Frere Hall draws people to public spaces

 

 

 

Karachi

Amidst the perpetually threatening and highly charged political situation of Karachi, free public spaces have been minimized or converted to commercially driven spaces, like malls for example. It makes one wonder: where are all the parks and free, open areas that one could enjoy, say, twenty years ago? A new initiative is asking exactly the same.

Encouraging interactive, open space and outdoor activities, Numaish Karachi aims to rebuild a sense of community amongst the people of Karachi.

Curated by Saima Zaidi of Mazaar Bazaar fame, the ‘Numaish Karachi’ project aims to win back public spaces through a travelling, interactive and installation project. Unlike other art projects that cater to a select, often elite group of people, Numaish Karachi aims to cater to the crowds and it did exactly that when it inaugurated this weekend. One could see and hear all those ethnicities and languages that we often forget exist in this dynamic metropolis.

It was a balmy Saturday evening but the air around Frere Hall was lifted by the happy sights and sounds of children and adults that were drawn into the exhibition. The lush gardens of the picturesque colonial building were dotted with over 24 installation projects that inspired the fun side of people who appeared intrigued by what the activities had to offer.

“The project aims to bring people together and break the boundaries that we have made ourselves,” Saima Zaidi spoke to Instep. The project has been created in collaboration with the I Am Karachi organization and the Karachi Municipal Corporation. “Bottom line: its all about collaboration,” she added.

From the bizarre to the captivating, the activities were quite engaging to say the least. Installations such as the illuminated carom board were some of the most successful as they motivated visitors to interact and communicate. The ‘Danda Doli’ seemed like a prop out of a science fiction flick. While some interactive projects stood out from the others, the life-sized ‘Saanp Seerhi (Snakes and Ladders)’ and the ‘Karachi Circular Railway’ video installations enthralled the audience. One could notice the gleam in the eyes of the crowd as the people mockingly ‘climbed the ladder’ and were ‘bit by snakes’ in the game.

Equally, some sounds of excitement ensued as the footage of the KCR by Ivan Sigal gave the audience a sense of bafflement. The video showed the now-defunct railway system through the lens of a video drone.

The interactive experience provided by the project is a forgotten experience in cities like Karachi, where the public space has been lost to pollution and garbage dumps rather than wholesome family experiences.  This project aims to draw people back out into open, free spaces and hopes to inspire them to take ownership of them; they are, after all, part of the city and should be reinstated as part of lives and routines.

The exhibition will continue at the Frere Hall till April 22 and is scheduled to tour several different locations before it culminates at Macchar Colony, Karachi.