Abidi had based this character from one of her videos where a theatre actor from Delhi every single day wore his suit and read his old speeches, which also blared from speakers wired outside his house – but no one would listen to them. Captivating the audience with this tragic-comedic character, Abidi also told the audience how the idealism and investment the older generation had put in the creation of India and Pakistan had sparked the drive to create this particular piece. She also spoke about her parents’ relationship with Pakistan, partition and how the Pakistani identity has changed over the years, and alas, how these observations and inherited emotions seep into her work.
“I feel there’s a certain kind of a disappointment and sense of loss that exists within the generation on both sides of the border – not just Pakistan,” she stated.
Having done her B.F.A from Lahore and her M.F.A from the School of Art Institute Chicago, she is currently residing in Germany. Abidi has a long and highly impressive list of places where she has shown including Centre of Art and Media Karlsruhe, White Chapel Art Gallery, London and 3rd Asian Art Triennial, Fukuoka, Japan. Her work is also a part of the many collections across the globe, some of them being, The Museum of Modern Art, New York; The British Museum London and Devi Art Foundation, New Delhi.
“Bani’s work has inspired the dynamic oral culture of South East Asian contemporary art on various levels,” stated Muhammad Zeeshan, another internationally renowned artist.
The talk concluded with an engaging conversation between Nafisa Rizvi – editor at ArtNow and Abidi.
