Welcome to yet another HOT issue of VASL Newsletter Online!

VASL this summer, geared much of its efforts towards developing a database for contemporary art and artists in Pakistan. In the past three months around 70 artists from all over Pakistan uploaded their works and profiles in the ‘Artists’ Directory’  on the Vasl website!

This listing of practicing artists on the VASL website is an ongoing effort to give a clear and democratic access to the present face of Pakistani art. It’s hoped that this interface would coherently represent our art and communicate artists’ works and concerns to its local as well as the international eye. View artists at  VASL Artistspages

Responding to the need for documentation and communication of important ideas the VASL website now has a  Critical Text section. It lists selected writings by Durriya Qazi, Quddus Mirza, Salima Hashmi, Amra Ali, Niilofer Farrukh and more. The text pertains to aspects and concerns of contemporary Pakistani art.

Vasl is holding RandomShot 2006 a fund raising event taking place in September 2006.Artists from all over Pakistan will participate by donating works. Proceeds from the raffle will help Vasl maintain its activities!

This year VASL further expands its art ventures by initiating its Online Exhibition Space, called Virtual Vicinity which is its 1st International Exhibition of Digital and Video Art Online. Read more below!

The newsletter is aimed primarily for a Pakistani audience, and lists contemporary art events and news in Pakistan. To brief our new subscribers, the newsletter lists Workshops / Residencies and funding opportunities that exist for Pakistani artists through VASL and the Triangle Network. The aim of the newsletter is also to serve as a platform for the practicing Pakistani artist to flash and share views.  It is circulated on the web, free of cost and all items lead you to a relevant web page or contact by just a click on the active links below.
 

VASL would like this communication to not be a one-way, but a two-way street!
We welcome suggestions, criticism and information from you!!

Talk to us and be heard now at vasl_art@yahoo.com !

Contents

Opportunities

•  Khoj Workshop Kolkatta, India 2006

•  International Youth Salon 2007 and AAW International Workshop 2006, Egypt

•  Kara Film Festival Call for Short Films 2006, Pakistan

•  Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts, Artist-in-Residency Program, 2007 USA

•  Videoformes 2007, Clermont Ferrand, France

   

VASL News

• 256 Shades - Media Art Show, In-Dialogue and Virtual Vicinity, Karachi

• 13 Satellites of Lahore              

• 70 Pakistani Artists on VASL Online!

Artists in the network and beyond

• Bani Abidi, Imran Quershi and Rashid Rana at the Singapore Biennale

• Jamil Baloch at the Theertha International Artists’ Workshop, Srilanka  

• Salima Hashmi represents Pakistani Art at the New York University

• Rashid Rana is one of the three artists from South Asia at Art Basel Switzerland

• Aliya Hassan Khan, Bani Abidi and Huma Mulji at Sub-Contingent Italy

• Hasnat Mehmood at BRITTO

• Hammad Nasar of Green Cardamom UK receives Clore Leadership Fellowship for 2006 - 7

• Beyond the Page: Contemporary Art from Pakistan, UK                                                                        

• Ayesha Durrani at the Vermont Studios

• Kaif Ghaznavi at Theertha, Srilanka

Pakistani Diaspora

• Samina Maunsuri, Future Lines at Sante Fe New Mexico

• Shazia Sikander:  Without Boundary: Seventeen Ways of Looking, MOMA NY

Gallery/Cultural Centre Listings
Art resources and useful links

Text and Articles
 

Opportunities

•  Khoj Workshop Kolkatta, India 2006 It is a platform for active debate and participatory experimentation in art where young and mid-career artists come together.The dates for the next International Artists' Workshop Khoj Kolkatta are from 14-31 October 2006 Artists from more than twenty countries in Africa, the Caribbean, U.K, Europe, Asia, America, New Zealand and Australia will be participating.Download application at http://www.khojworkshop.org/opportunities/khojka

  Deadline: Closing soon so send/write as soon as possible!

