For Caroline Hancock, senior curator of modern and contemporary art at the Art Mill Museum; Aurélien Lemonier, curator of architecture, design and gardens; and Zarmeene Shah, director of graduate studies at the Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture, MANZAR: Art and Architecture from Pakistan 1940s to Today has been a journey of discovery, reflection and learning—or relearning. It hasn’t just been about selecting artworks, but also about curating a story that reflects the rich and complex history of the region for a contemporary audience.

The show, running in Doha, Qatar, for three months (November 1, 2024–January 31, 2025), will showcase work from pre-partition days to modern-day Pakistan. Hosted by the National Museum of Qatar and organised by the future Art Mill Museum, the exhibition “brings together artworks by artists and architects currently living and working in Pakistan and its diaspora to present various perspectives on the country’s artistic and architectural movements.”

In this conversation with The News on Sunday, the curators discuss the challenges of putting together a multi-layered exhibition; the intersections of art and architecture; and the reasons to be hopeful about the future. Excerpts:

The News on Sunday: What inspired the creation of MANZAR? How did you develop the vision and the curatorial story focusing on Pakistani art?

Caroline Hancock: Our director, Catherine Grenier, decided that one of the key things to do was to pay attention to the communities living here in Qatar, as we needed to understand who our primary future audiences were going to be. Hence, it became important to research the cultures of the neighbouring countries and, for instance, the large South Asian communities residing here. Pakistan became the starting point for several reasons, one of them being that it’s not as well-known on the international stage as others. Also, it is a country close to Qatar. It has been an incredible journey of learning and making decisions. We began in 2019, but then the Covid pandemic came along and slowed down some of the processes. Zarmeene Shah came on board last year, and that is when we really began in earnest.

TNS: How do modern and contemporary pieces in the exhibition interact? What do you hope the visitors will take away from seeing those side by side?

Zarmeene Shah: We are starting with the 1940s, just before independence. So, all the work is from the 20th and 21st Centuries. I think this is an important story for Pakistan. It was important to include work from before independence to show that it did not just start in 1947. The land, the people, the culture and the artists were already there and working. The exhibition spans almost 80 years. It was a bit hard to do, but what we’ve tried to present various perspectives, concerns and dialogues that artists, architects and other creative practitioners have had during this time. Obviously, not every concern or every practitioner could be included.

CH: I guess for us, this is just a starting point. Perhaps it’s useful to mention why we chose the title MANZAR because that’s really indicative of our methodology in bringing this exhibition together.

ZS: Manzar means a scene, a perspective or a view. So it is one scene among many possible.

TNS: How have you approached collaborations between architecture and design? What impact do you hope this will have on the exhibition?

Aurélien Lemonier: The collaboration between design and architecture is significant. In Europe, for example, you no longer see artists and architects sharing the same space. Since we are talking about practice, it was natural for us to start by highlighting the extraordinary schools where architects and artists work together. Architects like Naya Ali Dada often speak about their mentors. This represents the kind of creative community we’re discussing, where collaboration thrives. It’s like a ball, where everyone comes together. Another example is Yasmine Lari. Aside from her architectural work, she was closely connected with renowned artists. In fact, her house features a large mural. This speaks of a community where architects and artists collaborate and support one another.

We explore design, architectural theory and the practice and position of the architect. When we look at the scope of the exhibition, it’s not just focused on visual art; it embraces a multidisciplinary approach to creation. This is one aspect.

A second aspect is that architecture can sometimes offer a glimpse into the history of an institution, urban development and how cities manage their growth. For example, being one of the largest cities in the world, Karachi presents unique challenges. Architecture provides a strategic way to address these issues. Architectural drawings, in particular, help illustrate the context, offering insights that are challenging to convey but important to understand.

TNS: How does this exhibition contribute to meaningful conversations about art and identity, particularly in the MENASA region?

CH: This has never been attempted before. It’s really encouraging to have new discussions based on extraordinary projects that have already happened over the decades. We anticipate that this will enable many other projects to occur and many interesting conversations [to begin]. The exhibition has enabled the Art Mill Museum to make certain acquisitions. Some of the pieces in the exhibition are now in the Art Mill Museum collection. They will find visibility in the future museum but in entirely different contexts. What we hope to achieve is to develop these stories in surprising new ways of narrating art history and revisiting the canon.

ZS: I also want to say something about your use of the word ‘identity’. Obviously, there is a very large South Asian and Pakistani population in Qatar, but it is also close to Pakistan. So, we also think of identity in a larger regional context; such as Global South. These are important connections to make. It’s important to make this kind of connections within regions.

A longer version of the interview is available online 

The interviewer is a staff member