KARACHI BIENNALE: THE FUTURE IS NOW.

Even in two weeks, it's difficult to fully explore, fully immerse oneself in and fully experience the technological wonder of the third Karachi Biennale. With over 26 projects and installations by over 45 artists hailing from 13 countries, the Biennale is a massive undertaking.

What is especially a treat for the public is the opportunity to visit the historical Hamid Market, a century-old unique building, a part of the city's history from before Independence. Other than Hamid Market, the venues at which the Biennale is being held include the NJV High School, the Jamshed Memorial Hall, IBA (city campus), NED University (city campus), the VM Art Gallery, the Sambara Art Gallery, the Alliance Francaise and the Indus Valley School for Art and Architecture Gallery.

Under the theme of 'Collective Imagination: Now and the Next', both local and foreign artists explored the convergence of art and technology. Here's the lowdown on some of the exhibits and installations in the city.

One of the installations that stands out was by Austrian artist Herwig Scherabon, who displayed a diptych video at the Alliance Francaise Karachi's art gallery. Titled Remembering You The City of Lights, his video beautifully documented the ruins of Bhambore in Sindh and the landfill at Jam Chakro on the outskirts of Karachi. He played up the ambience of the video by painting a vivid picture through sound, introducing a soundtrack containing the noise of the traffic and other city sounds, creating a stark contrast and a visual and sensory experience for the audience.

A culturally important project was by the studio Invisible Flock. They collaborated with Faqeer Zulfiqar, one of the last borindo players remaining in the country, and his comrade, Allah Jurrio, a 90-year-old potter from Badin, one of the last craftsmen who still knows how to make this dying instrument.

The borindo is a cylindrical, terracotta instrument that traditionally has eight differently sized holes to produce the melody. The top-most hole produces a note while the bottom hole sustains the tonic note.

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