   

• 6th Kara International Film Festival, Karachi, Pakistan 2007, Call for Short Films
  Submit films for the categories of feature, short and documentary at the KARA Film Festival Karachi, Pakistan. This is open to all nationalities. For further information visit http://www.karafilmfest.com/entryinfo_2006.htm
   

• International Youth Salon 2007 and AAW International Workshop 2006 AAW Atelier of Alexandria International workshop program is an intense two weeks studio session for an international group of professional visual artists in Alexandria, Egypt. Deadline: July 30th, 2006. Also calling for applications from young International artists for their Youth Salon in 2007.  Deadline:31 December2006.For application forms and information visit  http://www.atelieralex.com/

   

• Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts, Artist-in-Residency Program 2007, USA A three month residency program in Nebraska, accepting applications from International Visual Artists also. Upcoming residency is scheduled for July-December 2007.Application form: http://www.bemiscenter.org/residency/residency_app.html

  Deadline:  September 30, 2006

   

• Videoformes 2007, Clermont Ferrand, France XXIIe International Video Art and Media Festival: The competition is open to all video and media makers. Video works and media projects (CD-ROMs and web-art) should be original. Deadline:October 6th, 2006.Application http://www.nat.fr/videoformes/FESTIVAL/INSCRIPTIONS/ACCUEIL_INSCR.html  Website: www.videoformes.com

back to contents

Vasl News

•   256 Shades is a series of events in the month of August initiated by VASL. www.vaslart.org
  Media Art Show-  Space to space collaboration ... A project initiated by Adeela Suleman of VASL with Hong Kong. After its successful showing in Hong Kong the works of Pakistan and Hong Kong based artists will be exhibited in Pakistan.

  Dates: July 31st to August 19th. Venue: VM Art Gallery Karachi                                                                                                             
  In-Dialogue Lecture/Presentation on Video Art by Johan Pijnappel Johan Pijnappel is a Dutch Art Historian/Curator living in India is coming to Karachi on invitation by VASL and will present a lecture on Video Art at the Rangoonwala.

  Date: August 16th 2006. Venue: VM Art Gallery Karachi                                                                                                                    

  Virtual Vicinity Online International Exhibition of Digital and Video Art open to all nationalities. Exhibition will be launched at the VASL website on the 18th of August 2006. For details on submissions visit  http://thinkering.nidelven-it.no:44080/vasl/virtualv/index_html        

   

                                                           

• 13 Satellites of Lahore is a long term project initiated by Huma Mulji, Razia Sadik, Shahram Entekhabi and Naazish Ataullah in Lahore. The project intends to inquire alternative spaces for art showing, reception and its documentation touching upon various aspects of the city life in Lahore. To read more about it visit http://thinkering.nidelven-it.no:44080/vasl/13sat/index_html
   

• 70 Pakistani Artists on VASL Online  As many as 70 artists from all over the country now have their works and bios up for easy access and viewership. VASL conducted website trainings for artists in its Karachi office, in Lahore at The Beacon House National University Campus and at the Khaas Gallery Islamabad. Majority of these artists individually trained by VASL are equipped to update their respective pages. This facility for website training and page uploading is available to all professional artists in Pakistan. Write to vaslpages@yahoo.com.

 back to contents

Artists in the network and beyond
 

• Bani Abidi, Imran Quershi and Rashid Rana at the Singapore Biennale Singapore's inaugural international biennale of contemporary art, will open to the public on 4 September 2006. This major international contemporary art exhibition will feature more than 80 artists, and artist collectives from over 35 countries including Singapore. http://www.singaporebiennale.org/about.html
   

• Jamil Baloch at the Theertha International Artists’ Workshop, Srilanka. Jamil participated in the 4 week Theertha International Artists' Workshop this summer along with 5 other artists. He was also one of the artists at the VASL International Artists' Workshop, Gadani 2006.http://www.theertha.com/
   
