‘The News’ (2001) by Bani Abidi was a groundbreaking video installation that engendered the role of new media art in Pakistan to address political and social concerns and engage with a diverse audience. The work consists of a split-screen video of two newscasters, one wearing a sari and the other a shalwar kameez, solemnly reading the news about a neighbourly dispute regarding an egg and chicken. It was a tongue-in-cheek reference to the India-Pakistan tensions arising from a situation with desire on both sides to create polar narrative based on artificial differences.

Abidi followed this up with another more poignant work ‘The Address’ (2007) which depicts a familiar setting — that of the backdrop set up on Pakistan’s state channel PTV in anticipation of an address by the leader of the nation. This video was played on television screens in dhabas and other public spaces, directly engaging the audience outside the confines of a gallery.

Published in Dawn, Sunday Magazine, March 29th, 2015

On a mobile phone? Get the Dawn Mobile App: Apple Store | Google Play