KARACHI, Nov 8: The varying landscape of this city, from its polluted seashore to its ever-growing concrete jungle and beyond, offers a delightful range of subjects for the intrepid photographer with an eye for detail. This has been amply demonstrated by the photographers and artists whose work is on display at ‘Prologue Karachi,’ an art installation and photography exhibition that opened on Saturday.

The exhibition is being held at the Sadequain Gallery of the majestic Frere Hall, a venue which raised a few eyebrows as it has become something of a fortress, mostly off limits to the beleaguered citizens of this city ever since the terror of war came to the region following September 11, 2001.

As one enters Frere Hall from its magnificent gardens, one is greeted by a pan-spattered sign which reads ‘Sorry for inconvenience,’ with refuse, including empty soft drink bottles, gutka wrappers and other assorted trash, littered behind it. The significance of this trash heap is made clear when, in the press release, the visitor is informed that the funds raised by the sale of the photographs will go towards the ‘Don’t mess with Karachi’ anti-litter campaign, which intends to install concrete dustbins in the city.

Moving beyond the mound of trash, one enters the main Sadequain Gallery, the roof decorated with an outstanding painting done by the late master himself. Here, the work of the eight featured artists is on display. Each set of images features the name of the photographer along with a caption detailing their motivation behind the work.

Shalalae Jamil’s photographs are blurred images taken while in motion whereas Ume-Aiman Ahmad, who makes it clear she is not a Karachiite but respects the city nonetheless, has taken snapshots which feature different vistas of the metropolis. A wide-eyed child stares back at the camera; the sun shines through layered cloud cover; a man stands by the sea-shore; garbage flows out of one of the many abandoned drainpipes that dot the city along with another sunset, this time clear, crisp and golden. My personal favourite was a close-up of a pan-wallah’s paraphernalia.

Ahmad Shajee Aijazi’s work is displayed on wide, panoramic prints. A long line of buses waits near what seems to be the Empress Market stop in Saddar; the number of some healer or wheeler-dealer is scrawled across a wall; a chai-wallah prepares a cuppa or two; the grand bandstand at Clifton’s Jehangir Kothari Parade lit is up at night while a camel-driver waits, admiring the sunset at Seaview along with his four-legged friend.

Mahjabeen Mankani focuses on the struggle for survival of the working class. A young welder with Terminator-like sunshades mugs for the camera, while a fisherman or ferryman, Arabic-style shmagh wrapped around his head, sits pensively on the edge of his little boat. The shot of an elderly Sheedi lady is also great, as she sits by a pot-full of something, flies converging on the bowl sitting next to the pot.

In between the photographs is an art installation titled ‘FMCG’ by Anthony L’Huillier, who describes himself as an ‘avid consumer.’ The installation consists of spotless whitewashed plastic bottles, cans and other assorted containers.

Where some of the other photographers have displayed close-ups and medium-wide shots, Mikail Soomro has used a huge canvass. There is a stunning shot of the mausoleum of Hazrat Abdullah Shah Ghazi at night; a bird’s eye view of what seems to be the expansive Bagh Ibne Qasim is absolutely stellar, while the photographer has taken different perspectives of the Quaid’s mausoleum, also at night. Mr Soomro’s night shots of the city’s dockyards as well as the grand Mohatta Palace are also quite stunning.

Asim Butt has displayed one of his paintings tilted ‘View from Bhopal House’, while FurSid, the nom de plume of Abdul Qadir, has displayed various shots, including those of people praying at a shrine, the rides at Funland and a smashing shot of a sunset.

It seems the photographers of Prologue Karachi have sought to bring out, through their work, the urban decay that afflicts this metropolis, as well as what is left of the city’s heritage.

One must add that getting into the venue was quite a kerfuffle, due to the somewhat overzealous security measures. Presumably, this exhibition has been put up for the benefit of the people of this city. If that is the case, perhaps the organizers would like to make arrangements to give people easy access.

Prologue Karachi runs till Nov 13.—QAM