KARACHI: It remains a matter of debate what T.S. Eliot meant when he, in one of his poems, wrote; “Time present and time past, are both perhaps present in time future.” But it is clear what a four-person exhibition titled The Past as Present, which opened at Gandhara Art Space on Thursday, intends to drive at: it puts under the microscope the notions of power vis-à-vis men. Why discuss time periods then? Well, they are important because in this day and age concepts have become fluid, and definitions of many a thing

which were once held dear, if not sacred, have altered. So, the past viewed as the present or as something present, makes interesting viewing.

Veera Rustomji’s ‘Conqueror’ series sets the tone for the show. The conquering aspect, however, has a ‘hollowness’ to it that’s hard to miss. And this is the kind of void that helps artists question the power games. Result: it is almost impossible not to imagine the conquests.

Ghulam Mohammad’s interest lies in words and their visual resonance. In ‘Mirage’ and a couple of untitled exhibits he pushes the viewer by using text into a position where interpretation of phrases and sentences take a back seat and their visuals assume a new meaning.

Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s artworks conjure gender-defying images that seem to be a subject that quite a few modern-day artists are focusing on. For example, in ‘Dunya Ke Number Aik Body Builder’ (archival inkjet print on cotton twill) he designates muscles behind a veil (a veiled body-builder). It is obvious that it’s the idea of masculinity that he is trying to challenge, and it is easier to be challenged in a contemporary world as opposed to the past.

Moonis Ahmad changes the trajectory of the show with ‘The Birds are Coming’ (mixed media). The ominous look of the birds, pretty much like in the artworks made by his other three colleagues, imparts an oxymoronic touch to the exhibits. It can unnerve the viewer, which is perhaps what the artist is aiming for.

The exhibition, curated by Aziz Sohail, concludes on Sept 16.

Published in Dawn, August 19th, 2017