photographer worked in art academia, first at Alfred University, Curator-in-Residence at The New Art Gallery Walsall Pakistan Residency at Gasworks Recipient, London, Ahsan Asghar is currently enrolled in the New York, and later as an Associate Professor at supported by the British Council in March 2015, and 2015. Since her graduation she has exhibited in Lahore, undergraduate program in Fine Arts, at the School the National College of Arts, Lahore. Additionally, curated the ‘The Humble Vessel’ which focuses on the Karachi and Islamabad, along with Indonesia and of Visual Arts and Design, Beaconhouse National she is the appointed Curator for Zahoor-ul-Akhlaq symbol of the boat and its representation in a variety London. She has also worked on the restoration of the University. Gallery at the NCA, and during her term has Shahi Hamam (Royal Bath), as part of the Fresco and of historical and contemporary works which April - organized many significant art exhibitions, both at Mural Restoration team, Aga Khan Center for Culture July 2016. Sohail received his Art History degree from Jawad Hussain home and abroad. She has independently conducted and Development (2015). Brandeis University in USA in 2013. Video Content Specialist noteworthy research driven exhibitions including Jawad Hussain is currently enrolled in the Stet, a contemporary art exhibition at the Lahore Sarah N. Ahmad works as an independent public undergraduate program in Fine Arts, at the School Literary Festival, 2014, and Everything is Embedded programming consultant helping promote the spread Rizwan Hussain of Visual Arts and Design, Beaconhouse National in History, 2015. Rahim has also worked on a number of multicultural arts in Lahore. She is committed Designer University. of international exchange programs and artist to the promotion of public art and critical thought on the city. Formally trained in urban design and residencies over the years. In 2012, she authored the Rizwan Hussain is the creative force behind the Lahore Waleed Zaffar development, Ms. Ahmad’s work has focused on Art for the Humanity elective at the National College Biennale Foundation’s graphic design department. Video Content Specialist of Arts, which sought to bridge the gap between art Rizwan has broad experience in design consulting policy issues and social engagement in the city. As an urbanist, she has written and researched on her Waleed Zaffar is currently enrolled in the and social responsibility; it has conducted a number and art direction. Involved since the conception of the undergraduate program in Fine Arts, at the School important art interventions, including one at the Foundation he has been instrumental in determining ancestral city of Lahore and continues to explore its social processes through different lenses. She is of Visual Arts and Design, Beaconhouse National oncology ward, Mayo Hospital, Lahore. the visual identity of LBF’s multiple projects. These University. include design and visual identity of ‘My East is a graduate of the Bartlett School at the University Your West’, a collateral event at the Venice Biennale College of London. Nour Aslam in partnership with Gujral Foundation & HBL in Fatima Fazli is currently Head of Public Engagement Exhibtion Coordinator addition to its associated events, and currently ‘Stories and PR for the Lahore Biennale Foundation. Fazli We Tell’ in partnership with Centre for Kultur & has a double M.A. in Fine Arts from the University Nour Aslam is currently part of the Biennale team Udvikling and Beaconhouse National University. for the Lahore Biennale Foundation. Previously, she of the Punjab, Lahore and the College of Fine Arts, was the head of gallery development for London’s University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia. Art15. Prior to that, she was head of sales for Bonhams During her seven-year stay in Sydney, she exhibited auction house in the South Asian art department, and at a number of galleries within Australia. Fazli’s also specialized in Middle Eastern art. During her five strengths lie in the areas of media outreach, press years at Bonhams, Aslam put together sales in New communications, social media strategies, event York, London and Dubai. Aslam studied at Sarah management and organization. Recent projects Lawrence College in Bronxville, Yew York and has she has worked on include ‘My East is Your West’, lived in several different cities around the world. a collateral event of the 56th Venice Biennale and ‘Intersections: City Within A City’ at Istanbul Chowk. 155 CONTRIBUTORS
Quddus Mirza Durriya Kazi H.M. Naqvi Adnan Madani
Quddus Mirza is an artist, art critic and independent Durriya Kazi is an artist based in Karachi. Currently H.M. Naqvi is the award-winning author of Home Boy. Dr. Adnan Madani is an artist and writer. He is based curator. He is Head of Department Fine Arts at the she heads the Department of Visual Studies, University Published by Random House in 2009, the debut was between London and Karachi, and is the author of National college of Arts Lahore. Trained as a painter of Karachi, which she helped establish hailed as a “remarkably engaging novel that delights numerous essays on Pakistani artists including Bani from National College of Arts, Lahore and Royal in 1998. as it disturbs” by the New York Times. It has been Abidi, Huma Mulji and Rashid Rana, a chapter in “The College of Art, London, Mirza has shown extensively translated into German, Italian, Portuguese, and was Curatorial: A Philosophy of Curating” (Bloomsbury, in numerous group and solo exhibitions. As an artist, an art educator, and a participant in awarded the DSC Prize at the Jaipur Literature Festival 2013) and is co-author (with Jean-Paul Martinon) of the all aspects of art and culture, Durriya Kazi has in 2011. upcoming book, “Visual Cultures as: World-Forming” He has also curated a number of exhibitions including contributed to both the theory and practice of art. She (Sternberg). He contributes frequently to ‘Art Now “Beyond Borders: Art from Pakistan,” at National has presented papers on art & culture at national and Naqvi has worked in the financial services industry, Pakistan’, exploring the intersections of culture, politics Gallery of Modern Art in Mumbai, India, and “Exotic international conferences, and contributed to popular taught creative writing at Boston University, and run and theory in South Asia, and recently curated the Bodies,” based on miniature paintings from the media, exhibition catalogues, academic journals and a spoken word venue. He has appeared on CNN, BBC, exhibition ‘Art Sabka? Pakistani Cinema Reflected’ in collection of Victoria and Albert Museum displayed books. She has served on a number of Boards for the Bloomberg TV and National Public Radio, and written Karachi. at Preston Museum in UK. He currently writes in The development for Art Education and promotion and for Forbes, Freeman’s and Caravan. News, he is the co-author of the Book “50 years of visual preservation of Culture. Her research and practice has His current research includes theories of subjectivity, arts in Pakistan”, “The Rising Tide” and “Hanging focused on exploring existing art practices outside the He resides in Karachi where he is working on his second contemporary Islamic cultures, the archaeology fire”. His writings have been published in national and colonial legacy of the gallery. This includes extensive novel, “a big, bad comic epic,” a collection of essays, of religion, globalization, and the philosophies of international newspapers and magazines. research on vehicle decoration, cinema painting, crafts, and an initiative to revive cultural institutions in the Wittgenstein, Heidegger, Louis Massignon and social history, colonial history, and cultural diffusion. old city. Jean-Luc Nancy. He is also collaborating with David Alesworth on “Invasive Species”, an art project She has exhibited her art in national and international exploring the relations between biology, landscape, galleries. Her public art projects, including real and migration and colonization. He is a lecturer in Visual virtual sites, attempt to voice “hidden histories” by Cultures at Goldsmiths College, University of London. reaching wider audiences through public interactive art projects, and linking contemporary art concerns with popular urban art practices.
