Cinema 73, founded by architect and academic Asad Kamran in March of 2019, has expanded its mandate to introduce the modal of Open Studio as an extension of Noor Ahmed’s vision. It opened its doors to the public recently to inaugurate its second solo presentation, Good Time by Ammara Jabbar. Curated by Noor Ahmed, the exhibit was a reflection of the theatrical concept of contemporary kitsch, through sculptural and installation art.

Kitsch, which was once deliberated as low class, gaudy and cheap, has over time gained significance and value to reflect the varying needs and moods of individuals and societies. Jabbar’s works highlight the constructive position that contemporary kitsch holds, and its substantial presence within the fabric of our society and aesthetics.

Inquisitive and enquiring, her works propose a strong bond and affiliation between high art, popular visual culture and society, interpreting a graphic dialogue through playfulness and comicality. Despite the spontaneity and impulsiveness of the visuals, there is a marked tension between the narrative and the spectacle, which cannot be ignored. A remarkable and dramatic commentary arises, as a parallel force on the countless roles taken on by a woman as she traverses through the mundane. Manifesting a subliminal framework of sensibilities through mixed media, video installation, satin, faux bouquets and vibrant colours, she conjectures the intimate as sacred within the unremarkable normal of day-to-day routine.

Ammara Jabbar’s installations offer a robust and sturdy correlation between high art and popular visual culture

Jabbar’s work echoes her experience as a woman in the megapolis. She experiments with actions not aligned with the expectations that society places on a woman. Trying to start a conversation about gender, she builds her plot around the larger sentiment of being a woman versus the stereotype that moulds the cast. She questions the ideas which view women through the myopic lens of commodification in the economy of marriage. In addition, the artist explores the social norms which govern a woman’s body, dictating its role in a public and a private space. 

A larger context which questions gender roles and politics of the female body is woven into the fabric of the otherwise frisky and playful nature of the show. Her work clearly builds on the interrelation of ‘seeing’ and ‘knowing’, thereby creating a tension between external images and internal thought processes.

Much as it appears to be light-hearted and frivolous, her work and narrative alters and morphs in order to develop an authoritative presence. Social order, hierarchy of systems, practice and beliefs are challenged and contested through her works. This is a powerful assertion which does not allow the viewer to remain passive.

The artist, on the other hand, doesn’t want the visuals to be engaged with and primarily tied to the narrative itself but for the works to be viewed as an independent body of good-humoured and light-hearted installations, soaked in metaphors and the colours of the city’s rich visual culture. This is a culture which is steeped in social theory and philosophy of imagery, that enables us to profile and characterise our understanding of and response to the world around us, and the experiences arising from our interaction with it. Jabbar’s works are saturated in symbols of visuality, thereby making our experiences central to the way we engage in looking.

The solo presentation of “Good Time” was held at Cinema 73 in Karachi on October 8, 2020

Published in Dawn, November 1st, 2020