October 29, 2008	Wednesday	Shawwal 29, 1429

KARACHI, Oct 28: Four artists from South Asia, living in the diaspora and seeing their home away from home in their work, has given food for thought to those who viewed their artistic skills at an exhibition presented by Vasl at the Indus Valley School of Art and architecture. Aptly named as Artists from diaspora: writing home about home, the exhibition that was launched on Monday will continue till Oct 30.

Focusing on the ideas of belonging and displacement, these artists were invited from abroad to participate in a programme named, International Artists Residency. The artists lived and worked in the studios provided by the IVS for five weeks and came up with thoughts which were presented in an unusual way. Seeing them through the eyes of artists who live thousands of miles away from their origins, is startling for the viewer who takes these things for granted.

In the words of Naiza H. Khan, the coordinator of Vasl, “Art opens out minds to unexpected ways of viewing ourselves and the world. No less vital is its function as an instrument of change, an invaluable form of community expression, a reminder of diversity…”

Monali Meher, an Indian residing in Amsterdam, used red threads wrapped around objects found in homes such as a wooden sofa and utensils, which were extremely eye catching. Her work involves performance and installation i.e. she does the work before an audience, getting them to participate and share her feelings.

Jeanette Ghaussi’s use of plastic dolls to make objects such as a chair brings memories of home for her. ‘Belonging and displacement’ have affected her life and work tremendously. Growing up in different cultures such as Kabul and Berlin has brought different identities for her and the knowledge of cultural diversity. “Through my work I want to narrow the gap between memories and self location,” she said.

Riaz Mehmood’s idea of remembering Karachi was very innovative and quite intriguing. He presented Karachi through videos made on different aspects of life in the city in alphabetical order, from Alif to Yay, and showed them on TV screens lined up side by side covering a large area of the hall. His artworks are a combination of web research, film and video that focuses on colonial projects and identity politics. “I see this process of reconstructing stories to create a sense of placement in history,” said the artist, who resides in Canada.

Khalil Chistee, a visual artist from Lahore, now living in America, presented text on the wall as his art, engaging the viewers into a visual and verbal dialogue in response to what they see. “My art focuses on telling untold stories to the viewers who are willing to share my emotional narratives.”

All the artists moved around the city, absorbing the flavours of Karachi and used it in their presentations. The objective of this residency was for the artists to interact and rethink their home status and ideas related to it in the mega-city of Karachi.