157 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
We would like to thank the Vice Chancellor, BNU, Mr. Shahid Hafiz Kardar, for his continuous support and encouragement in facilitating this project.
The team and staff of project Stories We Tell, BNU and LBF owe a huge debt of gratitude to Mr. Ole Ramsung, Ms. Ammara Durrani, Mr. Ejaz Hussain, Mr. Wahab Jameel, Ms Rabel Haider and everyone at CKU and the Royal Dutch Embassy for their continued support, guidance and encouragement. This project would not have been possible without their input and facilitation.
Special thanks to
Adnan Nafees Farhan Shah Mehr Mirza Arslan Khan Farida Batool M. Imran Asad Maqsood Hala Bashir Muniba Abdullah Asif Nadeem Javed Fazal-e-Haq Nasir Ibrahim Aziz Sohail Laila Rehman Nasir Malik Azka Shahid Mariam Zulfikhar Sameer Imtiaz Dr. Razia Sadik Nabiha Meher Shaikh Samina Munir Fatima Fazli Nadia Jamil Samyia Azeem Mina Arham Nosheen Abbas Kazmi Sharjeel Shahid Mohammad Shehzad (Funkaar Quddus Mirza Syed Faris Studios) Rafay Alam Taimoor Ali Naveed Niazi (Rickshaw Design) Taimur Rahman Umair Shahzad Omer Sheikh Zainab Chughtai Ushna Zubair Rizwan Hussain Uzair Khan Sarah N Ahmad Booth Aid Team Members: Waqas Haider Sheral Hawkins Abdullah Sami Warda Tariq Usama Saeed Abubakr Ahmad Zafar Mahmood Zaeem Yaqoob Khan Ahmad Iftikhar Zeshan Khan Zarmina Rafi Ahmad Shokat Zeshan Haider Ahsan Rana Deployment Permissions: Zoya Gul Hasan Amna Azeem DCO Lahore – Captain Muhammad Zoya Siddiqui Arslan Khan Usman Younis Asad Ali Director General Punjab Horticulture for the artSPEAKs: Asjad Sohaib Authority – Mian Shakeel Aysha Raja & The Last Word Asma khan Director General Walled City of Lahore Afzal Saahir & Mast FM 103 Awais Ali Authority - Kamran Lashari Iram Sana, Kanwal Khoosat & Azba Abdullah V.C. - LUMS - Dr. Sohail H. Naqvi Olomopolo Media Bilal Khan Col. Amir – Head of Security - LUMS Mian Shakeel & Punjab Horticulture Faizan Siddiqui Yasser Hashmi - Dean of Student Authority Hamza Kashmiri Affairs - LUMS Mohammad Musad & Chai, Kaafee Humas Director General - Alhamra aur Siasat Iqra Azeem Arts Council – Captain (R) Atta artSPEAK Panelists: Ishrat Fatima Muhammad Khan Ahmad Shafiq Junaid Saif Director Programs - Alhamra Arts Ali Aftab Saeed Junaid Zahid Council - Zulfiqar Zulfi Ambereen Karamat Kanwal Adeel General Secretary Kareem Block Ayaz Jokhio Kashmala Zafar Market - Rana Ijaz Ayesha Jatoi Madhia Ali Ghaffar Ahmed for Liberty Market Dr. Furrukh Khan Mamoon Malik Asad Haye & The New School
159 Stories We Tell ‘Aao Sunayein Kahani’ is an audio/visual This act of listening and relating creates collective wisdom storytelling project of The School of Visual Art and Design and a sense of commonality between classes and across social (SVAD) at Beaconhouse National University and the Lahore divides. With public spaces becoming stratified and co-opted Biennale Foundation (LBF) made possible with the support of by specific classes, the interaction between classes has become the Centre for Culture and Development (CKU). limited to spaces where power and class dynamics dictate how stories are shared. The art of conversation and storytelling has played a pivotal role in suturing together the cultural fabric of South Asia. ‘Aao Sunayein Kahani’ is an effort aimed at bringing Since time immemorial this was how histories were transferred conversational storytelling and sharing back to public spaces in between generations; survival narratives were created and the hopes of making the act of experience sharing a democratic exchanged; and instructional anecdotes to sustain everyday life one. And by bridging the gap between communities were passed down. and individuals, cultivating a free exchange of ideas and experiences. This publication explores and documents the themes and stories of ‘Aao Sunayein Kahani’.