Images

Updated 24 Jan, 2019

A 20-feet-high 'satanic' sculpture has been the cause of much controversy at the Lahore Museum since its placement in its front gardens last week.

The sculpture, striking due to its size and grotesque features, was criticised for its alleged portrayal of the devil and inappropriateness for its historic venue. Following the criticism, the sculpture was first covered and then removed from the museum's premises.

Photo courtesy University of Punjab's Facebook page
Photo courtesy University of Punjab's Facebook page

A high court petition was also filed by lawyer Ambreen Qureshi, who called for the sculpture's removal saying it is "of no historical, scientific cultural or educational value" and that "the Lahore Museum falls under the historical buildings of Pakistan and placing the statue in question belittles and disrespects not only its historical but cultural value."

The notice stresses that it's "not against the art" but "the Lahore Museum is not the place" for the sculpture and that "maybe this calls for Punjab to establish a modern art museum".

The sculpture is the creation of Punjab University fine arts graduate Irbaat ul Hassan, who said to Images that there were "no devilish thoughts behind the creation". Instead, the intention was to portray "the negativity and darkness in humankind" with this man-animal hybrid.

"When I was [in the phase of] sketching this sculpture, the Zainab case was ongoing and it left me sleepless for nights. I couldn't understand how a person could fall so low. The fact that we call such a man an animal, how far a man can become wild, it inspired the work," he further explained to Images about his man-animal hybrid.

Irbaat ul Hassan's sketch of the sculpture — Photo courtesy the artist
Irbaat ul Hassan's sketch of the sculpture — Photo courtesy the artist

He says soon after being displayed at Punjab University's thesis exhibition in September 2018, the transferred to the Lahore Museum for an upcoming exhibition.

"The work turned out to be larger than expected so it was placed in the grounds," explained Uzma Usmani, an exhibition officer at Lahore Museum who was corresponding with Irbaat for his work. "The public really enjoyed the work and took selfies with it. Randomly one morning we saw in the news that the statue had started to provoke a negative response and we decided to remove it."

When asked how the museum would address criticism that the sculpture's removal impinges on the artist's freedom of expression, Usmani said that it was necessary to protect the interests of the museum.

"The museum is a sensitive place and we do not want any negative light to come to it. The exhibition we planned was an innocent, humble attempt to make the museum a more open place. We've been criticised that we don't welcome people, so the exhibition was an attempt to break that image.

"But a museum is not for confusion, it's for education. If people weren't able to understand our message, then it's our duty to remove it. We're not here for fasaad. The statue was not a museum artefact or property, it was for temporary display anyway."

When asked to comment on the ethics of the sculpture's removal, veteran artist and educationist Salima Hashmi, who is also on the board of directors of Lahore Museum, says she does not know how the sculpture arrived there in the first place. "In museums all over the world, the decision to commission and display works is taken by an expert committee. I don't believe this sculpture was vetted by any experts. If it was, this tamasha would never have taken place."

She elaborated, "I'm not talking about what the piece was about, but the aesthetics expected from a work placed in a museum of international repute. The sculpture did not meet the standards of works placed within the precincts of the Lahore Museum, which houses great works of antiquity. Of course, we can commission works by new, young artists but there has to be process [involving experts]. Only then can anyone defend the placement of a work of art in the museum."

