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This art exhibition draws attention to climate change

This art exhibition draws attention to climate change

“I acknowledge climate change as a threat,” said President Dr Alvi at the opening of the exhibition in Islamabad
Updated 19 Dec, 2018

President Dr Arif Alvi on Tuesday criticised United States President Donald Trump for sitting over enormous resources but doing nothing about climate change.

“In comparison I have very little, but I acknowledge climate change as a threat,” Dr Alvi said at the opening of an exhibition titled Art for Climate Change at the Pakistan National Council of Arts.

The exhibition was the outcome of the Art for Climate Change retreat organised by Gallery 6 in collaboration with the Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation where 16 painters, photographers and filmmakers were invited to Naran in August.

The president informed guests that the artists’ works were expected to draw attention by all possible means to the impending threats of frequent and severe natural disasters, food and water shortages, agricultural and economic collapse and so on.

He lamented that pristine settings such as Hunza and Fairy Meadows were losing their splendour and turning into concrete jungles like Murree and Karachi.

“The lack of awareness about climate change and its impact remains a challenge,” Dr Alvi said.

PNCA Director General Jamal Shah said the exhibited works would provide critical insight through creativity.

“Art helps in making informed decision-makers. It allows one to become brave, sincere, responsible and productive, and lovers of their surroundings and give life aesthetic dimensions,” Mr Shah said.

He urged the president for state patronage, which visual and performing artists never had.

Gallery6 owner Dr Arjumand Faisel appreciated the president for taking time out for the art show, which he believed reflected the government prioritising problems caused by global warming.

“We hope the show will attract individuals, organisations and media to create a sense of urgency to save the environment,” Dr Faisel said.

The show was spread across two galleries and featured a collection of paintings in mixed media, as well as photographs and installations.

Ajab Khan contributed landscapes to the show.

“I draw attention towards the serenity and beauty of our landscapes. It hurts me to see how we are responsible for its degeneration,” he told visitors.

National College of Arts (NCA) Lahore graduate Sana Arjumand’s painting titled ‘Overlapping Dimensions’ depicted internal darkness affecting the perfect vision of the outside landscape. Breathtaking landscapes in watercolour were painted by Ali Sajid.

“I work hard to heighten the splendour of our beautiful landscape,” Mr Sajid said.

Among other artists were Ali Ijaz, Kiran Saleem, and Irfan Gul Dahri. Amna Yaseen contributed photographs that highlighted the degradation of pristine landscapes, while Asad Asghar, Mohammad Arshad, Mohammad Tariq, Sujjal Kayani and S.M. Khayam presented their landscape paintings for the show.

The exhibition will continue until Dec 30.


Originally published in Dawn, December 19th, 2018

Comments

Mona Dec 19, 2018 05:46pm
This is so refreshing to read . Hope such works are able to capture the attention of the audience and educate them in the process. Parents must take kids to see these exhibitions as they are our future climate champions!
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Must learn Dec 19, 2018 06:33pm
Simple words like ‘Climate Change’ Green House Effects “and talking about climate change in Arts Council looks funny without someone from “ National Instt of Oceanography in the exhibition.The climate change is a very vast phenomenon the events happening in nation at neighbors & at seacoasts are accountable. Just switching your mind that for every problem President Trump or US is responsible, is not fair. President Trump has no control over winds,sea tides,continental drift,and plate tetonics. Only an oceanographer knows what is distribution or redistribution of heat on our globe. The sun energy received by earth with latitude,and fourmula “ Heat Gain minus Heat Loss= Net Heat Gain or Loss. The spirals of the atmosphere, the Coriolis Effect,the effects of land masses,the influence of ocean on weather & climate,large scale anomalies of ocean temperatures and overlying air pressure, the CO2, the hurricanes,the use of “paleo thermometer. It’s a very wide scientific subject.
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