In the late 1700s, wealthy Europeans eating from pewter plates died when they consumed tomatoes. For over a hundred years they feared the fruit, ignorant that their tableware combined with a tomato’s acidity caused lead poisoning1. In the subcontinent, brass…
When we contemplate the origins of visually mapping environments the first image that comes to mind are paintings and pictographs found in prehistoric caves and early sanctuaries; these rudimentary drawings became the foundational syntax of social communication systems that provide…
The human urge for storytelling has existed as long as recorded history (or perhaps it prompted the need for the latter), and though it takes on different forms and flavors depending on location, culture and time, its need transcends such…
The practice of creating miniature paintings, which traditionally were commissioned to illustrate religious stories, scientific texts, poetry, tales, and imperial histories, was scrupulous and extremely attentive to details. In the South-east Asian region, regardless of its strong connection with present-day…
In a drama played out in three acts, a woman frolics in an overgrown Eden. Her skin is the colour of patina on copper; fleshy and defiant, she reaches for the fruits above. Radiating and immersive, the triptych is artist Farazeh Syed’s spin on the…
“Olive Branch is an exhibition based on the genocide in Gaza”16, Nafisa Rizvi does not attempt to mince her words in the curatorial note for the exhibition titled Olive Branch which was held at Koel Gallery in Karachi. The exhibition…
Witnessing live broadcasts of war and violence has left millions around the world questioning their sense of autonomy and the state of humanity. The global scale of our collective grief grows with each passing day for the lives lost. Some…
In the last year or two, Lahore has seen a number of galleries open their doors to the public— in terms of curation some of these galleries have attempted to offer somewhat offbeat and exceptional shows. In the July of…
Erving Goffman, the venerated Canadian sociologist, is renowned for his profound insights into human interaction through his dramaturgical perspective. In his seminal work, The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life, Goffman eloquently draws parallels between social dynamics and theatrical performances,…
“Photographs are perhaps the most mysterious of all the objects that make up, and thicken, the environment we recognize as modern. Photographs really are experience captured, and the camera is the ideal arm of consciousness in its acquisitive mood.” (Sontag, 2005)…