The first major exhibition of contemporary art from Pakistan opens in New York on Thursday, with curator Salima Hashmi saying that it depicts the country in its totality, and the courage and grit of its artists.

At a media preview of Asia Society exhibition “Hanging Fire”, Ms Hashmi said that it was also a testimony to diversity and vitality of the contemporary Pakistani art scene that has flourished over the past two decades. More than 50 works by 15 artists, comprising installation art, video, photography, painting and sculpture are on display at Asia Society Museum. Ten of the artists were present at the media event, which was largely attended.

The pieces of art reflect the determination of the people of Pakistan, which is often portrayed in the west as a country continuing to struggle with political and social instability. The exhibition’s title, “Hanging Fire”, refers to an idiom that means “to delay decision.” In the context of the exhibition, the title evokes the idea of delaying judgment, particularly based on assumptions or preconceived notions about contemporary society and artistic expression in Pakistan. It also alludes to the contemporary economic, political, and social tensions-both local and global-from which these artists find their creative inspiration.

For over 40 years, Asia Society has been a leader in providing balanced perspectives on Pakistan and US-Pakistan relations,” Asia Society President Vishakha Desai said. “Despite Pakistan’s rich artistic and cultural history, most notably as a centre of the Mughal courts, the country is all too often portrayed in the West in negative terms. Through this exhibition and our related programming, we aim to address the critical need for deeper understanding of Pakistan’s diversity and complexity and to present a fuller picture of contemporary Pakistani society.” The exhibition includes artists for whom the highly charged socio-political context in which they live and work is critical to understanding their art.

The exhibition is accompanied by a comprehensive, full-colour, 161-page research book, distributed by Yale University Press, addressing Pakistan’s political, social, cultural and art history.

The volume is edited by Ms Hashmi and includes essays by specialists in Pakistan, the United States and the United Kingdom: artist Naazish Ata-Ullah and artist/critic Quddus Mirza, professors Iftikhar Dadi (Cornell University), Ayesha Jalal (Tufts University), and Carla Petievich (Montclair State University), and celebrated author Mohsin Hamid (The Reluctant Fundamentalist, 2007, short-listed for the Man Booker Prize).

The artists whose works are on display are: Hamra Abbas, Bani Abdi, Zahoor-ul-Akhlaq, Faiza Butt, Ayaz Jokhio, Naiza Khan, Arif Mahmood, Huma Mulji, Asma Mundrawala, Imran Qureshi, Rashid Rana, Ali Raza, Anwar Saeed, Adeela Suleman and Mahreen Zuberi.

{Source: The Nation}