• Salima Hashmi represents Pakistani Art at the New York University Panel discussion along with curators Vasif Kortun from Istanbul and Sami Azar from Tehran. Their discussion was in connection with their recent Exhibition 'Without Boundry- 17 Ways of Looking' MOMA, which featured works of artists from the Islamic World living in the Diaspora. It revolved around issues engaging art practitioners in their own countries. Salima Hashmi discussed the work of Adeela Suleman, Ahmed Ali, Huma Mulji, Masooma Syed, Naazish Ataullah, Naiza Khan, and Roohi Ahmed.Among the audience were Museum and gallery curators, artists, students, researchers. Art Asia Pacific and Newsweek and other media representatives were also present.
  Read NY Observer on the MOMA venture http://www.observer.com/20060403/20060403_Tyler_Green_culture_newsstory1.asp

• Rashid Rana is one of the three artists from South Asia at Art Basel Switzerland represented by gallery Nature  Morte, along with two other artists Subodh Gupta and Justin Ponmany. http://www.art.ch/ca/en/fqk/  Besides his participation in the Singapore Biennale and Beyond Page Manchester UK, his works are also on display at;      

   

  SAF  Asian Art prize, Hong Kong, he is among the 30 finalists, check out his work at the link below.

  http://sovereign.station185.com/index.php?option=com_gallery2&Itemid=28&g2_view=core.ShowItem&g2_itemId=376&g2_page=2
   

  Asian Contemporary Art Week shows Rashid Rana’s video work at gallery Korea New York organized by Asia Society, New York. Emerging and established artists are included from Turkey, Afghanistan, Dagestan, Japan, India, Pakistan, China, Taiwan, Korea, Thailand and Hong Kong http://www.e-flux.com/displayshow.php?file=message_1147842627.txt

   

  The Rusholme Project, Manchester, conceived by Shisha UK will be a ground-breaking and experimental collaboration with renowned artists from India and Pakistan; Manchester Metropolitan University; the HAT Project (Here and There) and the Rusholme Communities (including the Business Community).Rashid Rana is the artist in residence, from Pakistan and Subodh Gupta from in India will create spectacular site-specific works that engage with the urban architectural vernacular of Rusholme and aim to dramatically transform the neighbourhood.Phase one of the project takes place in July 2006 (artist residency at MMU) and phase two in Summer 2007, when the artwork will be installed and launched.Part of the project is an intensive education and outreach programme (working with three local schools Claremont Primary School, St Edwards RC Primary School and Crescent Community Muslim Girls School, in partnership with Manchester Art Gallery) and six British Asian artists. There will be a publication to document the project.Please visit Shisha at http://www.shisha.net/

                              

• Huma Mulji, Bani Abidi and Aliya Hassan Khan at Sub-Contingent at the Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo, Turin, Italy. The exhibition focuses on the Indian Subcontinent (Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka) seen through its complex matrix of populations, ideas, languages, mentalities, lifestyles, faiths and cultural heritage.The project includes a catalogue and film presentations and talks with writers at the Turin National Museum. http://www.mediadata.it/scheda.php?comunicato=22016&LC=IT
   

• Hasnat Mehmood at BRITTO Lahore based miniature artist Hasnat Mahmood is representing Pakistan at  the 5 week Britto International Artists' Residency, Bangladesh. In the previous workshops Roohi Ahmed and Abdullah Syed from Karachi were artists at Britto from Pakistan.  Britto is an artist led initiative in Bangladesh that supports artistic experimentation, innovation and dialogue within the region. http://www.brittoarts.org/workindx.htm

• Hammad Nasar of Green Cardamom UK receives Clore Leadership Fellowship for 2006 - 7

  This fellowship programme established by the UK Ministry of Culture and The Clore Duffield Foundation annually selects fellows to further their knowledge, experience and skills in leadership. http://www.cloreleadership.org/press.htm 

  Hammad Nasr's fellowship award is an acknowledgment of his project Green Cardamom which works collaboratively with galleries and museums, bringing works of artists' from South Asia, Central Asia and Middle East to a global audience through exhibitions and publications. www.greencardamom.net 
   

• Zahoor ul Aklaq, Hamra Abbas, Aisha Khalid, Hasnat Mehmood, Nusra Latif Qureshi, Imran Qureshi, Rashid Rana and Usman Saeed at   

