LAHORE: The Lahore Digital Arts Festival (LDF) represented Pakistan and the wider South Asian digital art movement at the 2025 International Image Festival in Bogotá and Manizales, Colombia.

This marked the first time a Pakistani digital artist officially featured in this renowned Latin American festival that explores the intersections of art, science, and technology.

The LDF showcased the evocative video works of futurist Pakistani artist Omar Gilani, whose speculative imagery offered a cyberpunk reimagination of Pakistan’s urban future. Blending tradition with tech-laden visions, Gilani’s art stirred conversations around digital identities, localised futures, and the power of South Asian storytelling through a distinctly post-colonial lens. “It was deeply humbling to see my work sparking such curiosity and dialogue across cultures,” said Gilani.

“Presenting a futuristic Pakistan through a local lens –especially in a space that values experimentation and hybridity – reinforced the power of imagining futures rooted in our own histories and identities,” he added.

His work resonated strongly with international audiences, setting the stage for broader conversations on digital art and cultural futurism from South Asia.

“Participating in this festival was a landmark moment not just for us at LDF but for Pakistan’s visibility in the global digital arts discourse,” said LDF founding curator Najamul Assar. “The resonance of Omar Gilani’s work with audiences in both Bogotá and Manizales demonstrates a growing appetite for nuanced, futuristic narratives from South Asia.”

The reception in Colombia has underscored the importance of South-South artistic exchange, connecting communities across the Global South who are collectively reimagining their futures. As the only South Asian representative, the LDF’s presence amplified voices from a region often underrepresented in the global digital art ecosystem.

Published in Dawn, May 27th, 2025