A remarkable feature of the Lahore Biennale (LB02) was the thoughtful selection of venues for the display of art. One choice that cames across as particularly ingenuous was Bradlaugh Hall. Hardly anyone now seems to be aware of this once iconic space that was built in the late 19th century on Rattigan Road. For almost a century, it played host to a cross-section of political leaders of the Subcontinent, and became a symbol of the anti-colonial freedom movement. Despite being in a shambles, it still stands out today as a tall and exquisite structure in the midst of the cluttered, narrow lanes of old Lahore.

The LB02 brought alive this space through a combination of art forms, including videos and photography, as well as a music and dance performance by Cholistani folk musician Krishna Lal Bheel and his troupe at the inaugural session. The performance was intensely colourful, and in contrast to the sombre videos by Zarina Bhimji and Amar Kanwar. The videos come across as deeply poignant and sensitive comments on past events in the Subcontinent, including the predicaments caused by its partition.

No less remarkable was the utilisation of the PIA Planetarium. This venue, too, is now a rather forgotten one. Yet, the brilliant artworks of the five artists who had displayed their site-specific installations there made it a mesmerising experience for viewers. Indeed, one saw “Islamic metaphysics meet avant-garde Futurism” through the brilliantly executed multimedia installations of Inna Artemova, Almagul Menlibayeva, German Popov, Halil Atindere and Garry Simons.

A remarkable feature of LB02 was the considered selection of venues for the display of art

Somewhat more predictable was the Lahore Fort as a venue, as it was a favourite spot in the 2018 Lahore Biennale as well. Yet, the grandeur of this historic space never fails to impress. Whether it is the expansive stairways, the deep and dark maze-like space of the Summer Palace or the sprawling gardens with the Badshahi Mosque and Minar-i- Pakistan in the backdrop, its appeal is timeless. Eyob Kitaba’s series of large corrugated sheets embellished with small painted pictures displayed on the stairways, and Diana Al-Hadid’s site-specific installation ‘The Escape Of Anarkali’, with its finely created skeletal architectural space were amongst the memorable art works displayed in the Lahore Fort’s outer vicinity.

In the Summer Palace, Khadim Ali’s exquisite hand-embroidered works were not only a feast for the eyes, but also food for thought in the way he tackles the subject of sectarian violence and his own predicaments being a part of the Shia Hazara community. Wael Shawky’s ‘Cabaret Crusades’ was another brilliant effort consisting of an hour-long video that uses handmade puppets and marionettes to create a dramatic story based on the history of the medieval clashes between Muslims and Christians.

Mubarak Haveli in old Lahore, which houses the Naqsh School of Art, was also utilised as a space for display. This time round, however, it was dedicated almost exclusively to videos that were played in the various rooms of the charming old haveli. Artists including Farah Al Qasimi, Amina Zoubir, Basir Mahmood, the late Farideh Lashai and others, brought forth their own unique perspective on the human condition. The themes were varied: occult practices, resilience in the face of nature’s vagaries, preserving the legacy of old musicians, political discourse, the senselessness of warmongering, and the plight of the labourer class struggling in an environment that still reeks of the colonial past.

An unusual venue that remained on my must-see list was the Irrigation Department in Lahore. A site-specific installation by Bahar Behbahani had been created to comment on water management and the uncertainty created by our current ecological crises. In a country faced with extreme water scarcity in the near future, and as a citizen belonging to a city where the once abundantly blessed River Ravi now looks more like a garbage dump, this theme is the need of the hour.

“Lahore Biennale 02” was displayed across cultural and heritage sites in Lahore from January 26 to February 29, 2020

Published in Dawn, EOS, March 8th, 2020