Curtain Raised On First-Ever Karachi Biennale

An event introducing the theme, objectives and program of the upcoming Biennale took place at Frere Hall last evening. Joining the over 100 cities all around the globe, the coastal city of Karachi is to host its very own first edition which starting this October promises the metropolis a museum quality art experience once every two years at least.

Organised by a group of artists, art critics, educators, curators and enthusiasts, the Karachi Biennale Trust raised the curtain on the project they have been working on for over a year.

Speaking about the exhibitions that are to be held all over the city for public to view without any fee the managing trustee Nilofur Farrukh says biennale is an art showcase specific to the city and hence curated accordingly.

The Karachi Biennale, in harmony with the structure and format followed all around the world, aims to cater to a wider public audience, explains the reputed art critic who is also a curator.

A first of its kind initiative, the upcoming event aspires to create a collective experience for a large part of the city’s population offering them a rare opportunity to see art worthy of exclusive showcase in a prestigious gallery or museum, she concludes.

The chief curator of the Karachi Biennale Amin Gulgee, who has invited around 80 national and 40 international artists to participate, says nine beautiful locations have been chosen to connect art with the city and its people through the theme of ‘Witness’. Showcasing a diversity of media that reflects the contemporary art of our times, Amin promises it will be a rocking experience for Karachiites.

Open to public and free of charge the first Karachi Biennale opening in October this year, will continue for two weeks and is to be held every two years after that.