Khadim Ali
Qatar Museums has opened MANZAR: Art and Architecture from Pakistan 1940s to Today, a first-of-its-kind exhibition commemorating the diverse work of painters, photographers and architects who have shaped the narratives, histories, and contemporary perspectives of Pakistan’s cultures since the 1940s. This major showcase is organised by the future Art Mill Museum and presented in collaboration with the National Museum of Qatar, the nation’s preeminent institution for art and culture, which hosts the exhibition. The presentation is on view from 01 November 2024 until 31 January 2025.
Designed by renowned architect Raza Ali Dada, the exhibition is titled MANZAR. Derived from Arabic, the word "Manzar" in Urdu translates to a scene, view, landscape, or perspective, capturing the extraordinary vitality of the diverse art scenes in Pakistan and its diasporas.
The Amir His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Her Excellency Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Chairperson of Qatar Museums, and His Excellency Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif, Prime Minister of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, inaugurated the exhibition, alongside Catherine Grenier, Director of Concept of the Art Mill Museum and the curatorial team.
With more than 200 works, comprising paintings, drawings, photographs, videos, sculptures, installations, tapestries and miniatures, as well as commissioned works by artists and architects, MANZAR unfolds across twelve sections. The exhibition reveals how artists responded to and reimagined international modernist movements, offering a unique insight into Pakistan's rich artistic and architectural landscape. This is made possible by unprecedented loans from public institutions in Pakistan, including the Alhamra Art Museum in Lahore and the Pakistan National Council of the Arts in Islamabad, private collections from Pakistan, Dubai, London, and New York, as well as works from Qatar Museums collections.
The artists and architects featured in MANZAR include Hamra Abbas, Zainul Abedin, Bani Abidi, Meher Afroz, Zubeida Agha, Mohammed Abdul Ahed, Anna Molka Ahmed, Roohi Ahmed, Madiha Aijaz, Zahoor ul Akhlaq, David Alesworth, Habib Fida Ali, Khadim Ali, Shakir Ali, Rasheed Araeen, Sophia Balagamwala, Murtaja Baseer, Farida Batool, Huma Bhabha, Noorjehan Bilgrami, Ustad Allah Bakhsh, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Yaminay Chaudhri, Ruby Chishti, Abdur Rahman Chughtai, Nayyar Ali Dada, Iftikhar Dadi, Elizabeth Dadi, Colin David, Constantinos A. Doxiadis, Michel Ecochard, Iqbal Geoffrey, Amin Gulgee, Ismail Gulgee, Arif Hasan, Salima Hashmi, Lucien Hervé, Aisha Abid Hussain, M. F. Husain, Ali Imam, Muzharul Islam, Shalalae Jamil, Ayesha Jatoi, Ayaz Jokhio, Mahbub Jokhio, Louis Kahn, Aaejay Kardar, Durriya Kazi, Ali Kazim, Aisha Khalid, Naiza Khan, Saba Khan, Karachi Lajamia (Shahana Rajani & Zahra Malkani), Yasmeen Lari/Heritage Foundation of Pakistan, Mariah Lookman, Arif Mahmood, Basir Mahmood, Marvi Mahzar, Imran Mir, Medhi Ali Mirza, Quddus Mirza, Kamil Khan Mumtaz, Murad Khan Mumtaz, Asma Mundrawala, Huma Mulji, Richard Neutra, Seema Nusrat, Ahmed Parvez, Ayessha Quraishi, Imran Qureshi, Rashid Rana, Fazal Rizvi, Lala Rukh, Sadequain, Anwar Saeed, Anwar Said, Shahid Sajjad, Sadia Salim, Seher Shah, Saira Sheikh, Anwar Jalal Shemza, Shahzia Sikander, F. N. Souza, Edward Durell Stone, Adeela Suleman, Abdullah M. I. Syed, Risham Syed, Mohammad Ali Talpur, Salman Toor, Omer Wasim, and Zarina.
This groundbreaking exhibition brings to light lesser-known global art histories and demonstrates how they weave into broader social and cultural trends. The themes range from nation-building and regionalism to the politics of land and water, emphasising the connection between Pakistan’s cultural heritage and contemporary practices. The exhibition hopes to connect with and pay tribute to the many communities in Qatar who have origins in this part of the world and act as a bridge between different cultures.
The exhibition is curated by Caroline Hancock, Art Mill Museum Senior Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art; Aurélien Lemonier, Art Mill Museum Curator of Architecture, Design and Gardens; and Zarmeene Shah, independent curator, writer and Director of Graduate Studies at the Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture (IVS) in Karachi, with Art Mill Museum Senior Exhibition Project Manager Aebhric Coleman.
A vibrant public programme featuring performances, talks, screenings and other events will accompany the exhibition. Members of the public can view newly commissioned indoor and outdoor installations and explore contemporary projects, which are centred around sustainability and ecologies.
Complementing the exhibition were two public talks on 1 November 2024 featuring renowned artists, architects, and historians. The first, The Evolution of Visual Art in Pakistan, was a conversation between Zarmeene Shah (co-curator of Manzar) and prominent artists and practitioners from Pakistan, including Naazish Ata-Ullah, Iftikhar Dadi, Mariah Lookman and Quddus Mirza. The panel explored the diverse narratives showcased within the exhibition, including the historical context of Pakistani visual arts, the impact of globalisation on contemporary artists, and how they engage with international audiences.
The second, Exploring Architectural Facets of Pakistan covered a range of themes, including the coexistence of tradition and modernity in contemporary architectural practices, the response of architects to environmental challenges, and the interplay between urban development, and cultural heritage in shaping Pakistan’s architectural landscape. It was moderated by architecture historian Sean Anderson, and featured architects Maria Aslam, Nayyar Ali Dada, Marvi Mazhar, and Kamil Khan Mumtaz.
The 312-page exhibition catalogue (featuring 500+ illustrations and designed by Kiran Ahmad) is published by the Art Mill Museum on the occasion. The catalogue will include essays by major art and architectural historians, educators and artists and architects from Pakistan and beyond.
MANZAR: Art and Architecture from Pakistan 1940s to Today is presented as part of the Fall/Winter 2024-2025 Season of Qatar Creates, a platform dedicated to amplifying the voices of Qatar’s creative industries and promoting cultural activities within the country.
