The Pakistan National Council of the Arts (PNCA) and Foundation Art Divvy are delighted to present Manora Field Notes, Zahra Khan, creative head of Foundation Art Divvy, is curating the pavilion, the first to officially represent Pakistan at the International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia.
The artist Naiza Khan has been selected to present her work as part of the installation. Another first - this is a show brought to Venice and conceived by a team of women. The director of Art Divvy - Asma Rashid, curator - Zahra Khan and artist - Naiza Khan.
Manora Field Notes will immerse the viewer in life upon Manora Island, part of a small archipelago off the harbour of Karachi. Responding to the overarching theme of the 58th International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia May You Live in Interesting Times, curator Zahra Khan explains: “there are few countries which have experienced the upheaval which Pakistan has in recent times.
This, along with a significant number of art schools and a long cultural history has fostered a vibrant and diverse arts scene. Artists speak clearly and powerfully about issues of Identity, migration, violence, community, and of course contemporary issues like climate change. We chose Naiza's work partly because it also allows for an insight into the mundane - set against the backdrop of an island with a long history, tiny and yet a microcosm in many ways of Pakistan today.”
