The pop-up art scene

art

It was on one of those rare rainy days in Karachi, when I flip flopped my way into Evergreen café to experience ‘The Curated Plate’ for the first time. There have been a lot of pop-ups sprouting up; as an increasingly popular way to showcase art, it provides emerging artists with an opportunity to exhibit their work. These shows exhibit work for a short-time and can occur almost anywhere. Owing to the number of social networking platforms, art is no longer exclusive to a certain niche audience. And yet bringing it to the public domain as a physical experience is still in its infancy.

A fresh development on the Pakistani art scene, curators such as Aneela Shaikh temporarily secure a space and showcase works that have been carefully chosen. Engaging with digital art in a physical event allows the visitors to contextualise the artist’s work in a carefully orchestrated setting, where you can engage in a discourse with anyone present.

The exhibition demonstrated flexibility and cooperation, which is a prerequisite for such a small set-up. Without undermining the seriousness that such a gathering demands, it fostered a sense of kinship and an overwhelmingly welcoming environment. Aneela reserves very unconventional spaces for her exhibits, “Art is unconventional. It’s supposed to make you feel things that are different from your normal state of being. I want art to take over spaces in Karachi, since I believe that there is no space that can’t be made better with art,” she stated.

We are often taught and told to know your audience and assess who you’re targeting as that makes an impact on the content being created. When asked about her views on the right audience, Aneela explained, “There is no right or wrong with art. That’s the beauty of it, there’s no wrong audience, and art is for everyone. It is about evoking emotion, making you feel something, altering your perception; and I want everyone to experience it.”

In the latest series of her exhibitions, she enlisted a team of eight illustrators and artists to showcase their unique styles and imagery. The exhibition was a conceptually engaging experience on a both sensory and intellectual level. One of Aneela’s star artists is Habib, whose passion and relentless dedication has led him to create space for his work. His unique take on art and narrative on Pakistan is what makes his work standout. “When most people think of art in terms of owning it, preconceived notions of high prices, exclusivity and elitism all come into play. I’d like to shift the focus away from that and echo the statement (and personal mantra); Art is for everyone! I strive to make it accessible to people from all socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds.”

“That’s why my last show was so exciting as it was primarily only prints, although limited edition. It allows for us to price a lot lower than a ‘one of one’, ergo you don’t have to be a CEO to take a little part of that art home with you. If everyone is entitled to emotions, everyone is entitled to art because they are one and the same,” he added.

With each piece exclusively fighting for attention, there was one that particularly stood out in its exuberant play of emoticons and which is what got me talking to the artist. Areeb Tariq’s works are a culmination of his individual experiences, and understanding of his place in the world to space. The illustration had a man who was struggling to embrace his emotions; as he attached and detached himself from his feelings in a bid to capture the dichotomy between what's real and that which is fake. “In order to know about love, we must unlearn what we already know about love and only then can we truly embrace the feeling of love,” elucidated Tariq. At such a young age, he has the sensibilities of a person much older than him. Tariq has a degree in visual arts and communication from Eastern Mediterranean University in North Cyprus and experimentation is a major part of his art explorations.

Having worked for Najmi Bilgrami, Khushmomo Pasha banked on her signature ‘architectural’ style, as she used unconventional photographs and combined those with historical and symbolic elements to express her evangelism for unity and harmony. What was so intriguing about her collection were the hidden meanings that could be unearthed from forming perspectives on the interconnectedness of the past and the future. Highlighting different intervals in our history where radical changes were pursued and resisted; it was a careful analysis of pivotal decisions that were made in the past and yet the repercussions so deeply rooted in our current affairs. These experiences culminate in a narrative that can also be used for educational purposes.

Thinking and observing carefully are key to understanding your perception of the works on display. Other works such as the jungle-esque scenes by Begum Bano were also quite intriguing.

On the commercial intent of the show, Aneela shared, “I aim to strike just the right balance between commercial and expressive aspects of art, when it comes to my pop-ups. I curate work that I can resonate with, while most of the artists I have collaborated with are commercially known but I also use the platform to bring in amazing new talent like Ashir Bhatti, Changez Khan and Areeb Tariq to name a few who had never showcased before.”

While it would have been great if the occasion had some interactive installations or visual performances, it was nonetheless a brilliant effort to commemorate the works of such talented artists. But the whole point of art is as beautifully quoted by Aneela, “It is simply about honouring and celebrating things that continue to give us life.”