  Beyond the Page: Contemporary Art from Pakistan, UK This exhibition is yet another undertaking by Green Cardamom and looks at how the techniques and ethos of the miniature practice have become an attitude which has gone beyond the wasli into other media including sculpture and installation.                                                                                                    

  Dates: August 31st, at Asia House and September 30th, at Manchester Art Gallery UK.                                                          

  Exhibition catalogue for 'Beyond the Page' includes contributions by Roger Connah, Hammad Nasar, Anna Sloan and Virginia Whiles.The catalogue is a hardback 68 pp. book and will be available in the UK by August 30th, 2006. Edited by Anita Dawood and Hammad Nasar its published by Asia House and Green Cardamom, London; and Manchester Art Gallery and Shisha in Manchester. Copies can be purchased through Green Cardamom and will be available in Pakistan in December,2006. http://www.greencardamom.net/exhibitions.html Hamra Abbas's residency with Gasworks and Green Cardamom culminates this September and she will be giving a talk on her work and experience. http://www.gasworks.org.uk/varts/current/index.htm 

   

   

• Ayesha Durrani at Vermont Studios Durrani, a miniaturist from Lahore attended the Vermont Center International Artists Residency program in New England in June along with 57 other artists and writers from the US, Hong Kong, Japan, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Columbia, Singapore and the Czech Republic. 'The most interesting part of this residency for me was sharing our space and work with not only artists but also writers and poets. They attended our slide shows and we attended their readings!'  http://www.vermontstudiocenter.org/

• Kaif Ghaznavi at Theertha, Srilanka Kaif is a young ceramist from Lahore teaching at the design department NCA. She will participate in the Theertha Women Artists Residency along with Sabrina Shabu from India and three Srilankan artists. The residency concludes in an open day on August 23^rd  2006.Theertha is an autonomous, artist-led non-profit initiative based in Colombo. http://www.theertha.com/

Pakistani Diaspora

• Samina Maunsuri , Future Lines at Sante Fe New Mexico; Mansuri participated in the 1st International Artists Workshop in Gadani and lives in Canada and has shown at SAVAC and other venues. Recently she participated at the Sante Fe New Mexico as an artist in residence. Her wall drawings made in this residency are on show till July 14th at the 'Off the Map' , Toronto. Read more on her and the curator at http://www.offthemapgallery.com/shows2006/Samina_Mansuri06.html

• Shazia Sikander:  Without Boundary: Seventeen Ways of Looking, MOMA NY The exhibition seeks to emphasize diversity by questioning the use of artists’ origins as the sole determining factor in the   consideration of their art.Along with Sikander some other names are Mona Hatoum, Shirin NeshatJananne Al-Ani, Ghada Amer, Kutlug Ataman and the Atlas Group/Walid Raad. http://www.moma.org/exhibitions/2006/without_boundary.html

back to contents

Gallery/Cultural Centre Listings

Galleries

· CANVAS GALLERY, Karachi Canvas99@cyber.net.pk

         August          1st          Sardar Assef Ali  (Painter)

         August          17th          Four Person Miniature Show - Shoaib Mehmeood, Ayesha Durrani, Mehreen Zuberi, Hasnat Mehmood 

         September     5th            Afshar Malik        

         September     21st           Mussarat Mirza

•  VM ART GALLERY, Karachi vmartgal@super.net.pk

.            July              12th           “Sensibility” Miniature Group Show by Karachi based artists

          July            31st          “256 Shades” Media Art Show: Hong Kong by Adeela Suleman                          

                   September    5th            VASL RandomShot 2006

2.                                                  13th              “W-11” Melbourne to Karachi, show by Wajid Ali (13^th Sept 2006 )

•    CHAWKANDI ART, Karachi chawkart@cyber.net.pk

          August       16th            Nahid Raza

September    6th               Rokeya Sultan  from Dhaka University                                    

·         INDUS GALLERY  sdia@super.net.pk  

     August        10th            Paintings by Najam ul Hassan

     September    2nd             Nusrat Azmat

·         ROHTAS GALLERY Lahore sairasheikh@gmail.com

          September  16^th             Sumaira Tazeen