Comments

Chandra Shekhar Jan 24, 2019 11:30am
"of no historical, scientific cultural or educational value" nicely summarizes it.
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ahmad Jan 24, 2019 11:31am
When you have nothing good to do..............
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Rubina Jan 24, 2019 12:01pm
Good thing that its removed. Museum is not a place for such things. Also it sends negative vibes instead of have positive impact on people.
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Yours Truly Jan 24, 2019 12:43pm
It was a work to be showcased in some contemporary art centre and not on the lawns of a museum.
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SATT Jan 24, 2019 01:17pm
But people were liking it.
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khan Jan 24, 2019 02:06pm
@Chandra Shekhar you need intellect to find the value of everything including Art.
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S.Ahmad, Washington. D.C.. Jan 24, 2019 02:34pm
Such exquisitely crafted piece being consigned to the dustbin is a shame. I would say it was as grotesque as the destruction of the Buddha statue in Bamyan by Taleban!
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HonorBright Jan 24, 2019 02:42pm
He should have made statue of an angel, our tastes, both moral and aesthetic, would have been better served there..
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Romm Jan 24, 2019 03:32pm
@Rubina Please look in the website of the Rijks museum Amsterdam . It’s a normal there that art work of renowned Artists is displayed there.
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rashid khan Jan 24, 2019 04:04pm
Shame that it is removed. Freedom of expression in peril.
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MOHSIN SYED Jan 24, 2019 04:12pm
Let Art be an Art.... expression of art in any form should be discouraged!
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Imran Jan 24, 2019 05:55pm
This statue makes perfect sense if you are trying to capture the essence of out politics for the last 30 years.
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N_Saq Jan 24, 2019 08:44pm
It is just an artwork, so enjoy it! No need to make things worse than what they are or politicize them unnecessarily. Please lighten up and enjoy life.
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Non conformist Jan 24, 2019 09:05pm
I just wonder when we will start to take art for the sake of art. It was a very creative depiction of different shades of devils. i am saddened that it had to remove.
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Zeeshan Ahmed Jan 24, 2019 10:29pm
An art project does not belong in a museum, that too something so out of context with the cultural setting that it completely MIS-represents; it should be destroyed.
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Jalaluddin S. Hussain Jan 24, 2019 11:17pm
Salima Hashmi, daughter of the great poet and human rights journalist, Faiz Ahmed Faiz ,should have known better. Being on the Baord of Directors of the Museum she should have been the first to defend the placement of the statue.
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nick s Jan 25, 2019 01:59am
@S.Ahmad, Washington. D.C.. Great point! This one is NOT the first in the civilized world of art! Perhaps the objectors to the sculpture are afraid to look inward?
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nick s Jan 25, 2019 02:03am
@MOHSIN SYED : You mean artistic expression should NOT be discouraged?
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Rp Jan 25, 2019 02:05am
@HonorBright - I don't know man - if an angel were to be displayed, it would have looked too Christian to be swallowed easily.
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nick s Jan 25, 2019 02:11am
Please note that Ibraat ul Hassan's sculpture is NOT the first one. But I guess Islamic purists will always portrayal of that which does not flatter us a humans. Note: "Zainabs' case" and the honour killings. That sculpture represents the demented elements in human nature and all of us are human!
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Farouq Omaro Jan 25, 2019 05:30am
Should be placed in an art gallery
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El Cid Jan 25, 2019 05:56am
It had one value: Get attention and invoke controversy. But with that grotesque ugliness of no artistic value, it had no place in frontward of the museum.
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Nomad Jan 25, 2019 08:47am
Much ado about nothing. It has no historic value or may or may not have any artistic value. I don't want to judge. Keep it inside the museum in a suitable place if the curators feel it has a place in the museum. Why put it in front?
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IMRAN QURAISHI Jan 25, 2019 09:07am
The problem is not the statue, museum, the artist who made it or the person who encouraged the artist's work and allowed it to be placed in the museum's premises. The root cause of the problem is the mentality of the people who have no tolerance for anything. In any civilized society there is something called "Live and let others live". Unfortunately in Pakistan this basic concept is lacking big time. People have no tolerance for anything any more. Especially the youth of the country really disappointed me as they have no tolerance left in them anymore. It can be the appointment of a non Muslim for an important post or it can be the inauguration ceremony of a new church/mandir/gurdwara or the placement of a statue. The same pattern of thoughts start to burn slowly and in a very short period of time engulfs the whole country and the jobless youth who overnight turn into religious fanatics start marching towards the capital to start a dharna in the name of religion to force the Government to bow down to their demands and implement their way of thinking. This has to STOP and the Government should not pay any heed to these people and their childish demands as this was not the Pakistan that Quaid E Azam envisioned in his mind and seriously I have no doubt about that. Not even one percent.
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UDAYA BOSE Jan 25, 2019 01:54pm
@El Cid Grotesque uglyness also has artistic value. It is an artist's conception of all the evil he sees around him.
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Moaz Khan Jan 25, 2019 04:27pm
Nothing wrong with us elders. But when the kids watch it leaves an impression on their subconcious mind that satan is something which exists and looks like the the shape of that sculpture. And it haunt them through their lives. But in reality satan is just a negative bad thought.
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Janjua Jan 25, 2019 09:35pm
Great argument by Lawyer Ambreen Quraishi
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Zora Jan 26, 2019 03:08am
No, it should never have been displayed here to begin with.
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Bushra zahid Jan 28, 2019 11:22pm
I really think such statues should have no place in pakistan .it should be removed as early as possible .regardless of the fact that intention of the artists were not bad but he ended up highlighting and admiring the worst in humanity
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