Art in the park

Published June 30, 2012

When the Foundation of Museum of Modern Art (Fomma) was revived and reactivated in 2002 the institution’s aim was, according to director Jalauddin Ahmed, to look around the ‘happening’ art scene, and also to look back a little, at the art that had already happened’. This intention was faithfully translated over the years through various projects, the most significant being the publication of a series of monographs and volumes of essays on our contemporary art and artists and establishing the Ali Imam archives.

Twenty thousand press clippings covering nearly 30 years of the last century from 1971, bequeathed to Fomma by Ali Imam, have now been digitised. Formerly under repair, the premises of the Fomma DHA Art Centre (FDAC), a historic 19th century Raj structure in Zamzama Park, is available again for various art activities and projects. Recently at a relaunch programme Fomma invited eminent members of the art community to deliberate and advise on “What should the re-launched FDAC aspire to do or be?” Foremost, among the ideas mooted were to develop the premises as a non-profit but self-sustaining Fomma Art in the Park Club. A Fomma Art Gallery a Bookshop and Book Club were other proposals under consideration. In June Fomma Trust began a four-week course on graphic design at the FDAC, organised jointly with a group of ex-students of the Indus Valley School of Art & Architecture. n —S.A.

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