Beautiful Art From "the Most Dangerous Place in the World"

Melissa Chiu, Director of the Asia Society Museum in New York, says in contrast to most people’s assumptions about Pakistan, there is a lively, vibrant contemporary art scene. She says "Hanging Fire" is "an exhibition that really was designed to provide a glimpse of what artistic practice might be in a place that was declared as one of the 'most dangerous places in the world' by President Obama."

A flourishing art scene amidst political unrest

Huma Mulji is a Pakistani artist. Our interview with her had to be postponed over two hours because of a check point set up due to a bomb blast the previous day.

"With every blast, it gets sort of beefed up even more. And so for two or three days after that, there are several checkpoints that you have to cross before getting home."

But Huma Mulji is also very positive about the state of Pakistani art, "it is a very exciting time for Pakistani contemporary art in particular because now contemporary art for the first time is being accepted."

Increase in demand in Pakistani art

Bani Abidi, a Pakistani artist living in India, says the increase in interest in Pakistani art is partly due to the increase in interest in the country's current political situation. But she also says it is in part because there is simply more art, now that more and more artists are able to concentrate exclusively on their art.

"I think the art scene has taken off in terms of international visibility. And that is because it is a trend internationally to be focusing on Chinese art and Indian art and Middle Eastern art. Therefore the visibility of art and of artists producing in this region have increased. But it is a different kind of art scene, which sort of has a more international language."

Pakistan's free space of expression

Naiza Khan, another artist whose works are on display in New York, says the changes in the Pakistani art scene are not only changes in perception internationally. She says artists are undergoing changes in their self-perception, as they feel their voice has become louder within the the last 10 years.

"It's not just the content of the actual work, but is also the way some of the medium is used. And I think the lack of state control is also very visible as well. And that is also very interesting because our press, our media, which is ferociously free, maintains its independence from the state. I think in the same way, not necessarily with the same impact, but certainly with the same aspirations, artists have also fought for this free space of expression."

Hamra Abbas, a Pakistani artist currently living in the United States, points out the difficulties the Pakistani people are going through. She asks the media not to generalise the situation going on in Pakistan, but says that artists, wherever they are, are affected by the things going on around them. And that now, especially, Pakistani artists living abroad are torn between two worlds.

Author: Sarah Berning
Editor: Thomas Bärthlein